Most Popular Books by Jake Page

Unprecedented, dramatic, persuasive: the first complete, one-volume history of the American Indians to explain the 20,000-year history from their point of view.

When a major dealer of Native American art is murdered, Mo Bowdre and his girlfriend, Connie Barnes, investigate and uncover, in addition to the murder, a plot to steal Hopi Indian sacred objects.

J. M. Adovasio has spent the last thirty years at the center of one of our most fiery scientific debates: Who were the first humans in the Americas, and how and when did they get there? At its heart, The First Americans is the story of the revolution in thinking that Adovasio and his fellow archaeologists have brought about, and the firestorm it has ignited. As he writes, “The work of lifetimes has been put at risk, reputations have been damaged, an astounding amount of silliness and even profound stupidity has been taken as serious thought, and always lurking in the background of all the argumentation and gnashing of tenets has been the question of whether the field of archaeology can ever be pursued as a science.”

“Jake Page is one of the Southwest’s most distinguished writers.”—The Denver Post A bizarre murder leaves two teenagers dead in a desert arroyo, their naked bodies side by side, face up under the New Mexican sun. Near them, etched in stone, is a symbol unlike any Native American marking. What does it signify? The puzzle is made to order for Mo Bowdre''s quirky and capacious intelligence. But Bowdre, a wildlife sculptor and occasional sleuth, may be in over his head, as he becomes embroiled in a possible case of ritual killing—and a certain malice. . . . Praise for A Certain Malice “In a long tradition of oddball amateur detectives, the flamboyant Bowdre is a welcome addition. He’s certainly offbeat and larger than life.”—L.A. Life “Page’s mysteries are standouts.”—The Houston Chronicle “Move over, Tony Hillerman”—The Seattle Times/Post-Intelligencer

Some 20 light and witty essays by New Mexico-based naturalist Page in which his observations of birds and their behavior leads to ponderings on the meaning of life, the nature of humanity, and other deep subjects. Some of the material has appeared previously in The Smithsonian, National Geographic, The Washington Post, and other periodicals. No index or bibliography. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The discovery of seven previously unknown Georgia O''Keeffe paintings sets not only Santa Fe, but the entire international art world, buzzing with excitement. Elijah Potts, successful author, skilled seducer, and shrewd owner of the Southwest Creations gallery, knows that this cache of canvases will be the crowning glory of his career--and the key to the fortune that he has always craved. Before the new O''Keeffes can be authenticated, the suave, elegant world of Elijah Potts starts to unravel. First Anita Montague, the manager of Elijah''s gallery and his sometime lover, is murdered. Next the paintings disappear. And then Potts finds himself in jail, charged with Anita''s murder. Is it a frame-up or is Elijah Potts a player in an elaborate game of forgery, greed, and deception? Mo Bowdre, with problems of his own, wants nothing to do with the police and media circus that descends on Santa Fe. But somehow he just can''t keep out of it. And Mo''s beautiful Hopi girlfriend Connie has a funny feeling that Potts isn''t the man he appears to be.

Recounts more than seventy Native American myths from a variety of cultures, covering gods, creation, and heroes and heroines, and discusses each myth within its own context, its relationship to other myths, and its place within world mythology.

Shaped by cartoons and museum dioramas, our vision of Paleolithic times tends to feature fur-clad male hunters fearlessly attacking mammoths while timid women hover fearfully behind a boulder. Recent archaeological research has shown that this vision bears little relation to reality. J. M. Adovasio and Olga Soffer, two of the world''s leading experts on perishable artifacts such as basketry, cordage, and weaving, present an exciting new look at prehistory. With science writer Jake Page, they argue that women invented all kinds of critical materials, including the clothing necessary for life in colder climates, the ropes used to make rafts that enabled long-distance travel by water, and nets used for communal hunting. Even more important, women played a central role in the development of language and social life—in short, in our becoming human. In this eye-opening book, a new story about women in prehistory emerges with provocative implications for our assumptions about gender today.

Do Dogs Laugh? draws on the last several decades of canine research, examining everything from a dog''s eyesight to its culinary preferences and sense of humor. Jake Page looks at dogs'' wild brothers, the wolves, and their closer cousins, the wild or pariah dogs; explains the newest theory of how dogs were domesticated; describes a dog''s development from puppyhood on; and finally ponders a dog''s emotional life and intelligence. And as an added bonus, Page''s own pack of dogs makes multiple cameo appearances.

David Leeming and Jake Page gather some seventy-five of the most potent and meaningful of these tales in an extraordinary rich and readable introduction of this divine figure as she has emerged from prehistory to the present.

