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In 1980 Cathy N. Davidson traveled to Japan to teach English at a leading all-women’s university. It was the first of many journeys and the beginning of a deep and abiding fascination. In this extraordinary book, Davidson depicts a series of intimate moments and small epiphanies that together make up a panoramic view of Japan. With wit, candor, and a lover’s keen eye, she tells captivating stories—from that of a Buddhist funeral laden with ritual to an exhilarating evening spent touring the “Floating World,” the sensual demimonde in which salaryman meets geisha and the normal rules are suspended. On a remote island inhabited by one of the last matriarchal societies in the world, a disconcertingly down-to-earth priestess leads her to the heart of a sacred grove. And she spends a few unforgettable weeks in a quasi-Victorian residence called the Practice House, where, until recently, Japanese women were taught American customs so that they would make proper wives for husbands who might be stationed abroad. In an afterword new to this edition, Davidson tells of a poignant trip back to Japan in 2005 to visit friends who had remade their lives after the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, which had devastated the city of Kobe, as well as the small town where Davidson had lived and the university where she taught.

36 Views of Mount Fuji not only transforms our image of Japan, it offers a stirring look at the very nature of culture and identity. Often funny, sometimes liltingly sad, it is as intimate and irresistible as a long-awaited letter from a good friend.

Nevada boasts some of the most diverse and beautiful landscapes in North America and is rich in trails that embrace the state’s scenic, geologic, and historic resources. Mike White, renowned outdoors writer and instructor, now offers a guide to fifty of the best Nevada hikes, ranging across the entire state from the Mojave Desert to the Sierra Nevada, from sagebrush basins to the alpine heights of the Ruby Mountains. Here are hikes for every taste and level of fitness, including outings suitable for families with small children and full-scale assaults on challenging peaks. Each hike is described in terms of its route and special features, and includes a map and elevation profile. The book also offers information about the geology, wildlife, plants, history, and weather features of Nevada, as well as helpful directions to ensure safe and comfortable travel in Nevada’s rugged and isolated backcountry. This is an indispensable guide for anyone seeking enjoyable adventures in some of the country’s most spectacular natural regions.

Come winter, Lake Tahoe’s trails, mountains, and shores shed their hikers and transform under a white blanket of snow into a serene winter wonderland. From towering snowy vistas, frozen subalpine lakes, lofty summits, and beautiful tree canopies, Lake Tahoe is one of America’s favorite winter playgrounds—with some of the most beautiful and invigorating views in the world.
50 of the Best Snowshoe Trails Around Tahoe offers snowshoers of all levels and experience a wide-range of excursions—from flat and easy to steep and strenuous.  It includes a wide range of snowshoe routes such as Mt. Rose, Carson Pass, Emerald Bay, Fallen Leaf Lake, Highway 89, Truckee and Donner Pass. Features include:

• Fifty distinct routes with directions to trailheads, detailed trip descriptions, and topographic maps
• Forty-five stunning photographs of popular trails, landscapes, and lake views
• Easy-to-read headings to provide key information on trail difficulty, distance, elevation, avalanche risk, facilities, managing agencies, highlights, lowlights, and more.
• A wide-range of outings for snowshoers of all abilities
• Recommendations on where to grab a hot drink, enjoy a hearty meal, or to snuggle up for a cozy overnight stay
• Tips on everything from proper clothing and footwear, equipment checklists, pre-hike warm-ups, sanitation, dog-friendly trails, and permit requirements

 
Whether you are an amateur explorer or a winter adventure enthusiast, this comprehensive guidebook has everything you need to explore the winter playgrounds surrounding Lake Tahoe.

One of the area’s foremost experts on the outdoors, Mike White, author of 50 of the Best Strolls, Walks, and Hikes Around Reno, returns with a new guidebook dedicated to Carson City and its surrounding areas in northern Nevada. With over three hundred days of sunshine a year, this capital city’s parks, trails, lakes, and soaring peaks provide the perfect attractions for residents and visitors alike. This guide provides readers with the most precise information for a wide range of detailed paths and trails throughout the greater Carson City region and includes interesting sidebars about human and natural history for each trip.

From Virginia City and the Carson River on the east to the Sierra Nevada mountains to the west, this comprehensive guidebook offers the most complete guide for walkers, joggers, and hikers. Whether you are looking for a short and easy stroll on a city path or an extended hike along the Tahoe Rim Trail, this is your all-inclusive resource for your next outdoor adventure.
 

Reno, Nevada is one of the best communities in the nation for outdoor recreational opportunities. With over three hundred days of sunshine a year, the weather beckons residents and visitors alike to step outside and enjoy a casual stroll in a city park, a stiff climb to the top of one of the area’s surrounding mountains, or just about anything in between. White offers the most complete guide for walkers, joggers, runners, and hikers to the best paths and trails in the greater Reno-Sparks region.

This guide provides readers the most complete and detailed information for each excursion, from the Truckee River corridor to the Northern Valleys, including lakes, parks, trails, and mountains. Whether you are looking for a short and easy stroll on a paved path along one of the city’s greenbelts, or an extended hike into the mountains of the Mount Rose wilderness, this is your all-inclusive resource. White is one of the area’s foremost experts on the outdoors, and he includes interesting sidebars about human and natural history for each trip. This is a guide for anyone who enjoys a stroll, walk, or hike in and around Northern Nevada’s premier outdoor playgrounds.