Field guide to plants and animals

Preserving this rich history through an extensive collection of archival images, Peter Goin presents a photographic history of the Tahoe Basin over a hundred-year period in The Nature of Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe transformed America, and not just once but many times over--from the earliest Ice Age civilizations to the mysterious death of Marilyn Monroe. It even played a hidden role in the American conquest of California, the launch of the Republican Party, and the birth of John Steinbeck's first novel. Along the way, Lake Tahoe found the time to invent the ski industry, spark the sexual revolution, and win countless Academy Awards. Tahoe beneath the Surface brings this hidden history of America's largest mountain lake to life through the stories of its most celebrated residents and visitors over the last ten thousand years. It mixes local Washoe Indian legends with tales of murderous Mafia dons, and Rat Pack tunes with Steinbeck novels. It establishes Tahoe as one of America's literary hot spots by tracing the steps of more than a dozen authors including Bertrand Russell, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Michael Ondaatje. Tahoe beneath the Surface reveals how the lake transformed the lives of conservationists like John Muir, humorists like Mark Twain, and Hollywood icons like Frank Sinatra. It even touches upon some of the darker aspects of American history, including anti-Chinese racism and the Kennedy assassination. Despite the impact Lake Tahoe has had on America, environmental threats loom large, and Tahoe Blue--a term that Lankford uses to encompass the whole range of life, beauty, and meaning the lake represents--grows increasingly vulnerable. In Tahoe beneath the Surface, human history and natural history combine in a most engaging way, one that will both inform and inspire all who would keep Tahoe blue.

Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, straddling the border of California and Nevada. This 12-panel, laminated folding guide to the flora and fauna found in the Lake Tahoe Basin was created in collaboration with the Lake Tahoe Foundation. A portion of the proceeds go to support its ongoing programs.

"The reader could hardly be disappointed with this book. More than simply a 'flower key, ' it deftly describes each species and its requirements for survival in the high Sierra. In addition to presenting an impressive collection of spectacular photographs, Graf describes the myriad physical aspects of the Basin which control the flora's vitality, its evolution and its future. This is a wildflower book with the depth and richness that will satisfy Tahoe plant lovers for a long time to come."--Joseph L. Medeiros, Sierra College

Lake Tahoe's legendary scenic beauty is witnessed annually by millions of visitors. While the lake's first sighting (in 1843) by a nonnative was made from a mountain peak, the lake's maritime history began a scant seven years later. Although most of the early steamers were designed for industrial use, the sight of a boat venturing out into the vast, deep blue expanse of Lake Tahoe attracted the attention of residents and visitors alike. After the inevitable decline of extractive industries, tourism became the main economic engine in Lake Tahoe. The steamer era and the evolution of wooden-boat racing are celebrated today by the romantic races of the two paddle wheelers and the annual Concours d'Elegance boat show.

"The dirt around Lake Tahoe" takes readers on a journey to dozens of trails inside the Lake Tahoe Basin and just outside of Lake Tahoe proper. It rates each hike based on scenic quality and difficulty. The book contains a hike for everyone who likes to explore the outdoors. Some are flat, some not so much. Alpine lakes, wilderness peaks and waterfalls are the reward for one's efforts.