Central America Books

The book has two distinct sections. The first 100 pages is a report on the Mellon family lifestyle, and how a rich maverick Mellon got to Haiti. The rest of the book details Dr. and Mrs. Mellon's founding of a hospital and civil engineering projects in central Haiti.
An important finding is that the Mellon's hospital was founded on the humanitarian premise, "Reverence for life." Taken from Dr. Sweitzer's work in Africa, life refers not only to human life, but also plant and animal. This little detail is critical to understanding the book. Many missions to Haiti are Christian, while Dr. Mellon's hospital is distinctly humanistic primarily as presented in the book.
As all books on Haiti fairly present, doing anything in Haiti is hard, and without American financial support, very little work done lasts. The hospital Dr. Mellon founded did well as long as he provided two of the four million dollars needed to run it. His civil engineering projects, in which he was much more interested than medicine (he actually only practiced medicine 3 years), all crumbled when turned over to the Haitians. Many other cottage industries met the same fate.
The book thus captures the Haitian dilemna, how to serve in Haiti and lift up the Haitians to be self sufficient. If Dr. Mellon's millions couldn't do it, how can any of us with less money at our disposal. Never the less, we go to Haiti because we cannot not go, nor can we not go back after going once.
An excellent book about how a real rich guy did his best to follow his heart, not his accountant's advice, and another book about how a strong wife really does the grunt work while her husband plays with big boy's toys.

Truly an engaging read that reminds us that we can choose to turn our lives around at any time. Larimer Mellon did just that at age 37, first going to medical school, then founding a hospital in Deschapelles, Haiti, that is running to this very day. The author does well to follow their project and show how their lives were intertwined by others similarly interested in Albert Schweitzer's ethos. This idea of "Reverence for Life" has led to the existence, in the middle of poorest rural Haiti, of a thriving band of expatriates, native Haitians, short-term volunteers, and visitors of various sorts dedicated to humanistic ideals. Hospital Albert Schweitzer lives on, and you can be a part of it if you choose.

Song of Haiti is an absolutely awesome book! As a nurse who has done mission work in Haiti, I found this book authentic, a true inspiration, as well as a compelling, indepth view of the lives of many dedicated and compassionate people. Barry Paris' work describes the country and the people in beautiful and fullfilling language. Oftentimes, I felt as if I were in Haiti again experiencing the amazing, hard-working and loving people of the country. I've never before read a biography with such griping prose. I looked forward to my time to read because I became more and more interested in the life of every person described - be it Dr. Mellon and Gwen or Albert Schweitzer, or the nurses and doctors and friends with whom they shared their lives. I believe this is the way that biographical work should be written. Song of Haiti is thorough in that it covers the entirety of Dr. Mellon's life, touching on his downfalls as well as his high acheivements. I found that the realism with which the story is told is excellent and believable. The many everyday encounters and adventures are interesting and mesmerizing - it makes a person want to travel and experience the third world for all of the beauty and intensity it offers. I recommend this book to everyone, regardless of your interest in medicine, mission work, or biography. It is amazing.

The life of William Larimer Mellon is an example of the life Americans should dream for themselves and those they love dearly. For one who majored in biology and gave it up for 18 years in auditing the paralells to Mellon's change of career and motivations struck me deeply. On witnessing the WTC disaster personally (a few hundred yards away) man should strive for something in life and go for it. Barry Paris well written account of a life inspired by Dr. Schweitzer is highly recommended to all readers committed to God and American morals and values. If readers have a noble vision the price of this book is totally insiginificant to the highest rewards you will gather from reading it.

I love this book. I hated the price, sorry, very expensive but I love the pictures. Ann

This was an amazing book! The photos have such beautiful color and perspective. As an added bonus, all proceeds from this book sales go to the National Geographic Sociiety!

