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As a collection of geological and climatic phenomena, the earth is a scarred, bent, cracked, and agitated wreck of a place. Nowhere is this more evident than in Utah's redrock canyon country, which is among the most spectacular terrain not only in America but in the world. These extraordinary lands lie at the heart of the Colorado Plateau -- 130,000 square miles of uplifted rock sitting like a huge island in an earthly continental sea, surrounded on all sides by the remnants of once-active volcanoes. Although the Colorado Plateau includes portions of Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, in no other part of any other state are its complexity and time-constructed beauty illuminated more brilliantly than in southern Utah. Tourists and outdoor enthusiasts by the millions visit and revisit the area because there is no place else on earth quite like it.

In The Redrock Chronicles, T. H. Watkins, one of America's best-known and award-winning writers on the environment and history, focuses on southern Utah's unprotected lands in a loving testament to its warps and tangles of rock and sky. Combining history, geography, and photography, the author reports the full story of the region -- from its violent geologic beginnings to the coming (and going) of pre-Puebloan peoples whose drawings still adorn rocks and caves there, from the Mormon settlement of the 1840s and 1850s to the great uranium boom of the 1950s, from the beginning of tourism and parkland protection in the 1930s to today's controversial movement to preserve millions of acres of wild Utah land in the National Wilderness Preservation System. Indeed, the account of that revolutionary movement is told here in all its color and complexity for the first time.

Writing from his own personal experience and extensive research, an appreciative Watkins takes readers on a tour of the Grand Staircase of plateaus, moving from the utterly wild triangle of Kaiparowits Plateau, with its erosion-sculptured mesas, tablelands, benchlands, and canyons, to a more welcoming kind of verdant wilderness that sits northeast, across the rolling desert scrubland of Harris Wash, in the red-walled canyon of the Escalante River. The author has spent much time hiking and camping here among the isolated buttes and mesas, and he draws a vivid portrait of the area's highlights: Comb Ridge, a 90-mile wall of 600-foot cliffs; Waterpocket Fold, an even more spectacular monocline to the northeast of the Escalante River, stretching a hundred miles; the Henry Mountains; Hump of Bull Mountain; Cataract Canyon; and the San Rafael Swell, an enormous oval some 2,200 square miles which rises just north of Capitol Reef National Park.

But The Redrock Chronicles is not simply a celebration. Watkins concludes with a spirited call for the preservation of the unprotected wilderness that gives the land its character and color. He offers the legislative device of wilderness designation as the necessary means of saving this plateau country that is not marked by one or two or even three or four scenic marvels but by an enormous kaleidoscope of geological diversity whose impact on the senses can set the mind to reeling with every turn.

Customer Reviews (3)