The movie in progress is based on a historical event, a Native American victory over Spanish invaders. But some Indians deeply resent the movie company''s filming on tribal land. Shooting has just begun when a deadly real-life scenario rapidly eclipses the one slated for the screen: the man who leased the Santo Esteban Pueblo to Hollywood suddenly dies, and the leading man is murdered. Blind sculptor Mo Bowdre, whose beautiful Hopi girlfriend has a small role in the movie, is fascinated. Who are the players and what are the stakes? Finding the answer tests Mo''s inner vision to its limits.

The untold story of how the Chiricahua Apache tribe won a $22 million settlement against the U.S. government that had imprisoned tribal members for 23 years. In 1947 President Truman established the Indian Claims Commission. WILD JUSTICE is a history of that extraordinary tribunal and the efforts of Native American tribes to obtain restitution from it.

The National Zoological Park, as explored by Page, is a beautiful, eye-opening, and international experience. Page not only offers front-seat and behind-the-scenes tours of the zoo in Washington, D.C., he also covers animal preserves throughout the world. Page recounts how scientists and others from the Smithsonian have been working to return captive animals to natural habitats and ward off the extinction of tigers, elephants, and other endangered creatures. He keeps the scientific talk lively and entertaining at all times supplementing his text by 200 wonderful color photographs of animals in action. The illustrations will certainly enchant animal lovers, but all readers should appreciate this perspective on a zoo as an active force in wildlife conservation.

Beautifully photographed book of the Navajo people today.

Jack Whittaker, an experienced caver, discovers a huge new cavern under the New Mexico desert. The cavern holds a secret, however, that threatens Jack and the workers at a nearby radioactive waste dump.

Blind wildlife sculptor Mo Bowdrie and his girlfriend discover a corpse, and the unraveling of the murder''s secret uncovers a network of Aztec artifact smugglers.

This marvelous collection brings together the great myths and legends of the United States--from the creation stories of the first inhabitants, to the tall tales of the Western frontier, to the legendary outlaws of the 1920s, and beyond. This thoroughly engaging anthology is sweeping in its scope, embracing Big Foot and Windigo, Hiawatha and Uncle Sam, Paul Revere and Billy the Kid, and even the Iroquois Flying Head and Elvis. In the book''s section on dogmas and icons, for instance, Leeming and Page discuss the American melting pot, the notion of manifest destiny, and the imposing historical and literary figure of Henry Adams. And under Heroes and Heroines, they have assembled everyone from "Honest Abe" Lincoln and George "I Cannot Tell a Lie" Washington to Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, and Martin Luther King, Jr. For every myth or hero rendered here, the editors include an informative yet readable excerpt, often the definitive account of the story in question. Taken as a whole, Myths, Legends, and Folktales of America reveals how waves of immigrants, encountering this strange land for the first time, adapted their religions, beliefs, and folklore to help make sense of a new and astounding place. Covering Johnny Appleseed and Stagolee as well as Paul Bunyan and Moby Dick, this wonderful anthology illuminates our nation''s myth-making, enriching our idea of what it means to be American.

169 illus., 137 color, 30 line drawings. Orig. $60.00.

Do Cats Hear with Their Feet? traces the evolution of cats from the time they first adapted their feline form about 20 million years ago. Exploring every aspect of a cat''s life—from predation, to play, to communication—Jake Page shows us what a cat''s daily life is really like. He gives us a cat''s-eye view of a bird hunt in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and explains why cats will hunt even when they are full, and why no self-respecting cat would eat vegetables. In sections that will be of interest to every cat owner, Jake Page demonstrates why territory is all-important to cats, investigates cat ESP, and shows that cats have, in fact, never been fully domesticated; they''ve just graciously decided to reside with us. Beautifully illustrated, this engaging book is full of surprising facts. Did you know: Black cats do better in the crowded conditions of cities than any other color? Cats are as allergic to humans as humans are to cats? Cats have survived falls from heights of over seven stories? Do Cats Hear with Their Feet? will show readers exactly why cats are such amazing creatures, and why humans have been crazy about them for centuries.

Headline: A peak behind the Hollywood mask by one of its foremost makeup artists In Hollywood’s heyday, almost every major studio had a Westmore heading up the makeup department. Since 1917, there has never been a time when Westmores weren’t shaping the visages of stardom. For their century-long dedication to the art of makeup, the Westmores were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008. In this lively memoir, Michael Westmore not only regales us with tales of Hollywood’s golden age, but also from his own career where he notably transformed Sylvester Stallone into Rocky Balboa and Robert DiNiro into Jake LaMotta, among many other makeup miracles. Westmore’s talent as a makeup artist first became apparent when he created impenetrable disguises for Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Burt Lancaster, Robert Mitchum, and Frank Sinatra for the 1963 film The List of Adrian Messenger. He later went on to become the preferred makeup man for Bobby Darin and Elizabeth Taylor, and worked on such movies and TV shows as The Munsters, Rosemary’s Baby, Eleanor and Franklin, New York, New York, 2010: A Space Odyssey, and Mask, for which he won an academy award. The next phase of his career was to create hundreds of alien characters for over 600 episodes of Star Trek in all its iterations, from The Next Generation to Enterprise. Replete with anecdotes about Hollywood and its stars, from Bette Davis’s preference for being made-up in the nude to Shelley Winters’s habit of nipping from a “little bottle” while on the set, Makeup Man will satisfy any Hollywood’s fan’s appetite for gossip or a behind-the-scenes look at how tinsel town’s most iconic film characters were created. Academy Award-winning Michael Westmore has been making up the stars for over fifty years. He frequently appears on the SyFy channel show Face Off with his daughter McKenzie Westmore.

