Short on ideas for a birthday, special occasion, or "just because" gift? Here are a few Arizona-related book suggestions from our colleagues at The University of Arizona Press.

In the Arms of Saguaros, Iconography of the Giant Cactus

This is a great book for Tucson visitors. Amazing photos from postcards, lifestyle magazines, tourist brochures and more show how the saguaro enticed visitors to southern Arizona. 

Cactus swimsuit? Yes! Saguaros surrounding Old Main on the university's campus in 1890? See it in this book! Saguaro neon signs from the 1950s? It’s all here. 

Author William L. Bird is curator emeritus of the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, and many images in the book come from his personal collection. From the botanical explorers of the nineteenth century to the tourism boosters in our own time, saguaros and their images have fulfilled attention-getting needs and expectations.

Picturing Sabino, A Photographic History of a Southwestern Canyon

Sabino has been a favorite recreation destination since the 1880s, horse and wagons, then cars, and now tram riders, walkers and bicyclists explore the canyon by road or trail. So many destinations: waterfalls, creek crossings, swimming holes; and if you’re lucky, you’ll see a coatimundi or even a bighorn sheep.

“Early one September morning, we headed downhill from the last tram stop, coasting on our bikes, and a family a coatimundis ran across the road right in front of us,” said Mary Reynolds, University of Arizona Press (UA Press) Publicity Manager, about her favorite wildlife moment in Sabino Canyon. "Alas, they were too fast so no photo." But, we have a book full of photos along with easy-to-read history by David Wentworth Lazaroff. 

Woven from the Center, Native Basketry in the Southwest

Arizona State Museum curator Diane Dittemore takes readers on a journey of baskets beyond their history and symbolism. Along the way, you meet the basket-weavers themselves: mothers, daughters, and sisters who carry on this tradition. Beautiful photos show baskets and other woven crafts: sandals, jars, even water carriers.

“Diane took UA Press staff on a behind-the-scenes tour of the museum’s basket storage room,” said Mary Reynolds. “I was amazed at the variety of baskets in all shapes and sizes from across the centuries.” With this book, readers can go behind the scenes too, with even more details about the baskets and basket makers.

About the University of Arizona Press

The University of Arizona Press (UA Press) is the premier publisher of academic, regional, and literary works in the state of Arizona. UA Press disseminates ideas and knowledge of lasting value that enrich understanding, inspire curiosity, and enlighten readers. UA Press advances the University of Arizona’s mission by connecting scholarship and creative expression to readers worldwide.