War In The West
Having recently moved back to the mid-west after living in the west for four years, I am amazed at the lack of awareness or information on what many describe as the War in the West. Before you protest that War may be to strong, consider: Employees of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Forest Service, and other federal employees in certain areas of the west carry sidearm's and long rifles; government vehicles have been firebombed; anonymous threats directed at government workers are routine; and county commissioners have authorized bulldozing or roads into National Parks and Monuments. Add to this volatile situation the recent decision of the Forest Service to charge a fee to anyone desiring to walk into a national forest and proposals to limit, or eliminate, logging and drilling in large sections of government land in the west and you have the makings of a real, well...war. Oh, did I mention the decision to increase the amount ranchers must pay to graze their cattle on public land? Needless to say, that has been a real popular decision among western ranchers that consider their right to use public lands as sacred. Speaking of sacred, the environmentalist movement had made itself real popular as well by proposing that millions of acres of land in the west be placed in the National Wilderness Preservation System. Such a designation would effectively remove it from any use by the public other than those associated with hiking. No way in or out except by foot, period. Then there is the proposal, gaining credibility and supporters, to decommission Glen Canyon Dam and drain Lake Powell. Some folks in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Phoenix have some concerns about this endeavor. While this battle is being waged geographically in the west, it is over public lands that belong to all citizens, including those of us that live a long day's drive to be even close to the action. In looking at the available literature on the myriad of issues in this war I find, as usual, a lot of publications that are long on rhetoric and short on real information or facts. I treasure the book that make's it argument in an honest, heartfelt, straight-forward manner. I may not agree with the opinion or argument of the author but I can respect their honesty and sincerity. Such books are few and far between. Edward Abbey did it with Desert Solitaire. Wallace Stegner did it with Coda: Wilderness Letter in The Sound of Mountain Water. The late T.H. Watkins has done it with The Redrock Chronicles. If you want a concise, upfront, spirited argument for the preservation of an area that many consider ground zero in the environmental war in the west, this is one of the best. Watkins, an award-winning writer, historian, and scholar has written an eloqquent testament tothe redrock country of southern Utah that is destined to become a classic. In just 163 pages, Watkins provides the reader with the history, geology, politics and sense of place in both the written word and with stunning photographs, that capture the mystery and complexity of a land under siege. This is one of those rare books that will capture your heart and spirit regardless of your political leanings in this war. It does so because Watkins has managed to write a love story so unique and touching that it could only come from what he calls the "home of his heart." Southern Utah's wild country is not for the timid, spandex-attired tourist on a carefully planned, scripted vacation. This 130,000 square miles of the Colorado Plateau was chosed by Brigham Young as just the kind of wild, desolate, forbidding place to send his followers in order that they might practice their particular brand of religion in peace and solitude. It is an area where a young wanderer from California could find spiritual comfort and disappear without a trace (Everett Ruess.)It is such a desolate place that during the 1950's the Atomic Energy Commission considered it expendable should fallout from atomic testing in Nevada drift northward, which it did. Why then, all the fuss over such desolate, forbidding land? Because it's there and because it weighs so heavy on the heart to see it destroyed, even on the altar of so-called economic development. Because, as Watkins stated shortly before he died,"I am helplessly addicted to this place, this wondrous geographic puzzle of canyons turning in on themselves, of upthrust plateaus and big blisterlike mountains, of multicolored rocks all layered and bent and broken, of curling rivers dammed by beavers and shaded by grandfather cottonwoods, of horizon-wide sweeps of sunlit emptiness and gracile unknown places where darkness hides and will not tell its name." After reading this gem of a book there will be many readers that will wonder about what was lost with the building of Glen Canyon Dam. One thing is for sure; those that advocate its decommissioning will likely garner some additional supporters. Love stories are like that.

A chronicle of hope
This brief eloquent book is a treasure.The history of the battle forUtah wilderness is a story that needs to be read by everyone who visits theredrock deserts and National Parks of Utah, and by everyone who lives inthe region.Our astounding wild landscapes are not there by accident, butbecause there are people who love and defend them.The photos show placesthat would be protected if America's Redrock Wilderness Act were passedinto law.These are the places that could be lost forever if public landswere privitized (as wise-use and sagebrush rebel groups would like) ormanaged for industrial tourism, resource extraction and grazing (as the BLMseems inclined to do).I hope that in the future this book becomes atriumphant chronicle of the vision and persistance that saved Utah's publiclands wilderness instead of a sad chronicle of what was lost.

Feeling the West
Living in Utah, the battle over wilderness is a continual part of my life. And being an environmentalist, it is an important part of my life. There are 9.1 million acres up for wilderness designation in this state, butbecause of opposition from mining, timber, grazing, and off highway vehicleusers, the process is slow- going. T.H. Watkins does an admirable job ofmaking the reader feel the spirit of the west and the heart of thebattle... which should make one realize the importance of wildernessdesignation, especially for these last few million acres. The RedrockChronicles is not a political commentary, nor is it easily dismissedpropaganda from the environmentalist faction. It is simply a writer'sstatement about the utter importance of wild places. ... Read more

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Traces the development of the satellites which provide instant global communication via television and telephone. ... Read more

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The Neurolab Spacelab Mission: Neuroscience Research inSpace, reveals the results of Neurolab, a 16-day space shuttle missiondedicated to studying how weightlessness affects the brain and nervoussystem.

This book shows the complex –and sometimes surprising-- changes inthe brain and nervous system that allow astronauts to adapt toweightlessness. The results suggest that the developing nervous systemmay need gravity to develop normally; also, some concept of howgravity works may be "built in" to the brain.

All the results from the mission’s experiments – and colorillustrations to help interpret the results – are presented in thissingle volume. The book’s commentary and summaries are designed to beaccessible to general scientific readers, but the chapters alsoinclude detailed descriptions and references, which offer researchersopportunities for further study.

The book’s editors, Jay C. Buckey, M.D., a scientist who flew as a payload specialist aboard Neurolab, and Jerry L. Homick, Ph.D. the Neurolab mission scientist, offer commentary and explanatory notes about the Neurolab experiments. The 26 individual investigator teams provide detailed scientific reports on their results. Also included are technical reports on noteworthy procedures or equipment developed for the flight. These reports show how some experiments advanced technology to accomplish scientific goals.