General-interest public lending libraries will appreciate this oversized volume packed with photos sweeping Latin America's landscapes. It comes from a renowned aerial photographer who provides over a hundred images representing his years of travel to fourteen Latin American countries. His photos celebrate towns, people, cultures and geography alike, providing double-page, panoramic photo spreads unparalleled elsewhere. Any collection with any interest in Latin American geography and culture - or geographic photography - needs this amazing, stunning collection.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Robert B. Haas is a corporate lawyer in Texas who came to photography fairly late in life. He claims to be afraid of heights, but has spent many hours hanging out of small planes and helicopters all over the world taking pictures of the topography. This volume contains 113 pictures "covering 14 countries and 80 percent of the Latin America land mass" according to the National Geographic.

On first reading, first viewing, rather, I found the images just stunning. I spent two hours lost in the images. As I walked home from the library, the images remained in my memory, but I had a vague feeling that something was missing. I did a bit of research, and found a couple of conflicting descriptions of these beautiful images.

National Geographic was accurate: "Photographs are presented in large double-page panoramas, inviting the viewer to appreciate their abstract qualities and become absorbed in rich details. The aerial perspective gives a generous view of the land below: While large-scale environmental effects may be seen, man's blemishes are mostly diminished when viewed against the vastness of the land. A full-page map highlights countries and specific places photographed."

That word "abstract" gnawed at me. Something was still eludusive. The almost invariably reliable "Library Journal" held the answer.

"Somehow, the dazzling colors and intricate patterns don't add up to the absorbing and informative tour of the southern continent that we expect. Haas ... has developed a formula for identifying a pleasing pattern of water and earth or vegetation and focusing so tightly on it as to deny all context. ... The photos become optical puzzles or animal trophies rather than informative pictures of what passed beneath his aircraft. The procession of 113 photos with minimal text and weak captions is overwhelming, and the excellent photos are subsumed by the weaker ones and those in which digital manipulation has created bizarre coloration or pixelation."

I agree completely with the "Library Journal". Seen just as images, the book is a visual feast, but the pictures feed the senses and leave the intellect asking for more. There's nothing wrong with pretty pictures in a coffee table book, but I want something to think about. Let Marie Arana have the last word given my hot and cold reactions to this book:

From the Preface: "We leap to tell visitors that our countries hold a smorgasbord of landforms--coastline, desert, jungle, mountain, marshland, archipelago--all in defined geographic spaces, and often in dramatic contiguity. The white promontories of the Andes are not far from the impenetrable canopy of the Amazon, where every November the jungle floor is deluged by floodwaters, and jaguars are forced to swim with the pink dolphins. Not until I was flying 5,000 feet above the earth did I see how close and interdependent those landforms truly are. A few minutes in the air can take you from the vernal cliffs of Lima's seaside suburbs to the windblown desert of Chan Chan, the once grand citadel of the Chimu; or from the unforgiving rock over which the conquistadores labored to the green vales of Cajamarca. All of it, interconnected. One."

Robert C. Ross 2008

I highly recommend this book. It has opened a door for me. I need to read more about native people and their relationships to Africans. The story of the Shoeboot family is very interesting.

I use to be annoyed with obviously African looking folks proclaiming to have "some Indian in me", though these same people never claim such pride in being of AFrican descent. They still annoy me. I do think it has it basic in self hatred. However, this is my humble opinion.

First, let me say how much I enjoyed this book. It is a work of tremendous research informed by a mature mind which deeply understands the roles of history and story in creating self-identity.

I was alerted to its existence by Ilene Shepard Smiddy, author of DAUGHTER OF SHILOH, also a splendid narrative/adventure retelling a part of the Shoeboots story, but centering on Clarinda Allington and her children.

Dr. Miles provides us with a helpful family tree in the front of the book, and inside there are maps that help orient the story. The historical asides and reflections using Toni Morrison's BELOVED are treasures. Inside too are several illustrations and pictures, including one of a Shoeboots descendant. The text is divided into logical chapters. The notes are easy to follow and delicious to read, and they are followed by a full bibliography and a comprehensive index.

