Before the invention of the combine, the binder was an essential harvesting implement that cut grain and bound the stalks in bundles tied with twine that could then be hand-gathered into shocks for threshing. Hundreds of thousands of farmers across the United States and Canada relied on binders and the twine required for the machine's operation. Implement manufacturers discovered that the best binder twine was made from henequen and sisal-spiny, fibrous plants native to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The double dependency that subsequently developed between Mexico and the Great Plains of the United States and Canada affected the agriculture, ecology, and economy of all three nations in ways that have historically been little understood. These interlocking dependencies-identified by author Sterling Evans as the "henequen-wheat complex"-initiated or furthered major ecological, social, and political changes in each of these agricultural regions. Drawing on extensive archival work as well as the existing secondary literature, Evans has woven an intricate story that will change our understanding of the complex, transnational history of the North American continent. STERLING EVANS is an associate professor and Canada Research Chair in history at Brandon University in Brandon, Manitoba. He is the editor of The Borderlands of the American and Canadian Wests. Evans holds a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas.

"The Borderlands of the American and Canadian Wests" is the first collection of interdisciplinary essays bringing together scholars from both sides of the forty-ninth parallel to examine life in a transboundary region. The result is a text that reveals the diversity, difficulties, and fortunes of this increasingly powerful but little-understood part of the North American West. Contributions by historians, geographers, anthropologists, and scholars of criminal justice and environmental studies provide a comprehensive picture of the history of the borderlands region of the western United States and Canada. "" "The Borderlands of the American and Canadian Wests" is divided into six parts: Defining the Region, Colonizing the Frontier, Farming and Other Labor Interactions, the Borderlands as a Refuge in the Nineteenth Century, the Borderlands as a Refuge in the Twentieth Century, and Natural Resources and Conservation along the Border. Topics include the borderlands' environment; its aboriginal and gender history; frontier interactions and comparisons; agricultural and labor relations; tourism; the region as a refuge for Mormons, far-right groups, and Vietnam War resisters; and conservation and natural resources. These areas show how the history and geography of the borderlands region has been transboundary, multidimensional, and unique within North America.

With over 25 percent of its land set aside in national parks and other protected areas, Costa Rica is renowned worldwide as "the green republic." In this very readable history of conservation in Costa Rica, Sterling Evans explores the establishment of the country's national park system as a response to the rapid destruction of its tropical ecosystems due to the expansion of export-related agriculture.

Drawing on interviews with key players in the conservation movement, as well as archival research, Evans traces the emergence of a conservation ethic among Costa Ricans and the tangible forms it has taken. In Part I, he describes the development of the national park system and "the grand contradiction" that conservation occurred simultaneously with massive deforestation in unprotected areas. In Part II, he examines other aspects of Costa Rica's conservation experience, including the important roles played by environmental education and nongovernmental organizations, campesino and indigenous movements, ecotourism, and the work of the National Biodiversity Institute.

Although coverage of American Indian history has improved remarkably in the past 20 years, the role of American Indians is still downplayed in many mainstream American history courses. In-depth discussions of United States policies toward Native Americans or the reactions of Native Americans do not appear in most textbooks. This book helps to overcome these shortcomings. Designed to accompany post-Reconstruction survey courses, it will help to integrate aspects of American Indian history. Arranged according to time periods used in most textbooks, the book's seventeen essays--many written by leading scholars, several written by American Indian scholars--discuss important policy considerations as well as environmental, religious, cultural, and gender issues. Providing a good point of departure, these essays can be used in tandem with other materials to stimulate class discussion. While every aspect of American history could not be covered, each section includes an extensive list of suggested additional reading. The volume is unique in that it is the only companion reader designed to accompany college courses covering this time period. It is a book to be used by instructors who are not necessarily Native Americanists but who wish to include the history of American Indians in their survey courses.

Although coverage of American Indian history has improved remarkably in the past 20 years, the role of American Indians is still downplayed in many mainstream American history courses. In-depth discussions of United States policies toward Native Americans or the reactions of Native Americans do not appear in most textbooks. This book helps to overcome these shortcomings. Designed to accompany post-Reconstruction survey courses, it will help to integrate aspects of American Indian history. Arranged according to time periods used in most textbooks, the book's seventeen essays--many written by leading scholars, several written by American Indian scholars--discuss important policy considerations as well as environmental, religious, cultural, and gender issues.

Providing a good point of departure, these essays can be used in tandem with other materials to stimulate class discussion. While "every" aspect of American history could not be covered, each section includes an extensive list of suggested additional reading. The volume is unique in that it is the only companion reader designed to accompany college courses covering this time period. It is a book to be used by instructors who are not necessarily Native Americanists but who wish to include the history of American Indians in their survey courses.