Jess's Jewels

Whether read cover-to-cover or bit-by-bit, "The Illuminated Landscape" provides a history lesson as well as odes by nature writers and environmentalists of our time. A similar conservation/ appreciation of the Sierra pervades the majority of excerpts, making it hard to decide whether to finish the book or go outside and enjoy our beautiful landscape. This is a collection necessary  for every Californian's personal library- and anyone who appreciates the rugged, but inviting, California wilderness.

Born to Run takes readers from Mexico's Sierra Madre to Leadville, CO... on foot. Christopher McDougall seeks the Tarahumara, a barefoot running tribe, and finds himself immersed in the world of ultra running. The cast of characters ranges from a surfing couple to an old white man living in a hut. McDougall runs alongside (or behind) ultra running greats, and learns what makes these eccentrics run hundreds of miles in the world's most extreme settings. With insights into the culture of the Tarahumara tribe and the science of barefoot running, the book offers a new perspective on an old pastime.