I would like to see the notes expanded to include the family of Napoleon Bonaparte, perhaps a grandson of Shoeboots, or of one of the Shoeboots, and who entered the mainstream population in Kentucky as a free black.

As Dr. Miles points out, there was more than one individual who was referred to as the Boot or Shoeboots (and other nicknames, in both English and Cherokee), and I suspect that this was a concept name involving the crow or the rooster--the hero of a Cherokee parable. It is fascinating to read about here, and her arguments are engaging. Highly recommended reading!

This book provides excellent insight into a little known part of American history. Few people realize that some American Indian tribes (particularly the "Five Civilized Tribes") practiced slavery and this text delves into the complex relationships resulting from it. The impact of the practice has repercussions still felt today. Most importantly, it reveals the rarely addressed interaction between African-Americans and Native Americans dating back to the earliest history of the United States.

I recently finished reading Tiya Miles' book. Several things impressed me regarding this work; the first one is the topic. I was surprised to learn that at one time Native Americans owned slaves! I am a college educated retired teacher and I believe this is something I should have learned somewhere in my education. I was also impressed with the research that was used as a basis for Ms. Miles' writing. A reader of her work has more than ample supply of resources to use for further reading. I also believe this book should be required reading for any American history curriculum at the college level.

I have 14-month-old twins and two school-aged children and my husband was out of town when I bought this novel. Yet I read it in three days. I couldn't put it down. Though abuse at the hands of The Daddy runs thick through the novel, the story is also a coming-of-age of 13-year-old Karina, the daughter and stepdaughter of Hatian immigrants who struggles with physical pain at home and the emotional pain of middle school. It is a mystery, a thriller and a romance all in one. It is also a celebration of the joys of sisterhood. Touching Snow is M. Sindy Feline's first novel. I can't wait to read her next.

"The Daddy" is known for his violent temper in New York, just like he was before the family moved from Haiti. Karina is glad that he has to work so many hours as a taxi cab driver. Otherwise the beatings would happen more often. And the beatings were horrendous.

"The Daddy" went ballistic over things such as the children not eating all of their dinner. Karina and her siblings often hid under the table or locked themselves in the bathroom when "The Daddy" began the beatings. Karina felt like a coward, but knew that "The Daddy" would beat his kid of choice just as hard if she didn't hide. Plus, then she'd get a beating, too.

When Karina sees her sister, Enid, hurt so badly that she may be dead, Karina vomits so forcefully that she thinks she herself might die. But then she hears her younger twin cousins calling for her. Karina couldn't die and leave everyone else to deal with "The Daddy" alone.

When "The Daddy" finally gets found out and put in jail, Karina thinks that maybe they will be safe at home. That is until she has to be interviewed individually by the authorities. Does she tell the truth about the atrocities "The Daddy" has created in their home? Would she be safe if she told the truth?

You'll need to read TOUCHING SNOW to see what Karina decides.

As if Karina's life isn't complicated enough, just as in real life, many things happen in our lives at the same time. In addition to dealing with this heartbreaking home life, Karina is the victim of bullying at school, struggles with her grades and learning the English language, and her evolving development as a young woman. How many things can one person juggle at a time?

Read this book to see how yet another resilient adolescent deals with adversity and finds her voice.

Reviewed by: Dianna Geers

Karina is that part of us which feels stuck and resigned with the yet undiscovered sense of personal power. Touching Snow draws us intimately and passionately into Karina's journey of self-discovery, and through her story allows us to experience our own sense of power in situations which seem insurmountable.

the daddy hammers them. he beats them. he insists they do things his way. quiet, clean, eat everything on their plates or they will be punished. the act of revenge that throws him in jail is supposed to keep them safe. but it doesn't. he comes back.
i cried my way through this and reveled in my tears of triumph on the last pages. what a great book!

