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  Featured Books: Environment
 
ADOBE HOUSES FOR TODAY
Flexible Plans for Your Adobe Home, New and Revised
By Laura Sanchez and Alex Sanchez

“…a wealth of information about the history and techniques associated with the use of adobe.” --Library Journal
“…a fascinating wealth of information and lore.” --The Bookwatch
“Helpful for anyone buying, building, or remodeling an adobe house as well as for contractors, drafters, and real estate brokers.” --Book News
“…argues by example that adobe construction need not be a costly luxury reserved only for the wealthy.” --Su Casa
“…at last, a book written by authors who understand solar and thermal mass!” --Adobe Builder

Order from Sunstone: (505) 988-4418

Since Adobe Houses for Today first appeared, interest in energy efficiency has exploded. Showing the pathway to smaller, solar tempered, easy-to-heat homes using adobe, one of the world's most energy efficient building materials, makes this book about adobe houses not only for today, but also for tomorrow. Adobe Houses for Today features 12 plans for compact, beautifully proportioned adobe homes in modern and traditional styles. The illustrated text shows how the basic houses, designed for today's smaller families, can be expanded and adapted to fit readers' own budgets, family sizes, style preferences, and building sites.

After a brief look at adobe's history, Adobe Houses for Today surveys adobe's advantages as a building material, illustrates adobe construction, and gives an eye-opening tour through the facts and fantasies of energy conservation. The heart of the book details the plans, using them as examples of design techniques that increase livability and control costs in any house. The book and its minimal-cost construction drawings are valuable, enjoyable tools for those buying, building, or remodeling a house. With this new edition, which includes an additional chapter with stories from people who have built the houses, construction drawings are now available for some of the expanded versions.

Author and journalist LAURA SANCHEZ previously ran a drafting business specializing in adobe houses. She called it quits sometime after the 250th set of plans but maintains an abiding interest in designing the very best, most cost-effective houses possible.

ALEX SANCHEZ, who grew up building houses, has taught courses in adobe construction and solar energy. He heads the renowned computer-aided drafting program at the University of New Mexico-Valencia Campus.

Sample Chapter
Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=NL0xLIU4mA8C
Email: alex@unm.edu

Hardcover:
8 1/2 X 11
ISBN: 978-1-63293-274-7
230 pp.,$36.95

Softcover:
8 1/2 X 11
ISBN: 978-0-86534-662-8
230 pp.,$29.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-109-1
230 pp.,$9.99


AGELESS ADOBE
History and Preservation in American Southwestern Architecture
By Jerome Iowa

“…highly recommended for architectural studies collections and supplemental reading lists.” --Reviewers Bookwatch

“Ageless Adobe is one of those few manuals that actually succeeds in eliminating the mystery and guesswork for the do-it-yourselfer.” --Albuquerque Journal Magazine

“This book is great for getting a sense of where adobes came from and how they’re being preserved and updated now.” --Farmington Daily Times

“Carefully and clearly written, without the clutter of jargon, this is a book anyone interested in Southwestern houses should include in a personal library.” --The Santa Fe Reporter

The American Southwest possesses an extraordinary depth of cultural heritage and much of its history is preserved in its architecture. Particularly prominent in the region’s man-made landscape are the historic structures made from the earth itself--adobe. Attention has turned to ways of preserving and maintaining the old buildings of the Southwest partly because of the growing national interest in historic preservation. However, in the Southwest there has also been an increased awareness of the inherent viability of native architecture. Adobe structures present unique challenges and require special treatment and until now, much of that information has been unpublished.

AGELESS ADOBE provides practical details on methods of preservation and maintenance for old adobe buildings. The over 200 illustrations in the book along with directions on “how-to” will enable the do-it-yourself home owner as well as the professional architect or contractor to plan and carry out renovation. The author presents solutions to the problems of keeping an historic structure intact while repairing it and making it 20th century livable. The issue of energy conservation is discussed at length and the premise of the book is that historic integrity does not have to be sacrificed for energy efficiency. Rehabilitation is always preferable, usually possible and often more profitable than demolition.

Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=kLP2NdaA-VAC

Hardcover:
8 1/2 x 11
ISBN: 978-1-63293-342-3
158 pp.,$36.95

Softcover:
8 1/2 x 11
ISBN: 978-0-86534-034-3
158 pp.,$22.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-124-4
158 pp.,$9.99


CULTURE CLASH
Environmental Politics in New Mexico Forest Communities, 1970–2000
By Kay Matthews

Order from Sunstone: (505) 988-4418

The Culture Clash story begins in the 1970s in the village of Placitas, New Mexico at the north end of the Sandia Mountains, where author Kay Matthews built a house and began a family while involved in disputes with the Forest Service over forest management and with real estate developers bent on gentrification. It then moves to El Valle, a land grant village of 20 families at the base of the Pecos Wilderness, where she and her family moved in the early 1990s seeking a more rural life. Here, during the rest of that decade and into the 2000s, the small villages of el norte were engaged in battles on numerous fronts: protecting the integrity of traditional acequias; guaranteeing the rights of community-based foresters and ranchers to access public lands; addressing the long standing grievances of the loss of land grants; and maintaining the rural nature of communities through appropriate economic development. As a journalist documenting these struggles, and as a norteño living la lucha, Matthews weaves together a personal narrative and political analysis of a complex and dynamic rural New Mexico.

Kay Matthews is a freelance journalist and editor of La Jicarita, an online journal of environmental politics. She and her partner Mark Schiller started La Jicarita in 1996 as the print newspaper of a watershed watchdog group. The paper soon expanded to investigate environmental and social justice issues all over northern New Mexico. She lives on a farm in El Valle where she raised two children, grows fruit, vegetables, and pasture hay, and served as an acequia commissioner for many years.


Softcover:
6 x 9
ISBN: 978-1-63293-005-7
218 pp.,$22.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-291-3
218 pp.,$9.99


THE DILEMMA OF WILDERNESS
By Corry McDonald

SEE PRAISE FOR THIS BOOK BELOW.

This authoritative book investigates all aspects of wilderness including legislation, water rights, land policy, and mineral exploration. Bibliography.

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

Wilderness has and continues to have very different meanings for various groups of people. The “dilemma” occurs because some special interest groups want to “tame” and use wilderness resources while others demand a “hands-off” preservation policy. To cope with these two extremes, government agencies have enacted a series of regulations and laws. Private citizens have banded together to work for suitable wilderness policies. This book examines all aspects of the complex wilderness question including legislation, water rights and miner exploration.

Corry McDonald was active in New Mexico wilderness preservation efforts for over thirty years. His book, "Wilderness: A New Mexico Legacy" also published by Sunstone Press, was widely praised by national reviewers and was selected as one of the best current American books reflecting national life, history and culture by the English-Speaking Union.


