Central America Books

I bought this book out of my interest in Indian literature, but found that it resonated as deeply with my non-Indian womaness. Simple and clear, the writings take you all over the place and bring you back to yourself. Thanks to my Indian sisters.

I teach Native American literature. Since the publication of this book I have been unable to exclude it from my syllabus. Students almost unanimously have endorsed this choice, even when they had to shell out the money for the hardcover. Now that it is in paperback, no one should exclude it.

I only regret that an anthology of similar quality of organization, focus, and selection does not exist for male and female Native writers.

Having been touched by a previous story by Mr. Figueredo, I recently added this one to my collection.

This story underlines the challenges that a lot of cuban children experienced during and after the cuban revolution. Politics aside, it emphasizes world experiences through a child's eyes.

For children, all that is experienced is an adventure. It wasn't until I became an adult that I realized the elements of danger that I went through growing up in a country going through political turmoil.

Great story, beautifully illustrated by Pablo Torrecilla. The illustrations reminded me so much of the memories I have of my land of birth. Don't miss sharing this information with your children.

Reading Mr. Figueredo's book was a delight! All through the book I felt as if I was there with him experiencing everything he went through as he and his family traveled to Santiago. I even had to feel my chin after he received his bunelo from his abuela. I was sure it was going to be sticky from the dripping honey! I don't have any children but this was a delightful book to read and I highly recommend it. I bought this book for my mom and she said she felt the same way..."I felt I was there." I am a proud owner of 3 of Mr. Figueredo's books and a giver of them to my family as gifts.

Bought this book for research, a lot to read, all photos are black and white.

The interviews are what stand out more than anything. The conversation between Smithson and Kaprow is really worth checking out. Anyone who will be having a show of their own should at the very least flip through this book. Also sheds some light into Smithson's early work (some text based things and a few paintings and so forth). Who would have thought that it would be a fun read too?
This is the kind of collection you can return to again and again.

Detailed and thorough, full of entertaining anecdotes andtranscriptions of correspondence; covers major political figures aswell as tribespeople.

This book was wonderful. I love hearing about the history of my tribe (Siletz). Also, the author included information about my great-great-great grandfather Charlie Depoe. I learned about my own family from this book. I cried to see a picture of my ancestor for the first time ever. I thank you E.A. Schwartz for putting together such a comprehensive piece of what is essentially a very important, yet small piece of history for many American Indians. I waited patiently for years for this story to be told. Now I can pass this piece of history on to my children and all of their children. Thank you.

We found this guide very helpful in planning our trip, especially in finding a few off the beaten path spots.

I got this book on a reccomendation from the Toucan Trail, A budget traveler's online guide to Belize. I have to say that this is the most comprehensive guide for vacationers that I have ever seen. I had to wait a while for the most receent edition, but it was worth it. Topics that hadn't even occured to me to research are included here (thank gawd!). The book even covers traveling into Guatemala to vist the ruins at Tikal. If you only buy one guide for your trip to Belize, this should be the one.

I bought this book when I first began planning my trip to Latin America. I hadn't ever been to the region and wanted to know as much about it as possible. When I bought the book, my prior travels included the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and I knew that Latin America would be a bit different! It's a great book for travelers planning a first trip to Central or South America, and also a great guide for first-time travelers in general. I think people of any age would find this book helpful, too--it's information that any traveler will find useful.

There is a chapter on each country in the region with highlights to consider visiting, plus practical information on what to take, how to get around, routes to consider, visas, health, safety, and lots more. It's not a book you will probably take with you when you leave, but one you'll want to read in the beginning or mid-stages of planning your adventure. It'll answer a lot of your questions and concerns and help you have a better idea of what to expect.

I'm definitely glad I bought and read this book as it prepared me well for my three month adventure in Central America and addressed many of my concerns and questions. Recommended for everyone considering or planning a trip to Latin America.

A great book to start with. We bought First-Time Asia before we took off to Asia for 6 months and it was extremely useful to help with all the planning and decide where we wanted to go. This time we know we want to go to Latin America but have no idea how south we will go or what so this book is great for the rampant changing of minds that occurs while we plan trips bc the information is so broad and covers everything. But it's just the basics. You will need a guide for each country you go to to take with you (we usually buy them used and trade them in when we arrive). Leave this one at home.