The book organizes the experiments into five research areas: the balance system, sensory integration and navigation, nervous system development in weightlessness, blood pressure control, and circadian rhythms and sleep. Each area is described in a brief introduction, with detailed color illustrations by William Scavone of Kestrel Illustrations. Abstracts and introductions to the individual reports provide a general scientific reader with a summary of each project and why it was done. Reference lists guide readers to the published papers from experiments. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Highly Technical
This book, published in 2003 as NASA Special Publication, NASA SP-2003-535, describes the experiments conducted on the Neurolab module which was flown on the Space Shuttle during the STS-90 mission and the subsequent results.The Neurolab module is essentially a Spacelab module which had flown 15 times on the Space Shuttle.This Spacelab mission focused specifically on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system, the understanding of the mechanisms responsible for neurological and behavioral changes in space.The book also includes technical reports on the procedures and equipment developed for the flight and perspectives of the crewmembers.

It is important to note that while this book is still in print (as of 3/2007) and can be purchased directly from the Government Printing Office.Regardless, many excellent quality used copies of this book in hardback are available cost between $25 -50.
... Read more

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Texas is an art lover's paradise. More than one hundred venues located within the state welcome visitors to experience the visual arts. These include internationally recognized collections such as the Chinati Foundation, the Kimbell Art Museum, the Menil Collection, and the Nasher Sculpture Center; renowned encyclopedic institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the San Antonio Museum of Art; and dozens of first-rate art centers, alternative spaces, and university galleries. In addition to delighting the eye with a wide-ranging assortment of exhibitions, many of these museums and galleries are housed within architectural gems. To enhance the reader's visits to familiar destinations and to encourage the exploration of lesser-known venues, Art Guide Texas presents the only in-depth survey devoted exclusively to the state's nonprofit visual arts institutions. Rebecca Cohen organizes the book regionally. Individual entries for museums and galleries give essential contact information, including phone numbers and Web sites, as well as a description of the collection(s) and past exhibitions, a brief history of the institution, significant architectural details about the building, and assorted practical tips. Black-and-white photographs accompany many of the entries, as well as notable quotes on art and architecture. In addition, Cohen's essays on the phenomenal late-twentieth-century growth of the arts in Texas and on arts activity in the different regions of the state provide a helpful context for exploring the arts in Texas. ... Read more

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Awesome!!
Perfect book for the art expert or novice. Mrs. Cohen has worked very hard on this book and it is quite evident. Cannot wait for the next one! ... Read more

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Continuing Scala's innovative series of landscape shaped volumes celebrating the architecture of buildings housing art and design, this is a fascinating profile of a contemporary art centre revered throughout the world for the range and vitality of its visual arts, performing arts and media arts programme. Built in Minneapolis in 1971, the Walker Art Center was designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes. Founded by Thomas Barlow Walker, a progressive and eclectic collector of art, the Walker Art Galleries opened to the public in 1927 and the building survived many adventurous and structural evolutions, adapting itself to conceptual changes in the art world and society as a whole. This was entirely appropriate for an Art Center committed to fostering new ways of thinking about, learning from and experiencing the contemporary arts which earnt it the reputation of being among the ten most visited art museums in the United States. A new extension is planned for the center in 2005, designed by Herzog and de Me ... Read more

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Two theories revolutionized the 20th century view of space and time: Einstein's general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. Their union has given rise to elementary particle theories with extra spacetime dimensions, the inflationary model of big bang cosmology, the hypothesis of dark matter in the universe, the discovery of radiation from quantum black holes, and the fuzzy spacetime geometry of superstrings and M-theory. In this work, experts present developments in cosmology, theoretical physics and mathematics, and share their thoughts on the future of spacetime physics. ... Read more

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The heart of New York City's Greenwich Village, Washington Square Park hasbeen a vital public space for nearly two centuries. Lined by elegant townhouses, anchored byStanford White's iconic Washington Arch, and used by students and professionals, dog walkersand musicians, chess players and toddlers, the park is both an oasis from and an ideal of urbanlife.Synonymous with the city's artistic identity, the park has also witnessed waves of politicaland social unrest, and served as a focal point for contentious debates about the future of urbandevelopment.This rich and colorful history is captivatingly told by Emily Kies Folpe in ItHappened on Washington Square.