Softcover:
8 1/2 x 11
ISBN: 978-0-86534-088-6
120 pp.,$16.95


DREAM AFFIMALS
Inspiration to Fulfill Your Wildest Dreams
By Elaine Miller Bond

“Animals can teach us so much, whether they are caring for their young, exhibiting altruism, communicating with each other, or just surviving. Elaine Miller Bond’s 'Dream Affimals' is an inspiration and a lesson—from all creatures great and small to all readers young and old.” —Michael Markarian, Chief Program and Policy Officer of The Humane Society of the United States

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

What if a puma could spring from the grass and motivate you to “Get more pounce to the ounce?” Or what if an electric eel could somehow zap you with the mindset to “Be positive”? Such is the concept behind Dream Affimals—that animals can uplift your spirits, simply by doing what comes naturally.

Forty animals share their wisdom in this book, from the snow leopard to the honeybee to the frillfin goby (a small jumping fish). And their affirmations come alive through beautiful illustrations and heartening, well-researched tales of the wild, like the loggerhead sea turtle, which hatches in a cramped pit dug into a Florida beach, then scampers by moonlight into the surf. The sea brings possibilities and the hope of reaching deep water, the Atlantic’s hiding place for tiny reptiles starting life with a journey covering thousands of miles. Intrepid little turtles and all the animals in this book make us feel good about our wildest dreams, as reachable, perhaps, as the nearest ocean.

Elaine Miller Bond is the author and illustrator of Affimals: Affirmations + Animals, her earlier book celebrating the wild kingdom. She took her master’s degree from Cambridge University, England and began her career as senior science writer for the University of California Natural Reserve System. Her writing and photography have appeared on the Discovery Channel and in Science, BBC Earth News, and other popular media. Another book, The Utah Prairie Dog, features more than 150 photographs she took on her adventure, with scientists, in the prairie dog’s native more-barking-the-better habitat.


Softcover:
6 x 9
ISBN: 978-0-86534-946-9
96 pp.,$19.95


FIRE MOUNTAIN
The National Parks: A Nation's Heritage in Jeopardy
By William K. Medlin

SMALL PRESS reported: "Those who love the outdoors or care about our modern relationship to nature will be pleased with this offering."

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

What kind of relationship between the human being and nature will best serve the interests of both? Using the Lassen Volcanic National Park in California as an example, the author explores these complex issues from early times, and gives an absorbing, controversial and ultimately tragic story.

William K. Medlin was raised in Northern California and spent most summers in the Lassen Volcanic National Park region which gave him a knowledge and appreciation for its natural endowments. After a degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, he continued his studies in Europe. Following service with the federal government he taught at the University of Michigan, specializing in planning education for community development and cross-cultural studies. He did similar work for the United Nations for several years. With the increase of concern for environmental policy, he renewed interest in the Lassen area and did volunteer work there upon retirement. He “rediscovered” its wilderness and, for the first time, learned of the tragic fate of its original dwellers.

Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=PdkSAAAACAAJ&dq=0865342288&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BeXDT5iXDIquiQLd1tzqBw&ved

Softcover:
5 1/2 x 8 1/2
ISBN: 978-0-86534-228-6
142 pp.,$19.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-878-6
142 pp.,$4.99


FROM DROUGHT TO DROUGHT
Hunting and Gathering Sites of the Galina Indians
By Florence Hawley Ellis, PhD

Photographs, Drawings, Diagrams, Bibliography, and Index

See PRAISE FOR THIS BOOK below.

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

How did ancient Pueblo Indian farmers survive in the American Southwest when drought all but prevented agriculture? In 1971, archaeological research began on one of these commonly hypothesized but least actually known survival strategies. The area: Northern New Mexico; the people: one of the least studied, those of the Gallina culture; the time: the 1200s when extended drought drove people south out of Mesa Verde, Chaco and the Four Corners area (southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico) in general toward areas of rivers or mountains in the hope of more rain.

The Gallina people established some of the highest camps known in the American Southwest where they spent the summer hunting, gathering, and possibly growing some corn or beans, returning home in the fall hopefully heavily laden with dry “jerky” meat, dried berries and medicinal plants. In the spring they would come back bearing camping equipment including pottery for cooking, eating and carrying water. They carefully hid these items probably intending to reuse them next year. But finally they ceased to return.

The pottery and camp sites waited quietly, unfound for centuries to be discovered and excavated by Dr. Ellis’s first excavation crew.

Florence Hawley Ellis, PhD, was one of the pioneer anthropologists of the American Southwest where she taught and published on her extensive excavations and related research in ethnology and such associated fields as tree-ring dating and pottery analysis. Her excavations include areas in Chaco Canyon, along the Chama, Rio Grande and Jemez river valleys and elsewhere in the Southwest. She published over 200 articles and monographs. She was trained at the University of Arizona and University of Chicago, and is also the author of San Gabriel del Yungue from Sunstone Press.

Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=V2h0AAAAMAAJ&q=9780865341203&dq=9780865341203

Softcover:
8 1/2 x 11
ISBN: 978-0-86534-120-3
216 pp.,$29.95


GOATS
By Wilfrid Swancourt Bronson, Author and Illustrator

A practical and comprehensive account of goats, their merits and characteristics of the major breeds and why they are valuable to us.

Here, in a comprehensive, practical, and extremely readable volume, an author-artist whose many nature books are favorites with children gives an absorbing account of goats—the countries from which they came originally, the merits and characteristics of the major breeds, the reasons why they are especially valuable to us, and the methods of raising them for pets or for profit. He describes the most scientific way to house, feed, and care for either a herd of goats or for a single goat.

In addition to practical information on raising goats, Mr. Bronson gives fascinating background material about them and their place in history. The reader discovers, for instance, that traces of some of the early legends and superstitions about goats are still to be found in our language today. From Pan, the half-goat god of the ancient Greeks who had the mischievous habit of startling travelers in lonely places, comes our word “panic.” Then we learn that in pagan times communities would confess their sins annually to a goat, which was later allowed to escape to the wilderness, supposedly taking the sins with it; hence our word “scapegoat.”

In his simple, inimitable style, known to many readers through such books as Cats, Starlings, Coyotes, The Wonder World of Ants, The Grasshopper Book, Horns and Antlers, The Chisel-Tooth Tribe, and Turtles, Mr. Bronson provides a humorous and informative text, enhanced by detailed drawings on nearly every page.

Wilfrid Swancourt Bronson wrote his first book at the age of eight. Called Animal People, it started like this: “This book is for children who are interested in animals and birds. It has verey good pictures in it and children can understand it verey easily.” He later learned to spell, and wrote and illustrated over twenty books for children with “verey good pictures” that they could understand. Young readers everywhere are glad he did.

Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=1QuweR4mv30C&printsec=frontcover&dq=9780865347748&hl=en&ei=dyHQTs_Y

Hardcover:
7 x 10
ISBN: 978-1-63293-612-7
64 pp.,$32.95

Softcover:
7 x 10
ISBN: 978-0-86534-774-8
64 pp.,$16.95


THE GRASSHOPPER BOOK
By Wilfrid Swancourt Bronson, Author and Illustrator

A detailed description and explanation of grasshoppers and their relations for young readers.

See PRAISE FOR THIS BOOK below.

