In researching a group of about fifty Indian effigy and conical mounds on the north shore of Lake Mendota, at Madison, Wisconsin, Gary Maier came upon a new understanding of these structures, which have been a source of wonder and puzzlement to Europeans since the 1830s. In unearthing the meaning of the mounds as a form of earth writing, Maier also learned much about himself. This is, as one reader said, an exciting detective story, a personal journey through the mounds that will have significant meaning for all readers.