In 1816 red, yellow, brown, or blue snow fell, and New England had no summer. From natural catastrophes such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and ice-ages to Chernobyl and other man-made disasters, Tales of the Earth takes a fascinating look at nature''s power over humanity, as well as the trouble humanity makes for nature.

A celebration in words and photographs of 25 places considered sacred by Native Americans, many of which are under threat of development and desecration. Prepared with the cooperation of five major American Indian organizations concerned with preservation, the book includes essays by important Indian and Christian writers in the realm of the sacred.

When the Planet Rages describes some of the great events of environmental history, from natural calamities such as the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 and the ice ages, to man-made disasters such as Chernobyl, acid rain, and the depletion of the ozone layer. Officer and Page provide fascinating discussions of meteorites and comets; of the demise of mammoths, mastodons, and dinosaurs; and of great floods that have swept the earth. But they also show that human activity can make trouble for nature, from the depletion of natural resources to air and water pollution.

Contains photographs, text, and five essays on the forest environment.

Inconstant and forbidding, the arctic has lured misguided voyagers into the cold for centuries--pushing them beyond the limits of their knowledge, technology, and endurance. A Fabulous Kingdom charts these quests and the eventual race for the North Pole, chronicling the lives and adventures that would eventually throw light on this "magical realm" of sunless winters. They follow the explorers from the early journeys of Viking Ottar to the daring exploits of Martin Frobisher, Henry Hudson, Frederick Cook, Robert Peary, and Richard Bird. The second edition features a section entitled "The New Arctic" that illuminates current scientific and environmental issues that threaten the region. Officer and Page discuss such topics as the science behind the melting of the polar ice; the endangered species that now depend on the ice, including polar bears, narwhals, walruses, and ringed seals; commerce in mining and natural resources, especially petroleum and natural gas; and predictions for the economic and environmental future of the region. Library Journal called the first edition a "winning fusion of adventure, suspense, and history."

A beautifully illustrated book with chapters on the origins, flight, subsistence, migration, communication, society, etc.

Presents scientific information and miscellaneous facts on human blood.

A guide to identifying the traditional craft objects and designs of the Indian tribes of the American Southwest, covering jewelry, pottery, basketry, weaving, and carving; with background information on the tribes and their cultural traditions, and advice on visiting tribes on their own lands.

National Geographic launches a new series--Destinations--that takes readers to some of the world''s most fascinating locales for an intimate, "you-are-there" portrait, featuring informative text, up-to-date maps, and lush photography. BEYOND THE HORIZON takes readers to the edge of enchantment--from Iceland to the highlands of Venezuela to the Chinese kingdom of Muli. Over 200 color photos and maps.

In 1980 Nobel Laureate Luis Alvarez announced his theory of the dinosaurs final demise: a gigantic meteorite crashed into the earth and raised a cloud of dust that caused darkness for years, suppressing photosynthesis, which impeded plant growth, and eventually starved the dinosaurs. This idea exploded into common awareness with almost unprecedented speed, and was instantly embraced by the media and the public. Almost without question, it quickly became the hottest scientific "fact". Unfortunately for Alvarez, many in the scientific community did to support this theory, and in fact later research showed the impossibility of such an idea. The Great Dinosaur Extinction Controversy chronicles the fantastic story of how this hypothesis became so widespread, the way it became "common knowledge" - from the pages of Science to The New York Times to Parade Magazine, the controversy it caused, and the ample scientific research that proves the theory wrong. Officer and Page also present an attractive and carefully investigated alternative explanation for the mass extinctions that occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period. Through this account they show the ways that sound science should be performed and the findings transmitted.

A collection of over 120 photographs of the jewelry, pottery, weavings, and basketry of a number of Native American tribes of the Southwest.

Solutions to environmental problems are often temporary due to unsustained population growth and unchecked usage of the Earth''s resources. "Earth and You" is a voice calling for man''s best efforts as the authors assess the planet''s environmental health. 21 illustrations.

The story of the first year in the Washington Zoo of Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, the giant pandas presented to the U.S. by the People''s Republic of China.