The Ecological Indian: Myth and History is an important book. It examines in a careful and documented manner a question with widespread contemporary political ramifications for Canadians, that is, whether or not indigenous peoples were in the past ecologists and conservationists, as understood in a present-day sense. Shepard Krech is a university-based anthropologist in the United States. He draws upon research both from Canada and the US, says David Orton

Anthropology began as the study of how diverse cultures shape differently the human condition. Culture, it was understood, makes the man or woman. More recently, this has been seen as too conservative a credo and some anthropologists have shifted to a study of how people overcome culture. This shift in emphasis from acculturation to empowerment is reflected in this collection of essays on feminism written over a 20-year time span. The earliest essay details the cultural subordination of women. The later essays are accounts of women bucking male domination, including a fascinating account of liberated Western women climbing in the Himalayas, contends Gene Evans

First introduced in Kill and Tell, agent John Medina is as intriguing as the perilous world he operates in. Watching him in action, à la James Bond, is exhilarating--as is the single-minded intensity of his feelings for Niemi, whose ability to hold her own with John--on both a personal and professional level--and with the host of terrorists, spies, and double-dealers the pair encounter is impressive to say the least. Throw in a couple of chilling chase scenes, some romantic interludes hot enough to peel paint from the walls, and one or two bigger-than-life internationally connected characters, and you've got the latest from Linda Howard--a romantic thriller that's sure to be coming soon to a bestseller list near you, says Amazon.com

Soon after moving to Hanover, New Hampshire, Bill Bryson discovers a part of the famous Appalachian Trail, a footpath that extends from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine. Since Americans have the habit of driving everywhere instead of walking, Bryson decides to hike the Appalachian Trail, starting in Georgia. Because he does not want to go alone, a childhood friend of his, Stephen Katz, former drunk and drug addict, walks with him, says Cynthia Arbuthnot

An Ethnohistorical Dictionary of China lists a large number of ethnonyms from all of China's ethnic frontiers and sometimes beyond, including even parts of Central Asia, with a number of small ethnic groups that might also be represented within China's current borders. James Stuart Olson's effort is commendable, yet the book cannot be recommended really. First of all, there is no clear-cut rule about spelling preferences or the choice of transcription, feels Gene Evans