The author introduces his fascinating book about grasshoppers and their relations by pointing out the error of Aesop’s fable which compares the grasshopper unfavorably to the ant. “Actually,” he says, “the grasshopper is no more a ner’er-do-well than the ant; it simply does the things it has to for a happy and successful life.” He then shows how grasshoppers and the other related insects—crickets, katydids, etc.—are equipped for life and how they act from birth to death. Particularly interesting are in the incidents and examples that were drawn from the author’s observation of his own collection of grasshoppers, crickets and katydids that he kept in cages. As in Sunstone’s other books by Wilfrid Bronson, the text in this book for young readers is in large, clear type, and there are many illustrations on each page.

Wilfrid Swancourt Bronson wrote his first book at the age of eight. Called Animal People, it started like this: “This book is for children who are interested in animals and birds. It has verey good pictures in it and children can understand it verey easily.” He later learned to spell, and wrote and illustrated over twenty books for children with “verey good pictures” that they could understand. Young readers everywhere are glad he did.

Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=h1mLlVVFPUsC

Hardcover:
7 x 10
ISBN: 978-1-63293-519-9
136 pp.,$34.95

Softcover:
7 x 10
ISBN: 978-0-86534-690-1
136 pp.,$22.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-489-4
136 pp.,$5.99


GROWING WITH THE SEASONS
A Sharing of Insights into the Creative Aspects of Organic Gardening
By Frank and Vicky Giannangelo

GARDENING, PERSONAL GROWTH, COMMUNITY, AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING

See PRAISE FOR THIS BOOK below.

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

The basic elements of any garden are always the same: seeds, soil, sun, and water. It is in the search for that perfect combination that leads the gardener into the broader aspects of each element. The transitions made during the growing season tell many stories about not only seed, soil, sun, and water, but also about one’s self.

Each season brings its own discoveries, whether using new methods to overcome old problems, celebrating an innovative success, or dealing with the failures and setbacks that befall any gardener. Growing With The Seasons gives many tools and plans for the garden, but lets the reader assemble them as they want and need, traveling the roads of personal discovery, reaching a fruition that is productive, satisfying, and universal.

This book is also the evolving story of the authors’ endeavors to provide ideas, concepts, and encouragements for the practical application of a personal and joined effort of beneficial direction to make the world a better place bringing about a planned harmony within ourselves and the people around us.

Those who have attended the Giannangelos' workshops, bought produce at the Ramah Farmers Market in New Mexico, and met with the authors at community gatherings inspired Growing With The Seasons.

Frank and Vicky Giannangelo both lived in Denver, Colorado, when they were children. Vicky’s family moved to Washington State where she went to high school and graduated from the University of Washington with a double major degree in philosophy and economics. Frank’s family moved to Prescott, Arizona where he went to high school, and upon returning from Viet Nam, graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in literature. They met on San Juan Island, Washington, and were married in 1986 where they first began creating organic gardens. In 1993, they moved to Sedona, Arizona and spent three years creating formal gardens for a local community. They moved to New Mexico in 1997 and began gardening and helped start the Ramah Farmer’s Market. Vicky created and is the webmaster of their website, www.avant-gardening.com. Frank teaches at a small school on the Ramah Navajo Reservation. They give spring workshops on organic gardening, basic rockwork, labyrinths, and strawbale wall construction, and established the annual Ramah Area Garden Tour.

Sample Chapter
Website: http://www.avant-gardening.com
Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=pCDNmYt__soC

Softcover:
8 1/4 X 11
ISBN: 978-0-86534-626-0
208 pp.,$28.95


HARVEST THE RAIN
How to Enrich Your Life by Seeing Every Storm as a Resource
By Nate Downey

“'Harvest the Rain' is the book I have been waiting for: a detailed ‘how to’ for people and communities wanting to take a major step in saving the world's water written by a passionate water-conservation advocate. Let this practical, entertaining, and challenging book be your guide to your own--and the world's--water-secure future.” —Maude Barlow, author of "Blue Covenant" and Senior Adviser on Water to the president of the United Nations General Assembly

Our planet’s water shortage is a reality for one in five people worldwide, but enough precipitation falls annually to provide ample water for everybody. We simply have to collect, store, distribute, and reuse a small percentage of that which falls from the sky. Fortunately, this way of saving the world comes with perks such as increasing your property’s value, lowering your utility bills, or simply creating a comfortable oasis for conversation just outside the kitchen door. Harvest the Rain presents a wealth of opportunities for enriching your life. Now that you've found this book, you can reap the benefits and ensure that future generations inherit a better world.

A frequent guest on public radio, a perennial presenter at green events, Nate Downey is a seasoned teacher, speaker, writer, and businessman. Soon after he started Santa Fe Permaculture in 1992, Nate’s wife, Melissa McDonald, joined his forward-thinking landscape-design firm. Since then, their beautiful, functional, and ecological projects have appeared regularly in prominent publications from Su Casa to Sunset. Nate Downey also writes a popular monthly column called "Permaculture in Practice" for The Santa Fe New Mexican’s award-winning Real Estate Guide.

Sample Chapter
Website: http://www.harvesttherain.com
Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=XKGaSQAACAAJ&dq=9780865344952&hl=en&ei=h6GkTKvxN4O0lQeK04WcCw&sa=X&
Email: nate@sfpermaculture.com

Softcover:
8 1/4 x 11
ISBN: 978-0-86534-495-2
228 pp.,$28.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-114-5
228 pp.,$13.90


HEADED UPSTREAM
Interviews with Iconoclasts
By Jack Loeffler

In 1984, Jack Loeffler produced a radio series entitled “Southwest Sound Collage.” His primary listener was his great friend author Edward Abbey who said, “Loeffler, this radio series should be a book.” Thus, Headed Upstream first appeared in 1989 shortly after Abbey’s death. The challenging interviews that appear herein (Edward Abbey, Andrew Weil, John Nichols, Stewart Udall, and Gary Snyder, to name a few) reflect many points of view from anarchist to Marxist, from environmental to philosophical, from Beat to historical. Each is highly individual and all reflect deep consideration for the myriad factors that have shaped our milieu. In 2009, Loeffler’s close friend Gary Snyder said, “This book should be re-published. It’s important.” Indeed, it is an important presentation of human consciousness at its best.

Jack Loeffler and his wife Katherine live near Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a writer, aural historian, radio producer, sound collage artist, and lecturer. He has worked extensively with indigenous and traditional cultures throughout the American West, Mexico and beyond. His books include La Musica de los Viejitos:The Hispano Folk Music of the Río Grande del Norte; Adventures with Ed: A Portrait of Abbey; Survival Along the Continental Divide: An Anthology of Interviews; and Healing the West: Voices of Culture and HabitaT. He has produced over three hundred documentary programs for public radio, co-produced or otherwise collaborated on documentary films, written scores of articles, and produced sound collages for many institutions including the Smithsonian Institution, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Camino Real International Heritage Center, and the New Mexico History Museum at the Palace of the Governors. He is a project director for The Lore of the Land, Inc., a 501c3 organization founded by his late friend Lee (Mrs. Stewart) Udall. He was awarded a 2008 New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Edgar Lee Hewett Award for Outstanding Service to the Public by the New Mexico Historical Society, and in 2009 was honored as a Santa Fe Living Treasure.