Beautiful poetry, with rich Haitian style artwork. Young readers will love to be read this book, and we can all learn about what a privelege it is to attend school and how hard it is for some children. The story captures the rhythm and excitement of the children running to school early in the morning in Haiti.
Beautiful, readable, enriching.

The illustrations are absolutely stunning; the text is delightful and touching. Haitian children travel long distances in the wee hours of the morning without shoes to simply get to school. What a wake-up call for those of us in the U.S. struggling to get our children dressed and off to school. I bought it for my three-year-old daughter who is half Haitian, but it is a beautiful tale for any child (or adult).

As a Lewis and Clark historical interpreter, I have found scholary articles dealing with Jean Baptiste or Sacagawea or Toussaint but the authors rarely cover all three. A few recent books have attempted to cover all the Charbonneau family members but failed to be as well researched and thorough as Ms. Colby's. Her insightful and well documented passages allow the reader to understand the motivation that led the Charbonneaus to action and made them crucial to Lewis and Clark and westward expansion. This is the definitive book for understanding the 100-year saga of Toussaint Charbonneau, his young wife, Sacagawea and their son, Jean-Baptiste, who became the prototype American adventurer and pioneer. As I historically present Toussaint Charbonneau, this book will be held in one hand as the ultimate historical reference.

Sacagawea's Child: The Life And Times Of Jean-Baptiste (Pomp) Charbonneau is a carefully researched biography of the son of the legendary Native American guide and heroine of the Lewis and Clark expedition, Sacagawea, and her French-Canadian husband. Paying attention to both what can be reconstructed from historical record and what scholars remain in dispute over to this day, Sacagawea's Child offers as full a picture as possible of events from before Jean-Baptiste's birth to the circumstances of his demise. Though Jean-Baptiste was flesh-and-blood with flaws like all human beings, he was also a "citizen Indian" who sought to remain mindful of his heritage while living peacefully among people of various cultures, and his story is ultimately one of exploration, wonder, and tolerance. A highly recommended addition to school, public, and reference library shelves, as well as personal biography and American history shelves.

"Scarlett Slept Here" is a lively, interesting read. Not only did I pick up considerable background on the southern cities Dickinson mentions, but gobs of juicy info on the writers who lived or wrote there. Part of the allure of this book, to be sure, is Dickinson's delight in sharing her enthusiasm for travel and literature. If you're looking for an excuse to do some U.S. travel, you'll find it here. Heck, she's even got me excited about visiting Graceland!

Joy Dickinson's "Scarlett Slept Here" is funny, informative and finally answers the age-old question: What IS it with Southern writers and mules? It's a good book for someone who plans to hit the road in search of the literary South, or for those who'd rather settle into an easy chair to experience it vicariously through the author. The lists of "Literary Lures" with each section, and the suggested reading and Internet sources are particularly helpful. Indexed by author and literary character.

Many books describe British contributions to breaking codes and ciphers during World War II, but until now, the American involvement got scant attention because most of it remained secret. The authors' book exposes the US involvement in codebreaking a bit more and gives us an excellent description of the people and technology involved. I recommend this book highly to anyone interested in the development of codebreaking during WW II, the development of American electronic technology, and the interactions between US and British codebreakers. This book is a "keeper" in my library.

During one of the darkest periods of the war, the German U-boat fleets were decimating the supply efforts of American naval convoys. These killer wolf packs of submarines were coordinated via radio communications encrypted using the newest four rotor version of the Enigma system. While the British had had some success cracking the old three rotor system, the addition of the fourth rotor by the Kriegsmarine made the job almost impossible with existing techniques.
This book tells the details, some for the first time, of the development by the National Cash Register corporation of computing machines to attack this code. This book is riveting in its narative and also covers the background leading up to Joe Desch's work at NCR. It is an excellent read and the combination of a historian and a journalist as authors gives you the best of both worlds. DeBrosse weaves an engaging personal story while Burke firmly establishes the historical accuracy of the material.
All in all, an exceptional book about an, until recently, secret project.