"Simms (Utah State College) has written a book that will appeal to anyone interested in the prehistory of the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau. Few archaeologists have the command that Simms does when it comes to the archaeology of that considerable expanse of the western U.S., and he uses it to good purpose. Well researched and well written, this book will appeal to readers with an interest in the archaeology of the West, including professionals and students of all levels. Summing Up: Highly Recommended."
- M.J. O’Brien, CHOICE
"…no dry academic tour, this. Archaeologist Steven Simms has written a smart, engaging cultural history of the Great Basin and northern Colorado Plateau – an enjoyable compilation of research, thought, and theory that covers 13,000 years and over 200,000 miles of territory. Simms’s organization and writing style will engage the general reader as well as archaeology students and professionals. Few “regional syntheses” are as enjoyable as this one."
- Lee Kreutzer, Utah Historical Quarterly
"Steven Simms’ well-illustrated book gives a detailed yet highly readable synthesis of human adaptation to the ancient environments of this region…making the book accessible and providing a great deal of information for thoise wishing to delve deeper into the topic. Stunning original artwork with detailed captions convey the diversity and dynamics of past Great Basin peoples and their adaptations."
- Tamara Stewart, American Archaeology
" Here is, finally, what so many have been waiting for: a concise,
readable, and intelligent prehistory of the Great Basin. Simms has
produced a thought-provoking synthesis of not only data, but current
arguments; both professionals and the interested public will find this
volume interesting and useful. "
- Robert L. Kelly, University of Wyoming
" At long last we have a book on the prehistory of the Great
Basin/Colorado Plateau written by an archaeologist for public
consumption. Simms is intimate with the regional archaeology and in
this work demonstrates his grasp of critical issues as well as the
details of the human history in this fascinating area. Simms writes
exceptionally well and exhibits his in-depth knowledge of the abundant
ethnographic and archaeological literature in this well-illustrated
volume. I heartily recommend
Ancient Peoples of the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau."
- Joel C. Janetski, Brigham Young University
"This is a masterful work crafted by one of the few archaeologists working in the Great Basin today that could pull together the detail necessary for a major synthesis of the area while at the same time imparting an absolute wealth of anthropological theory, reasoning, and perspective."
- Mark W. Allen, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
"The book is an excellent summary of the current state of knowledge in Great Basin prehistoric archaeology. The book is made very accessible to the educated lay reader by enhancing otherwise dry technical data and arcane professional debates with rich interpretation and analogies that bring the past into the present and make it relevant."
- Matthew Seddon, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, State of Utah