Sample Chapter
Secure Movie & TV Rights
Website: http://www.loreoftheland.org/
Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=X9Th-rUfcUgC&dq=9780865347557&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Hardcover:
6 x 9
ISBN: 978-1-63293-649-3
226 pp.,$36.95

Softcover:
6 x 9
ISBN: 978-0-86534-755-7
226 pp.,$22.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-256-2
226 pp.,$3.99


THE HEALING PRESENCE
Photographs of the Sky and Children’s Perceptions of Hope
By A. J. Meek

Photographs by the Author

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

Do images heal? Yes they do. That is the thesis of renowned photographer A. J. Meek with these photographs of the clouds paired with children’s perceptions of hope. “The feeling of freedom is exhilarating,” Meek says in his photographer’s comments for the work contained within. “The total package of sky and children’s perception is designed to evoke a positive healing attitude within the viewer. When studied and meditated upon, the audience cannot maintain a negative thought.” Heavily influenced by Native American culture, these pictures, which were made in New Mexico and Louisiana, promote a feeling of well-being and inspiration. To be in the world but not of it is certainly the road less traveled and the most challenging for there are no earthly rewards for this choice--only peace.

A. J. Meek is the co-author of one and the author of five photography books. His work is in several private and public collections including the Houston Museum of Art, New Orleans Museum of Art, and the Chrysler Museum of Art. In addition to his personal honors, he has been awarded several prestigious grants from the Louisiana State University Council on Research and the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.

Website: http://www.ajmeek.com

Softcover:
8 1/2 x 8 1/2
ISBN: 978-0-86534-032-9
100 pp.,$22.95


HIKING NORTH AMERICA'S GREAT WESTERN VOLCANOES
A Guidebook
By Tom Prisciantelli

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

Here is an excellent opportunity to learn about the volcanic events and landforms of the American West while hiking ten trails through its most scenic mountains. Hikes in New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, California, Oregon and Washington reveal the fury of past events and demonstrate the power of volcanic activity today.

In hiking these trails, one can learn about the processes that form volcanoes and the contradictions scientists are still struggling to explain regarding certain volcanic upheavals. Interestingly, the energy released during the Mount St. Helens eruption can be compared to the atomic bomb that ended World War II--not just one but 20,000 of them. Yet Mount St. Helens was just a firecracker compared to others. And, Yellowstone Park sits within the remains of what was once a huge volcano. The rim surrounding the park is 50 miles across. Yellowstone is one of those contradictions, having been formed by the same process that brought the Hawaiian Islands out of the ocean. Both areas are still active and the hikes explore their disposition and prognosis.

In this book and on the trails, geology and archaeology intersect to tell a tale of landforms rising from the earth and the ancient people's struggle to persist and adapt. Geologists have died studying volcanic eruptions. Native Americans wrote gods into their history while watching fire burst from the ground. Hiking these mountains turns exercise into awe and respect for the energy still building under these massive ranges. The author explores the most interesting landforms, with some trails to summit craters and others through the innards of decapitated volcanoes still standing as high mountains.

For more than thirty years Tom Prisciantelli has driven the roads and hiked the trails of the American West. In his first book, Spirit of the American Southwest also published by Sunstone Press, he explored along hiking trails the geology of the Southwest and the arrival of the Native American's ancestors. From that exercise he was fascinated by a particular chapter in the geology lesson he learned on the road: that dealing with volcanoes. His research for this book took him along that path. The author and his wife live in a solar-powered adobe home in northern New Mexico, in full view and respect for one of the volcanoes about which this book was written.

Website: http://www.HikingNewRealities.com
Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=DWTs-Fk45oQC

Softcover:
6 X 9
ISBN: 978-0-86534-432-7
224 pp.,$20.95


HOUSE BORN OF MUD
A Builder's Story
By William N. Gates

Building a house of adobe in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

This is a story of the struggle to create beauty. A novice may find it useful in building an adobe house—how to mix the mud, how to grade a pipeline, how to tell a two-by-six from a one-by-ten: such details abound. But above all, it tells of a man’s triumph over every obstacle to achieve something delightful.

When the author undertook to build a home for his family in the spring of 1964, he had no building experience and very little concept of what he faced. Aside from the obduracy of the materials he had to work with, he would encounter vexing conflicts with the subcontractors and workers that he hired. As both boss and laborer, he knew neither how to lead them nor to be one of them.

He simply believed he could do it. And he did, learning as he went. And the dwelling that rose by their efforts achieved a splendor that no one could have foreseen.

Poet and author of Spell, River Riding Writing, and In Words Dive, William N. Gates grew up in Ohio and went to school in the East, but always felt the lure of the Southwest. He and his wife live and work in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Sample Chapter
Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=F-01B_7N5T0C&dq=9780865347519&cd=1

Softcover:
6 x 9
ISBN: 978-0-86534-751-9
164 pp.,$18.95


THE LAND OF JOURNEYS' ENDING
Facsimile of Original 1924 Edition
By Mary Austin

One of the joys of going on a trip is coming home to share with others your adventures and experiences. Mary Austin felt that way, so when she took an extended trip through an area of the American Southwest, she recorded her impressions in The Land of Journeys’ Ending. This is no ordinary travel book and she was no ordinary tourist. Her book goes beyond the descriptions of flora and fauna of the land between the Colorado River and the Rio Grande. It also covers the history, culture and customs of the area. Austin includes not only figures from the past but people she met on the trip. While the book is now decades old, it is timeless and still valid. Humorously, in the author’s preface to The Land of Journeys’ Ending Austin said: “…if you find holes in my book that you could drive a car through, do not be too sure they were not left there for that express purpose.” Her statement rings true today as much as it did back in 1924.

Mary Austin (nee Hunter) was born in Carlinville, Illinois in 1868 and died in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1934. After graduation from Blackburn College, she moved with her family to California. She later spent time in New York and eventually settled in Santa Fe. A prolific writer, she wrote novels, short stories, essays, plays and poetry. Austin became an early advocate for environmental issues as well as the rights of women and other minority groups. She was particularly interested in the preservation of American Indian culture.

Sample Chapter
Secure Movie & TV Rights
Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=uJkHvZvpEEEC

Hardcover:
6 X 9
ISBN: 978-1-63293-570-0
488 pp.,$44.95

Softcover:
6 X 9
ISBN: 978-0-86534-571-3
488 pp.,$30.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-477-1
488 pp.,$5.99


MA FRUMP'S CULTURAL GUIDE TO PLASTIC GARDENING
A Humorous Approach to All-Season Gardening
By Marcia Muth

Colorful, All-Season Gardening With Plastic Plants And Flowers

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

• Do you want to spend less time gardening?
• Are you looking for ways to save water?
• Have you been disappointed in the way your garden turned out?
• Do you dread the dull winter months?
• Do you understand the true meaning of “garden loveliness”?
• Do you want people to stop by your garden and exclaim in surprise and wonder at what they see?

Ma Frump has colorful answers to these questions and many helpful suggestions that will make you a happy gardener wherever you live and in all seasons of the year.