Farmed by New Amsterdam's freed African slaves in the seventeenth century, the park was usedas a potter's field and dueling ground in the aftermath of the Revolutionary War and thenconverted into a parade ground for the city's volunteer militia in 1826.Since the 1830s, when itformed the nucleus of an upscale community, Washington Square has been an incubator forAmerican art and a haven for writers, painters, sculptors, and architects.At the beginning of thetwentieth century, the area began to attract the artists and political radicals--from John Reed tothe Beats--who gave the Square a counter-cultural aura it still possesses. In recent decades, theSquare's residents have united against such threats to their neighborhood as the urbanredevelopment proposed by Robert Moses and the expansion of New York University. Illustrated with a remarkable selection of historic images, It Happened on WashingtonSquare explains why the survival of this unique public space is so important. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

It Happened on Washington Square
I lived for a time, in the Village, during the 60`s, at times in a haze. Therefore I never got to know the Square and her glorious history,so this book gave me an insight to a wonderful place and the many historical events that took place there. It is well written, and the reader knows, the writer has a very close connection to the Village and the Square and Her people. G.F.St.J.Connecticut.

lively history
This is a lively history of Washington Square Park from its beginnings to its present embodiment. It is also a pocket history of some of the notabale events in NYC itself. The book is written in a highly readable style and filled with pictures tracing the history of the park. A veritable who's who of NYC politicians and artists parade through the pages illustrating the central role played by the park during NYC's development.
Dr. Folpe thorough research illuminates the text without bogging down in acedemic trivia. This is a fascinating history for anyone who loves New York City or is curious as to how it became the art center of the country.
I would recommend this book as a most enjoyable and informative read.

a wonderful history
Folpe spent years going through archives and talking to locals to unearth a detailed history of Washington Square. Her research paid off. This is technically an academic book, but the prose is so engaging and lively that anyone who has even a remote interest in Washington Square will enjoy this. ... Read more

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"Owens Valley is a land between, a place tucked behind high mountains, arid yet soaked in water history, draped in desert vegetation yet remembered for its verdant farms, sparsely dotted with towns -- some no more than dreams on a map. It exists between stories, between vitality and decline, between granite mountains." -- from the Introduction

A unique landscape history, A Land Between explores the central idea of how people's preconceptions and perceptions of a place -- in this case, Owens Valley -- influence their interventions on the land. Rebecca Fish Ewan draws on primary sources, oral histories, and conversations, offering a story that reaches beyond the oft-told tale of water wars with Los Angeles. Ewan's gentle and poetic essays, illustrated with historical images and her own photographs of the region, provide a complex, multifaceted perspective on the land, the history, and the people of Owens Valley.

Beginning with the land itself, the book's introduction describes the physical setting of Owens Valley and examines first impressions of the land -- including accounts from Numu myth, observations by nineteenth-century settlers, and excerpts from the author's journal of her own travels on horseback from the valley into the Sierra Nevada. The first essay explores the valley's natural history, focusing on the water, mountains, and plants to show a connection between the ecology of place and human use. The second essay chronicles the major periods of human occupation, beginning with the Numu (also referred to as Owens Valley Paiute in many sources) and ending in 1913, when the Department of Water and Power first diverted Owens River into the Los Angeles aqueduct. The third essay considers the valley after the diversion of water, from 1913 to the present -- including its use as a World War II Japanese internment camp and as a scenic locale for movies, especially westerns.

Owens Valley is renowned for its unique topography and its striking contrasts in elevation -- rising from the below-sea-level depths of Death Valley to the 14,496-foot peak of Mt. Whitney. To search for the natural and cultural history embedded in Owens Valley, the author hiked to the top of that mountain, traveled on horseback across the meadows of the Kern Plateau, ventured on every forgotten dirt road in the valley that her truck could negotiate, and rambled on foot over the ancient stones of the Alabama Hills. A Land Between tells the stories of the people who have lived in the valley and uncovers the marks they have left on the land.

Customer Reviews (2)

Owens Valley book
A in depth study of the Owens Valley from the perspective of a resident. Covers the history, geology, and politics of this vital valley in eastern California.

Engaging, informative, scholarly, and highly recommended
Rebecca Fish Ewan's A Land Between is an engaging, informative, scholarly, and highly recommended title which examines the idea of how people's preconceptions of California's Owens Valley influenced their decisions about managing the land. Primary sources, oral histories and research provide a perspective on the land and residents of Owens Valley, examining its natural history, human occupation, and use over the decades. A unique and intriguing study. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The best reference for planning your new earth sheltered home
This is a must have for those planning on building a new home. It covers the different principles and techniques on Earth Sheltered construction in a logical and scientific manner. It looks at earth sheltered building from a engineering perspective and provides the testing means and results. I suggest not even talking to a builder until you've read this book.

Perfect, 'exactly what it said on the tin'!!!!!
Perfect, 'exactly what it said on the tin'!!!!!