This guide uses a simple key to identify most common (and a few uncommon)trees in the Eastern US and Canada. At the end of the search are some of the most interesting facts and details I've found. At this price, this book should be in everybody's hip pocket every time you enter the woods!

The information is sound and proven. It is a very easy to reference guide and is easily organized. It's also a relatively pocket-sized book which makes it excellent for carrying in the field (where it can be best put to use anyway).

The only downsides are that the book's content is about 60 years old so all of the pictures are in black and white. That and the pages are done in regular paper instead of something glossy. Consequently, if you take it in the field with you a lot, the pages will get dirty fast. If they'd simply do a full-color revision on some glossy paper stock it'd get the full five stars.

I used it in my Biology class and i decided to get a copy for myself, it is a great easy to use tree identifier. It is much nicer than the Audobon series.

I have used this book for over 25 years and still come back to it every time, that someone has a question about trees. It gives clear concise descriptions of not only the leaves, but bark and twigs. It has many trees in it that other books omit, and I find that is many times a fairly common tree that is overlooked.

My daughter used the book for High School Biology, now my 14 yo son is using it and younger son is using it in his life science course.

As the author of a travel guide to Costa Rica (Explore Costa Rica, Fifth Edition), which covers flora and fauna (in detai)l, I can attest that this is a great book to take with you and makes a superb companion to Explore Costa Rica (which will be a great help with the rest of your trip). Explore Costa Rica, 5th Edition (Explore Costa Rica)

Okay, I've only just received this book and have not had time to test it "in the field". However, I know people who have, and they say it's a great book, and that is my impression from just looking it over, as well.

It has tons of color photos and the pages aren't super thin, either. It looks like it will hold up well over time, and it is exactly what I was looking for!

I'm sure as I use it I will probably find things that could be better (maybe not?), but all I can say is it's a really big book with tons of info and lots of photos and it looks like it is just what I was looking for.

Willow Zuchowski and Turid Forsyth have created a beautiful overview of Costa Rican vegetation. The photography is wonderful, giving enough detail of individual plants that readers get an accurate sense of what they are looking at. The text has an interesting diversity of information, ranging from plant taxonomy to medicinal uses to pollination strategies. I used the book with a Tropical Botany class, and the students not only loved the book, but found it to be an excellent size which is easy to carry in the field or store in a backpack. The habitat descriptions are well-written and provide the reader with a good idea of what to expect in different parts of Costa Rica.

I picked up a copy of this guide (published in San Jose by Zona Tropical) at La Selva last year and consider it a worthy addition to the small library I carry in Costa Rica. I would recommend it as the most useful single volume work on Costa Rican plants.

The guide is aimed at the amateur rather than the professional botanist: photographs are the prime means of identification, plants are presented out of family order (more below) and there are no keys. Nevertheless, it is quite possible to identify a good many of the country's commoner plants using this guide.

The order of the plants is:-

1. colourful-flowering trees
2. non-colourful-flowering trees
3. roadside and garden exotics
4. crop plants
5. living fences (so characteristic of Costa Rica)
6. special habitats, e.g. dry forests, cloud forests, beaches & mangroves
7. quintessentially tropical groups, e.g. bromeliads, palms & orchids
8. grasses

There is emphasis on those plants that are likely to be most conspicuous to the visitor. This often means a bias towards exotic species rather than natives. However, this does mean that the book is useful outside Costa Rica and I will be referring to it throughout the American tropics.

Once a plant is identified a comments section provides a host of useful information.

Well worth the price! I will definitely be taking it back with me on my next trip.

Chris Sharpe, 3 August 2007. ISBN: 0801473748

Edith Hope Fine's Under the Lemon Moon is a book with a big heart. Readers of all ages will enjoy this modern day folk tale. There is much to be learned, and even more to be felt from the pages of this book. The beautifully rendered illustrations are a lovely compliment to the book's poetic text. Under the Lemon Moon is a touching, beautiful and memorable read. This book would be a great addition to your library- and a great gift for kids of all ages.