Marcia Muth is an American folk artist. She was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1919 and grew up in Indiana and western New York State. She received degrees from the University of Michigan and lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her work is in private and public collections including The Jewish Museum (New York), The Albuquerque Museum, Museum of Fine Arts (Santa Fe) and the Art Museum of Southeast Texas (Beaumont). She is the author of thirteen books including A World Set Apart, Memory Paintings, also from Sunstone Press.

Sample Chapter
Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=Qjb78wMNVlwC&dq=isbn:0865346119

Softcover:
6 X 9
ISBN: 978-0-86534-611-6
64 pp.,$16.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-054-4
64 pp.,$3.99


OFF THE PATH
The Zen of Mountains and Deserts
By Sydney Musai Walter

Journals and photographs from a Zen Master in the American Southwest.

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The author says: “I began my Zen practice in the midst of a life crisis, under the guidance of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. When I asked that Zen Master what I should do about my life dilemmas, he responded, ‘Do zazen. Life without zazen is like winding your clock without setting it. It runs perfectly well, but it doesn’t tell time.’ I have been following that advice for over four decades. I have turned to wild places for reassurance and adventure since I was a child. When I moved to Santa Fe in 1980 I found, in the Four Corners states, vast areas of mountain and desert wilderness where I could wander year-round, shedding the concerns of life in society and opening to the earth. These two fundamental streams of my life merge in my hikes and solo wilderness retreats. I hope in these photos and journals I can share some of the wonder and release I have found in this Buddhist wilderness practice.”

“I have known Musai for forty years, having sat my first Zen retreat right next to him. I have the greatest respect for him as a Zen Master and as a human being. He has brought Zen practice into the wilderness and brought wilderness into his Zen practice and teaching. His photos and words bring a new perspective on wilderness to his readers. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates beautiful photography and the amazing simplicity of Zen.” —Roshi Dennis Genpo Merzel, Abbot, Kanzeon Zen Center, Creator of Big Mind practice

“I endorse this book and would recommend it without hesitation for two important reasons. First, the inspiration of the natural world as it informs our spirituality has never been more crucial than it is today, during this time of environmental challenge. This, coupled with lives spent in urban settings withdrawn from the natural world, brings a unique urgency to Musai’s message. Secondly, Musai expresses the distinctive voice of a mature spiritual elder who dares to open to the gifts of solitude and physical challenges.” —Roshi Wendy Egyoku Nakao, Abbot, Zen Center of Los Angeles

“This is one of those books that you will cherish for a life time. It is treasure house of wisdom and beauty, capturing the true sense of Zen and the wilds, a true path of no path.” —Roshi Joan Halifax, Abbot, Upaya Zen Center


Softcover:
8 1/2 x 8 1/2
ISBN: 978-0-86534-122-7
118 pp.,$22.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-228-9
118 pp.,$12.99


THE OTHER STATE, NEW MEXICO USA
By Richard McCord

"For anyone who's had the privilege and pleasure of residing or visiting New Mexico, this is a must read. The price and eay readabiity make it a fulfilling treat." NEW MEXICO MAGAZINE

“Author and journalist Richard McCord is a natural storyteller. These sketches of his, lovingly stitched together, portray quirky, unpredictable New Mexicans, and especially their unconventional capital of Santa Fe. The characters who briefly walk through these pages each cast a ray of light on the human condition, and occasionally even evoke a chuckle. McCord’s book is as absorbing as it is genuine.” (MARC SIMMONS, historian)

“Richard McCord is Santa Fe’s answer to Mark Twain. His intelligence, wit and insight have added to our cultural life for three decades. Read this book—it will lift your spirits.” (NANCY WOOD, author, poet, photographer)

“Some of these essays on New Mexico read like fiction although we know them to be history. If you live in New Mexico, at times it is hard to differentiate between these two worlds or realities. McCord captures these nuances with style and grace.” (ORLANDO ROMERO, writer/historian)

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

The party in the cemetery. The amputation of the bronze foot. The reincarnation of Billy the Kid. The only book ever to make The New York Times best-seller list in both fiction AND non-fiction. The female gentlemen. The cave that waited 40 years. The murderous “squaw man.” Where will you find these strange stories, and more? Only in “The Other State: New Mexico, USA.” Anyone who lives in or travels to New Mexico understands that it is a place unlike anywhere else. Extremely unlike anywhere else. These true tales, brief and fast-moving, paint a unique portrait of a unique land. They are told by a multiple-award-winning writer, who found his home in New Mexico decades ago and has been telling its story ever since. If you too feel New Mexico’s spell, then welcome to . . . “The Other State.”

Raised in Georgia, trained in New York, Richard McCord found home in New Mexico in 1971. Three years later he founded the weekly Santa Fe Reporter, which soon won a national reputation for excellence. Now a freelance, he celebrates the place he loves.

Secure Movie & TV Rights
Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=-mvQCL5YL_0C

Softcover:
6 X 9
ISBN: 978-0-86534-403-7
120 pp.,$14.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-884-7
120 pp.,$9.99


RAMBLINGS IN THE FIELD OF CONSERVATION
By Elliott S. Barker

Order from Sunstone Press: (800) 243-5644

In this autobiography, Elliott S. Barker gives a graphic insight into why he was often called “Mr. Conservation.” Starting with his early boyhood days and ending with his thoughts on the future, the book covers throughout the influence he had on the wildlife scene. This impact while more strongly felt in New Mexico, also spread into national and international circles. He was friend and co-worker of many of the greats in conservation. He could call Aldo Leopold, Ding Darling, Seth Gordon, and Ira Gabrielson his friends. He took an active part in the early days of conservation and the movement is where it is today because of him and other strong-willed and dedicated men and women like him. Barker gives you an insight as to his thinking, details his early background years, and then takes us through his twenty-two years as Director of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. Throughout the book are related incidents and anecdotes that show his strong character and dedicated interest in conservation in general and wildlife in particular. He lists the various programs that were initiated by him during his tenure such as providing wildlife for the public land, habitat restoration, the introduction of new exotic species, the biopolitical problems in fisheries management and probably the most widely known item, that of his involvement in the dedication of Smokey Bear as a national symbol for fire protection and wildlife preservation.


Softcover:
5 1/1 x 8 1/2
ISBN: 978-0-913270-69-1
194 pp.,$19.95


RETAINING SOIL MOISTURE IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST
By Kelly J. Ponte, PhD

Commonly, we think of soil as just a medium to walk above or build upon. If we had the ability to shrink ourselves to the size of a soil particle, we would be amazed at the vibrant life and ever-changing interactions taking place all around us. The activity, physical changes and diverse life forms would overwhelm the senses. Soil moisture fuels this activity. The soil and water dynamic together as one entity is both the introduction and ending of a novel on the living. Where time is a method used to record events, the soil-water dynamic is time. Together, they tell us where we've been and point us in the direction we need to go.

Retaining Soil Moisture in the American Southwest is a culmination of the author's extensive interest in soil and water interactions, soil remediation, land application of treated wastes, conservation, air, soil, and water quality issues, and an overall appreciation for improvement for the quality of life.