Came well packaged and exact time as specified

Green, Green, Green
Very academic approach, and seems to have significant practical testing.Excellent descriptions of techniques and pros and cons of each.I enjoyed this book immensely.

Good basic beginner idea book
I have been drawing house plans for recreation since I was a teen.Now that our second child is soon off to college I've been more seriously considering house designs as my husband and I hope to build a home that will serve us long into our old age.(We've always bought slightly used homes from others; this time I want to start off in a new home.)

I fell in love with an earth sheltered house in Pennsylvania when I was in high school and visiting a family for a weekend.Ever since I've thought it would be a great idea, but had shied away from the idea after living through one basement that looked like a cavern wall every time it rained.Of course that house was more than 200 years old.And my handyman assured me that it was normal for that age house.

Now we live in sandy New Hampshire, which is a great spot for dry basements.So I'm daydreaming again and planning an economical design that will be equal parts environmentally friendly and just plain cool.

I bought this book to help keep my designs more reality-based.And to see what other considerations I needed to budget for.I was happy to see that years of hobby design work had led me to consider almost everything I need to take into account for such a house, and I appreciate the basic instructions the book has to offer.Of course I'll need to ultimately turn to a licensed architect (if only for my own peace of mind), but I am considering general managing the project myself.

If you're interested in earth sheltered housing designs and considerations, this is the book for you.If you want glossy pages of houses this might not be your design book.It's much more utilitarian and thorough than a photo-essay style house design book.

About this book:
Earth Sheltered Housing Design: Guidelines Examples, and References-Universty Of Minnesota ~ ISBN: 0442288212

318 pages, well done, many examples and styles of sheltered and underground designs.

Fabulous technical guide to earth sheltered (underground) housing.

Chapters include site planning, architectural design, energy use, structural design, waterproofing and insulation, building codes, illustrative designs, cold climate designs, warm climate designs.

Includes photos of homes, design details, backfilling, solar gain, roofs, and many real world examples shown including Davis Caves, solaria and ecology houses.

Appendices include energy calculations and comparisons, financing issues and references.

Architects represented: Don Metz, the Winston House and the baldtop dugout; John Barnard, ecology houses; Carmody and Ellison, the Jones House; Michael McGuire, the Clark Nelson House; Mr. and Mrs. Donald Karsky, the Karsky house; Joe Topiv, the topic house; Andy Davis, the Davis Cave; Big Outdoors People, big outdoors dome (concept only); Malcolm Wells, solaria; Ron McClure, rousselot house; Coffee & Crier, bordie residents; William Morgan architects, the Dune House; David Wright environmental architects, the sundown house at Sea Ranch; Roland Coate, the Alexander house; Philip Johnson, the Geier House; Herman DeJong, Terrasol (unbuilt). Terrific photos of this midcentury modern concept.

In-depth references and bibliography.

B&W images and illustrations.
___________________________________________________

From The Back Cover:
Before the use of fossil fuels was commonplace, man often turned to the earth for protection from the elements and extremes of climate. Now, with fuel supplies dwindling and fuel prices rapidly rising, it is time to reconsider the benefits of habitation below the earth's surface.

This book of guidelines offers homeowners and architects a comfortable and economic approach to underground housing based on modern construction techniques. It provides plans, details and photographs of existing examples of earth sheltered houses from around the country, and shows how to design homes using such low cost natural resource and energy-saving systems as layers of soil insulation and passive solar heating. Many of the homes illustrate how the designs can be adapted to take advantage of specific natural surroundings.

Avoiding the use of technical language whenever possible, the authors give clear-cut explanations of energy performance in earth sheltered homes, as well as helpful hints on selecting materials and equipment. The reader will find basic information on warm climate and cold climate designs, including detailed coverage of plans, site selection, waterproofing and insulation, as well as zoning codes and other public policy issues that relate to underground construction. Essential advice is given on systems which provide maximum protection from wind chill, unwanted infiltration, and direct heat loss. All the facts are here on creating a durable, low maintenance structure that is not only economical, but also as comfortable as a conventional home. Detailed appendices offer precise information on financing, building codes, and product information.

Forward-looking homeowners, architects, and planners will value this comprehensive and timely study. The AA Journal calls it "The first comprehensive underground design manual."

The Undergound Space Center:
A comprehensive research program studying problems relating to resouce utilization, the Center draws upon the efforts of numerous experts of the scientific community at the University of Minnesota as well as professional engineers and architects working in the areas of innovative residential design and energy research. ... Read more