American Indians of California, the Great Basin, and the Southwest

Gr 10 Up—Facts piled high and wide do not save this series. Information is made virtually inaccessible by erudite, convoluted writing. This example is typical: "If the sequence of major tool types in the American Arctic is analogous to that represented to the south, this tradition may have developed from the earlier Paleo-Indian culture of the north, although direct evidence for this has thus far not been presented." The density of information-a single paragraph on the division of labor in Plains tribes includes women's men's, and children's roles as well as descriptions of children's games—leaves little room for readers to absorb the information. The illustrations, which consist of archival and contemporary photos, maps, and reproductions, are interesting, but too infrequent to complement the text. Many of the articles collected here are available online. For a thorough, well-organized, and gorgeously illustrated volume that is ideal for high school students, consider Michael Johnson's Encyclopedia of Native Tribes of North America, 3rd ed. (Firefly, 2007).