Awareness of the players in the soil-water-plant continuum aids in understanding the processes that either reduce or conserve soil moisture. The dry climate of the American Southwest demands this understanding to ensure that waters which may have taken hundreds to thousands to millions of years to amass are not wiped out in the span of a generation.

KELLY J. PONTE obtained her A.A. degree in Liberal Arts from Cape Cod Community College in Barnstable, Massachusetts, and earned her B.S. degree in Plant and Soil Sciences from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She received her M.S. degree in Agronomy and Ph.D. in Soil Science from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. She lives in New Mexico.

Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=fzO02wVuhTYC

Softcover:
6 X 9
ISBN: 978-0-86534-411-2
108 pp.,$16.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-412-2
108 pp.,$7.99


THE RETURN OF THE RIVER
Writers, Scholars, and Citizens Speak on Behalf of the Santa Fe River
By A. Kyce Bello, Editor

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

The Santa Fe River in Santa Fe, New Mexico was named Most Endangered River in America in 2007. This richly illustrated collection is a literary response to that designation, a work that “re-stories” the river, bringing it back to life in the hearts and minds of the Santa Fe community. It’s no secret that the river—a dry wasteland for most of the year—is imperiled. Less well known is the real story of the Santa Fe River, its remarkable history, and how it can be saved. The Return of the River includes the words of writers and poets, historians, artists, and ecologists who eloquently and passionately celebrate a living river. The result is a convergence of landscape, community, and creativity that recognizes the interdependence of all three. In a time when the planet faces unparalleled threats, The Return of the River is a testament to the belief that the most damaged places can be healed, and that ordinary voices can be the agent of that change.

The book includes a foreword by David Coss, Mayor of Santa Fe at the time of the publication of this book, and contributions from Jack Loeffler, Valerie Martínez, Frances Levine, Arthur Sze, Luci Tapahonso, Miriam Sagan, Fernando Garavito, Melinda Romero Pike, George Johnson, David Groenfeldt, and twenty-four others.

A. Kyce Bello has worked as a freelance writer and editor, registered nurse, and herbalist.

Sample Chapter
Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=zzBebcXhBtIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=9780865347816&hl=en&ei=VyXQTrKU

Softcover:
8 1/4 x 11
ISBN: 978-0-86534-781-6
206 pp.,$24.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-250-0
pp.,$


A SACRED PLACE IN THE ENCHANTED LAND
Where its Heavenly Light Illuminates the Magic in its Dirt
By Patrick Allen Mohn

The history, geology, ecology and beauty of the Galisteo Basin, a major geologic feature of northern New Mexico, are described, with many photographs by the author.

The Galisteo Basin in northern New Mexico, an area of unique beauty, was the home of ancient Native American Cultures. The development of pottery about 1,500 years ago marked the beginning of the Anasazi culture. The Anasazi eventually created, within the Galisteo Basin, the largest prehistoric Native American pueblos ever built in the United States. During the 1200s there was a convergence of Anasazi language groups. The Dine’, today’s Apache and Navajo people, and other plains tribal groups migrated to the area and in many cases raided Galisteo Basin pueblos. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado passed through the Galisteo Basin in 1541, and this began the Basin’s recorded history. During the Rodriguez-Sanchez Chamuscado in 1581 two Spaniards mined the first silver in the United States when Native Americans from San Marcos Pueblo brought them to their galena mines in the Cerrillos Hills. Juan de Oñate established the Spanish Colony and this Spanish authority upon the native people led to the Pueblo Revolts of 1680 and 1696. The town of Galisteo was established in 1816. Changes resulting from the establishment of the Mexican Republic led to the American West’s first major gold rush in the Ortiz Mountains in 1821. During the American Territorial Period silver and other minerals were obtained during a mining boom in the Cerrillos Hills. The town of Cerrillos was established in 1879, followed by the coal mining town of Madrid in 1894. This book includes many photographs along with the history, geology, and ecology of the area. Also included are the accomplishments made by local activists and pueblo leaders that have protected the Galisteo Basin from many attempts at large scale, modern mining.

Patrick Allen Mohn became interested in creative writing in high school in southern California, and his first college major was Creative Writing. After moving to Cerrillos, New Mexico, and thus into the Galisteo Basin, Patrick pursued his interests in writing and outdoor photography. Several of his articles and photographs have been published in New Mexico Magazine, and many of his photographs have been displayed in galleries around northern New Mexico including his own, including business locations and inside the New Mexico State Capital in Santa Fe. Many of these were joint exhibits with his son, Elijah. Patrick is currently a member of the Cerrillos Hills Park Coalition.


Softcover:
11 x 8.5, full color images
ISBN: 978-1-63293-356-0
82 pp.,$29.95


SKY DETERMINES
An Interpretation of the Southwest
By Ross Calvin

New Foreword by Ron Hamm, Author of “Ross Calvin: Interpreter of the American Southwest”

Desert environment leaves its stark impress upon plants, animals, and men. And Ross Calvin tells the beautifully strange story of New Mexico—its ancient culture, the coming of the Spanish friars, the Spanish occupation, pueblo life, the Apaches and their long warfare with the whites, cattle and sheep raising and cowboys and outlaws, and the old trails, and the coming of the railroads—treating all these in the light of the physical features and physical conditions of the country. Calvin knew New Mexico intimately, and he writes of his observations and experiences in his rides and tramps through the region. His novel point of view and material afford a unique approach to the arid American Southwest. The journalist Ernie Pyle, who lived in Albuquerque with his wife for a period in 1942, stated that Calvin’s book was “our Southwestern Bible,” and the famed Western librarian and critic Lawrence Clark Powell gave his imprimatur when he called it the “finest single book about New Mexico.” This new edition includes a foreword by Ron Hamm, author of the biography Ross Calvin: Interpreter of the American Southwest. Many of the books listed in the Bibliography are in new editions from Sunstone Press in its Southwest Heritage Series.

Ross Calvin was born in Illinois in 1889, graduated from Indiana’s DePauw University in 1911, and went on to Harvard where he got his doctorate in English. In 1920-21 he attended the General Theological Seminary in New York City. Poor health forced him west shortly thereafter, and from 1927 to 1942 he served as an Episcopal priest at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Silver City, New Mexico. During his off hours, Calvin hiked the surrounding country and eventually traveled all over his adopted state. He loved talking to people—ranchers, cowboys, miners, old-timers, biologists, historians, Pueblo Indians, Hispanic farmers—and each one of these conversations further buttressed his growing conviction that climate dictated everything in New Mexico. When not roaming the countryside or tending his congregants, he wrote for religious and scholarly journals and also produced four books, the best known of which are Sky Determines (1934) and River of the Sun: Stories of the Storied Gila (1946). He died in 1970.