AFter hearing "Under the Lemon Moon" read aloud to a group of 15 kindergarten students, I knew my original assessment was correct - kids will love this story! The illustrations so enhance the author's tale that it is hard to imagine one without the other. The glossary is vital, and helped the children recognize the Spanish words in context. The librarian/reader fielded such comments as: "That girl is really nice",and "the old man shouldn't have stolen the lemons, but he wasn't bad". Then they discussed how many of the class liked to eat lemons without sugar. Several asked if they could check the book out - always the clincher!

This engaging book is a wonderful tool to help young children gain brief insight into Mexican culture. With basic Spanish included in a glossary, reading Under the Lemon Moon to your children may be the perfect way to stimulate interest in and discussion of foreign language. Perhaps more significant than exposure to other cultures, this entertaining tale teaches initiative, principles, and respect. The harmonious blend of captivating artwork and thoughtful plot make this story a must for all children over the age of three.

I have been reading "Under The Lemon Moon" to four-year-old twins before bed every night this week. When we read, they become entranced by the story. They also enjoy searching for the characters in the beautiful illustrations. There are many lessons to be learned from this story, including forgiveness. I highly recommend this book!

As someone who once lived about half a block from one of these waterfalls and visited about a dozen of the others, I must say that the descriptions are accurate, detailed, and helpful. I believe, however, that the Wallingas' estimations (on a one-star to five-star scale) of each waterfall's beauty are slightly inflated. I never saw a five-star waterfall on Minnesota's North Shore. That designation should be reserved for Gullfoss, Niagara, or the like. The falls that the Wallingas rank three or four, I would rank two or three -- and some things that they call waterfalls are just one-star rapids. But this is not a criticism, just an expression of difference of opinion.

My only real criticism is that the photos should be in color, not black-and-white, with many more full-page bleeds.

I recently spent 3-4 days on the North Shore hiking to some of the waterfalls that Eve and Gary had listed as their favorites in this book.

Their descriptions of each waterfall seemed right on. Directions were easy to follow, their rating of the hike difficulty seemed accurate, and they certainly had a good sense of what made a 5 star vs. a 2 star waterfall.

I am a photographer, and so the only thing I would have liked to see added was a little more commentary on how 'accessable' a particular falls was - i.e. if I could only see it from a pre-built deck, or if with waders I could get in the river and approach it from other angles.

However, without this book I certainly would not have had the time to find many of the falls that I did. It is a wonderful resource - I'd call it essential for anyone planning a sightseeing / hiking trip along the North Shore and will recommend it to my friends and fellow photographers.

There are numerous books about Minnesota's North Shore, but this new book manages to offer something not previously available. It concentrates exclusively on the waterfalls along the Minnesota North Shore, and I don't think there has been such a book before with this kind of information all in one place. Most importantly it includes literally every falls there is including many you won't read about elsewhere. Good directions and trail comments are included - I know we would have had found more difficulty finding some falls without it. The Wallingas are also good writers: the book is very well written and entertaining and avoids the usual dry commentary of many guide books. Of course, my list of favorite falls might be slightly different, and there are a few places where the authors said it was too difficult to go where we found that to be not the case. (e.g., it was not hard at all to get to the edge of the Devil's Kettle!) And we managed to access all but one of the Split Rock falls. All in all highly recommended. Even if you have a lot of North Shore guides, if you love waterfalls this book is a must.

The only thing the book is missing are color pictures, but I guess that would have greatly increased the cost of the book.

Essentially this book gives a chapter for each of the 22 cards of the major arcana of the tarot, similarities are then made with the 22 Lamatl's of `The Book of Days' or the `Tonalamatl' of the Aztecs; correspondence is further made with the deities of Mesoamerica and also with classical European Mythology.

