This text investigates professional and popular conceptions as a set of narratives drawn from outside and inside bristlecone pine trees. It reveals the premises of the investigators, the nature of their inquiry and the extent of their knowledge, while also revealing the bristlecone pine itself.

This is an expanded edition of McCracken's guide to one of America's favourite holiday destinations. The very name of the city conjures up a collection of images: fun, excitement, escape, or, more concretely, mega-sized hotels and casinos, spectacular showrooms, theme parks, and marquees as large as office buildings lit with the names of the biggest stars.