“Calvin has a seeing eye. Not only one which gets a comprehensive view of a vegetable and animal life that climbs from sub-tropical to sub-Arctic, and of human types from pre-Pueblo to late tourist-camp; but the sort of an eye too which sees little animal tracks, notes plants and birds and clouds, and can relate these things to the all-embracing sky which is his theme. He remembers the harsh cut of dust and the fresh consolation of fragrant rain, he knows what it is to come thirsty to a water hole.” —Erna Fergusson, The New Mexico Quarterly


Hardcover:
6 X 9
ISBN: 978-1-63293-518-2
408 pp.,$42.95

Softcover:
6 X 9
ISBN: 978-1-63293-123-8
408 pp.,$28.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-468-9
408 pp.,$6.99


SMOKEY BEAR AND THE GREAT WILDERNESS
Selected Essays and Memoirs
By Elliott S. Barker

See PRAISE FOR THIS BOOK below.

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

In 1950, after a fire raged through an area in south-central New Mexico, a small bear cub was found clinging to a pine tree. The cub had suffered severe burns, and the fire fighters who rescued him were amazed that he could have survived such intense heat. So tiny he fit into a shoe box, the cub was taken to a veterinarian in Santa Fe and responded well to treatment. In time, fully recovered, he became a popular character in schools and social functions.

Through the effort of Elliott S. Barker and others, the Bear was named Smokey and in time became a famous national symbol for forest fire prevention and wildlife conservation, eventually contributing to an increased awareness of the need for these measures.

Also included in this book are stories about the author’s experiences as Forest Supervisor, State Game Warden, and as Manager and Predator Warden for Vermejo Park in New Mexico. J. Frank Dobie said: “Barker writes exactly as he talks, and his talk is genuine. He talks of deer, elk, grizzlies, and mountain lions, and of people—women as well as men—who belong to the land.” Barker was of pioneer stock, his parents having arrived in Sapello, New Mexico in a covered wagon and were among the early settlers of the Northern New Mexico wilderness. He was the author of many books.

Secure Movie & TV Rights
Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=hzapNFb_k-MC

Hardcover:
5 1/2 X 8 1/2
ISBN: 978-0-86534-298-9
149 pp.,$40.00 (SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR)

Softcover:
5 1/2 x 8 1/2
ISBN: 978-0-86534-017-6
149 pp.,$16.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-901-1
149 pp.,$9. 99


SOUNDS AND SIGHTS OF TAOS VALLEY
By Helen G. Blumenschein

Helen G. Blumenschein, daughter of artist Ernest L. Blumenschein, and an artist in her own right was a chronicler of her time. In this book, she records and describes Taos, New Mexico as it was in 1972. Long an art colony, Taos had attracted many artists. By 1915 Joseph Henry Sharp, E. Irving Couse, Oscar E. Berninghaus and W. Herbert “Buck” Dunton had moved to Taos and with Ernest Blumenschein and Bert Phillips they formed the Taos Society of Artists. The six founding members were known as the “Taos Six.”

Helen grew up in this environment and recorded her impressions of Taos and the Taos Valley using “sounds” as an opening theme for this book. She then offers a personal glimpse into her world through a brief history of Taos, the archaeology of the area, and many illustrations including including sketches of such luminaries as Joseph Henry Sharp, Oscar E. Berninghaus, Frieda Lawrence, Dorothy Brett, Andrew Dasburg, Frank Waters, and Spud Johnson.

In 1962, Helen gave the family’s home and furnishings as a gift to the community of Taos and the Kit Carson Historic Museums (now the Taos Historic Museums). The museum celebrates the lives and art of Ernest L. Blumenschein, Mary Shepherd Greene Blumenschein and Helen. It also commemorates the formation of the Taos Society of Artists and the establishing of Taos as a world-renowned art colony.

Helen Blumenschein’s work was exhibited extensively during her lifetime, with shows in many esteemed institutions, including the New York World’s Fair, the National Academy of Design, the New Mexico Museum of Art, the Carnegie Institute, and the Paris Salon. To this day, Helen’s works can be seen in the permanent collections of the Cincinnati Art Museum Association, the New York Public Library, the Library of Congress, the Newark Public Library, and the Carnegie Institute.

Includes bibliography and map of the Taos Valley and vicinity.


Softcover:
8 1/2 x 8 1/2
ISBN: 978-0-913270-04-2
68 pp.,$18.95


TIMBER REDUCED ENERGY EFFICIENT HOMES
Using Building Materials that are Less Harmful to the Environment
By Ed Paschich and Paula Hendricks

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

Would you like to live in a quality house and have low utility and maintenance bills? A house that will re-sell easily and would not have damaged the earth’s ecology and natural resources? A house that will retain its beauty and value through the years? You can have this kind of house today. The Timber Reduced Energy Efficient Home is designed and built to use timber more efficiently, to eliminate the destruction of large old trees, and to utilize building materials that consume less energy overall and are less harmful to the environment. It’s all in this book with many illustrations and photographs.

Ed Paschich is an expert at building passive solar adobe homes in the high desert of the American Southwest.

Paula Hendricks is a well-known writer and photographer. Her own line of museum quality notecards featuring her photographic images are sold internationally.

Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=itYk1ETQ__4C

Softcover:
8 1/2 x 11
ISBN: 978-0-86534-208-8
128 pp.,$18.95


THE TIRE HOUSE BOOK
Building Houses From Old Tires
By Ed Paschich and Paula Hendricks

What are tire houses? Who builds them? How do they do it? Will I see the tires when the house is finished? How weird are they? Can I do it myself? Illustrated, photographs.

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

You’ll find the answers to these questions and more in this book that “Earth Quarterly” called “...an excellent addition to the library of any potential tire house builder, offering a wealth of unique ideas that can jump-start you to getting up, getting out, and building that sucker!” And the “Albuquerque Journal” said: “Better keep this one on the night table; you’ll probably want to refer to it as you build a home or an addition to one.”

Using “landfill” tires and a revolutionary process, houses are being built that are both revolutionary and evolutionary--Michael Reynolds builds self-sufficient Earthships™, and Ed Paschich builds traditional homes using tires for the exterior walls. This book will tell you how you can be more responsible when you build a home, improve a home, or add a garden. You’ll learn about constructed wetlands, solar air conditioning, and xeriscape landscaping. It’s all here with many illustrations and photographs.

Ed Paschich, artisan and master custom builder, is the owner of Passage Construction Company, Inc., in Corrales, New Mexico. Ed and his father, Jack, formed the company in 1976 and Ed has been building passive solar adobe homes in the high desert of the American Southwest ever since.

Paula Hendricks is a well-known writer and photographer. Her own line of museum quality notecards featuring her photographic images are sold internationally.

Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=ygqSiuzHYmEC

Softcover:
8 1/2 x 11
ISBN: 978-0-86534-215-6
96 pp.,$18.95


TRAIL OF THE SNAKE, Revised
Tracking Snakes in the American Southwest
By Michael A. Williamson

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

Sit back in your favorite chair and embark upon a journey with me, a journey that will take us from the Pecos to the Colorado, and beyond; from the depths of Death Valley to the towering peaks of the Sierra Madre Occidental; from Big Bend to Baja. For this is my story, a story of travel and adventure; whether it be witnessing the incredible bravery of a mother hawk defending her nest in a fight to the finish against a hungry Great-horned owl, an encounter with an enraged female Black bear defending her cubs against the indiscretions of a human intruder or, perhaps, listening to the melodious call of a red-winged blackbird defiantly proclaiming its territorial legacy.