"The tonalamatl is a divinatory almanac used in central Mexico in the decades, and perhaps centuries, leading up to the Spanish conquest. It is Nahuatl in origin, meaning "pages of days". The tonalamatl was structured around the sacred 260-day year, the tonalpohualli. This 260-day year consisted of 20 trecena of 13 days each. Each page of a tonalamatl represented one trecena, and was adorned with a painting of that trecena's reigning deity and decorated with the 13 day-signs and 13 other glyphs. These day-signs and glyphs were used to cast horoscopes and discern the future. The best surviving examples of tonalamatl are the Codex Borbonicus and the Codex Borgia." (From Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia). It should be noted that there are apparently 2 additional trecena's reported by the author of this book; this then makes 22 trecena's, corresponding with the major arcana of the tarot.

I was glad for reading this book to further increase my knowledge of the tarot. My knowledge regarding Mesoamerican deities was fairly limited, so this information I also found very useful. On many occasions while reading this book, I wanted to put this book down and come up to speed via reading more about the Mesoamerican deities and the classical European Mythology (i.e. the Iliad and Odyssey etc); I would recommend doing this prior to reading this book, assuming you have the time. The connections that the author was trying to convey did not always match up for me; perhaps this was due to the gaps in knowledge on my part. Still I did learn a bunch of stuff even though I found this book a little hard going due to its dry nature. What made this book more difficult was trying to pronounce the Mesoamerican deity names and then trying to remember what these deities did in addition. I can't see why anyone would want to read a book like this but for a deep desire to know about spiritual matters. You've got to also wonder why this book is selling as low as it is on Amazon. Still I'm thankful to the author for all her hard work and for compiling all of this information; I have gained from reading this book.

I can't say that I'd use this book to say that all religions are essentially the same. I don't think that this was the intention of this book. I saw more that there is a deep esoteric undercurrent to be discovered.

The thread that binds cultures is stronger and more firm than most people think. Complicating beliefs in order to make them seem original has nothing to do with their essence. Underneath it all they spring from a common source, with an extraordinary parallelism. God is God, no matter by what name. All of that and more is embraced by this amazing book, beautifully written, thought-provoking, a reference source for a lifetime of consultation. Highly recommended.

This book is a fantastic read - it's passionate, poignant and well written. The research done to write it is obviously extensive and thorough - Carol Miller certainly did her homework! even though the subject is highly intellectual, it's an easy read - great for a flight or a trip to the beach.

This book is apparently complicated but in fact is quite simple: underneath the dogma and ceremony, all religions are the same. They have in common a need for answers but also a need for questions that lend themselves to lessons in morality, cautionary tales, structures of ethics that permit the fine fabric of law and society. And furthermore, the societies we think of as primitive are anything but that. Each culture devises a standard of values and behavior, that is essentially like every other culture. A valuable book, a fascinating and provocative one, as applicable as a textbook as a bedside reference source.

I was pretty familiar with the history of this subject, but was more interested in the archeological finds. For instance, in the world of shooting today the 50-70 is all but forgotten yet there were more 50-70 cases and cartridges found than any other caliber. The thing about some of the long shots the hunters made during the siege is that the authors point out that the hunters had no doubt tested their prowess at different targets at different distances, so had probably already "marked" many of the shots and distances. Good reference for anyone studying the battle, I am going to the site this summer, and read this as a preface...Ivery

Best book on the Adobe Walls battle available. Covers every aspect from the structures, to the archaeology, people (both anglos and native american), the battle, the occupations, etc. Great info on the archaeology, including ammunition, guns, dinnerware (plates etc), blacksmithing,etc. I learned much about the battle, the times, the people, the construction of the trading post, who, why, when, how.
Highest recommendation!

This is one of the best books on Adobe Walls, ( the other being the life of Billy Dixon). It takes you all the way through, from start to finish. The last half of the book is about the archeology that was done in the 70's. It gives a real insite into the hide hunters and store keepers lives during the six month's at the Walls.