The Waning of the West

Thoreau called the American West ``a country of the mind.'' In his last book Steiner ( La Raza ; The New Indians ), who died in 1987, examined and analyzed the components of that mind. The essays collected here, including articles that appeared in American West , among other journals, attempt to demythologize his adopted part of the country. Concerned with the varied ethnic groups that contributed to the spirit of individualism, freedom and expansiveness so charactertistic of the area, Steiner writes about Anglos, Hispanics, Navajos and the Chinese, who built many of the railroads. With the decline of the family farm and the virtual abandonment of many small towns, he saw the spirit of the West fading, although he believed that the legend of the region might live on. An interesting, enlightening volume. Illustrations not seen by PW. (Aug.)