We will encounter many marvelous creatures along the way: a snake that "walks" across the hot desert sands, another so deadly that its venom is reported to kill a human in twenty minutes, a lizard that "barks" like a dog and another that actually runs a fever when it is ill. And, finally, a species of lizard in which there are no males, only females. These creatures and many more will be met within these pages, and hopefully they will become your friends as they have become mine.

Michael A. Williamson was educated at the University of New Mexico. He is a former high school science teacher and was the first curator of birds and reptiles at the Rio Grande Zoological Park at Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is a former Professional Fellow Member of the AAZPA and a co-founder of the New Mexico Herpetological Society. He has authored numerous publications in the field of vertebrate zoology, including a guide to the reptiles and amphibians of New Mexico (also published by Sunstone Press). He has edited two newsletters and reviewed an article on gila monsters for National Geographic Magazine. He also served two terms as a delegate to the New Mexico Conservation Coordinating Council. He is married and has two daughters.

Sample Chapter
Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=PRcy9qb0FQ8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=9780865347526&cd=1#v=onepage&q&

Softcover:
6 x 9
ISBN: 978-0-86534-752-6
172 pp.,$19.95


WILDERNESS
A Guide to Wilderness Areas in New Mexico
By Corry McDonald

"...an informative history of the conflicting forces striving to determine the fate of New Mexico's wild lands--on one hand, the press of population growth and the desire to 'tame the wilderness'; and on the other, the efforts of environmental movements and outdoor recreation groups to preserve the wilderness and its heritage. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this thoughtful and moving account which is a welcome and much appreciated contribution to Environmental Studies reference collections and reading lists." (WISCONSIN BOOKWATCH)

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

The growing awareness of the environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s, along with the enactment of the Wilderness Act, precipitated local, regional, and national joint actions of the many outdoor recreation organizations. Wilderness enactments resulted from some of the more successful citizen attempts. The onrush of man’s capability to “tame the wilderness” continues to accelerate with the population growth and the need for some restraints has become increasingly evident. This book shows what happened in a magical part of the American Southwest.

Corry McDonald was employed for over thirty years by Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was during this time that he developed an interest in the wilderness areas of that state. McDonald took copious notes on every back country trip he made. Those notes have become the basis for this book. In it he reluctantly tells about some of his secret places in the hope that it will reduce some of the overuse of the wildernesses that are so well known. He is also the author of The Dilemma of Wilderness from Sunstone Press.

“...an informative history of the conflicting forces striving to determine the fate of New Mexico’s wild lands—on one hand, the press of population growth and the desire to ‘tame the wilderness’; and on the other, the efforts of environmental movements and outdoor recreation groups to preserve the wilderness and its heritage. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this thoughtful and moving account which is a welcome and much appreciated contribution to Environmental Studies reference collections and reading lists.” —Wisconsin Bookwatch

Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=RpFNAAAACAAJ&dq=9780865340565

Softcover:
8 1/2 x 11
ISBN: 978-0-86534-056-5
136 pp.,$18.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-861-8
136 pp.,$7.99


THE WIND IN THE TREES
The Story of a New Mexico Family
By David McNeese

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

There were many important families that established New Mexico and created the multi-cultural community that it is today. One of these, the Barker family, made significant contributions to the state in environmental, political, as well as literary areas. Elliott Barker is well known for his Forest Service and Game Department records as well as the stories of his exploits in the woods and mountains of the Pecos Wilderness. S. Omar Barker was widely acclaimed for his poetry and stories of the West. Charles Barker, a state legislator and mayor of Santa Fe, was the author of many of the early royalty and lease agreements between the State of New Mexico and the oil and gas industry. Grace Wilson, the youngest girl in the Barker family, made significant contributions as Superintendent of the Kirtland Central School District where a school is named after her. There is, however, a forgotten Barker, David Marion.

David Marion Barker was the first of the Barkers to be born and raised in the mountains of Northern New Mexico. In 1917, when it was time to register for the draft for The Great War, he was asked this question: “Do you claim exemption from draft (specify grounds).” He answered: “None Whatsoever.” What followed was a series of letters home from France one of which states, “I was unlucky enough to get a sniff of ‘Jerry’s’ gas.” Marion died in 1928 from lingering effects of that sniff. At the time of his death he was the Attorney for Farmington and, according to some, was being groomed to run for governor. What follows is years of uncertainty for his remaining family, but the mountains of Northern New Mexico provide a reprieve for his orphaned daughter Dorothy Alice.

David McNeese is the grandson and namesake of David Marion Barker. Like Marion, David was born and raised in the mountains of Northern New Mexico. From the time of his birth until he was 16, every summer was spent in the Pecos Mountains, returning to his home in Los Alamos the day before school started in the fall. Without a maternal grandfather, David spent a good deal of his time with the remaining members of the Barker and Arnold families, in particular Elliott and Ethel, their children Roy and his family, and Dorothy Lois and her family. These events were friendly, lively, and enjoyable affairs that brought out many of the stories of the families that made up David’s New Mexico ancestry. The crowning event of these relationships was when David and his father Wilbur McNeese participated in Elliott and Roy’s last deer and elk hunts in the late 1960s.

David is a Network Engineer at Los Alamos National Laboratory and has lived in Northern New Mexico all his life, with Santa Fe being his residence for the last ten years. In addition to his job in Los Alamos, David travels around the country teaching classes on various topics related to computer networks.

Sample Chapter
Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=tUmI_ievn8IC&dq=978-0-86534-738-0&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Softcover:
6 X 9
ISBN: 978-0-86534-738-0
190 pp.,$22.95


THE WONDER WORLD OF ANTS
By Wilfrid Swancourt Bronson, Author and Illustrator

A detailed description and explanation of ants and their many habits for young readers.

See PRAISE FOR THIS BOOK below.

In many surprising ways ants are like people: both are the only animals who have nations, governments, working people and armies. Reading about the habits and customs of ants is like following the adventures of an explorer in a new and fascinating land. In this book the author, who is well known for his interesting stories of science, takes us into this wonder world of ants and describes the different kinds of ants from the familiar kinds which can be found in any field to the devastating army ants of Africa. There are the hunter ants that grow their own vegetables, the thief ants and the slave-making ants who kidnap the children of other tribes. As in Sunstone’s other books by Wilfrid Bronson, the text in this book for young readers is in large, clear type, and there are many illustrations on each page.

Wilfrid Swancourt Bronson wrote his first book at the age of eight. Called Animal People, it started like this: “This book is for children who are interested in animals and birds. It has verey good pictures in it and children can understand it verey easily.” He later learned to spell, and wrote and illustrated over twenty books for children with “verey good pictures” that they could understand. Young readers everywhere are glad he did.

Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=tXtX_vyqoeAC

Hardcover:
7 x 10
ISBN: 978-1-63293-520-5
96 pp.,$32.95

Softcover:
7 x 10
ISBN: 978-0-86534-691-8
96 pp.,$19.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-410-8
96 pp.,$5.99


 
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