"Top O' The Pines: Life in Pinetop and the White Mountains," with nearly 50 historical pictures, traces the development of the mountain settlement, beginning when a bachelor stopped in a pristine meadow in 1885 and built a saloon. Today, the ever-expanding popular playground features three country clubs, luxurious homes and fine dining, all just minutes away from sparkling lakes, streams, hiking trails and ski runs.

"Throughout the book are stories of the indomitable spirit of the people who fought against odds to carve out a living on the Mountain, whether clearing the land to farm and channel water for irrigation, or to find a way to bring in electricity when large utility companies wrote them off. The book examines life among the Apaches, Pinetop's next-door-neighbors, and a Black businessman who succeeds against racial prejudices."

-- "White Mountain Independent" Sept. 3, 2004.