South America Books

World limnologists predict that the global water supply will, by 2060, cause greater concern to human existence than a shortage of fossil fuels. The Anandrous Journey is a highly readable adventure about a female protagonist and a zoology professor who managed to triumph over everything from the sexism of the early 1900's to physical dangers encountered on scientific expeditions. Her study of microscopic plankton continues to be a vital ecological factor in determining the projected life of Earth's bodies of water. How Hattie Bell Merrill, a petite five foot tall women, stood up to her male counterparts is described with amusing and revealing imagery of the moral, social and professional mores of her era.

Hattie Bell Merrill stood barely 5 ft. tall from her men's boots to the top of her pompadour. The author describes her delicate 100 pound frame as, "usually encumbered with camera and specimen gathering equipment as she trekked through hazardous, unknown terrain." She traveled by steamship, river boats, cog rail and horseback to areas where few white women ventured. She mingled equally with peasants, wealthy industrialists, natives of the rain forest and men of letters and science. When Merrill ventured out from her sepia-toned academic community in the North to the vivid spectrum of the tropical Amazon and South America she stated,"It was as liberating as loosing the constraints of my corset stays and changing into a shift." This is a biography that will make the reader want to cheer for the heroine who coped with obstacles more of man than of beasts.

M. L. Hartridge writes with accuracy and compassion this turn of the century saga as one who actually lived during the life of her heroine. The vivid descriptions of cultural contrasts in The Anandrous Journey are exiting visions in print!

Professor Herbert Braun has authored a monumental book. The author leaves few stones unturned...as a result the research is absolutely profound. "Jorge Eliécer Gaitán" is a legendary Colombian populist who unfortunately is assasinated before he can fulfill his political ambitions. To this end, Braun carefully documents the fact that had he not been killed, Gaitán would have certainly won the 1950 presidential elections in Colombia.

Braun tells the complete story of Gaitán...the politician who boasted that he was not a man...he was a village. The author painstakingly demonstrates the enormous importance Gaitán played among the poor. Moreover, Braun also does an excellent job of showing how Gaitán filled a gigantic void in Colombian politics. Unfortunately, the assasination of Gaitán triggered the conflict that haunts Colombia to this day. In my professional opinion, this is an spectacular book and must be read by everyone with a special competence in Colombian - American affairs.

Bert Ruiz

This book concisely details the impact of Jorge Eliecer Gaitan on 20th Century Colombian politics. This work begins with an account of Gaitan's days as a student and his early professional life as a lawyer. Gaitan came from a middle-middle class background and rose through the ranks of the Liberal party to eventually become its Presidential candidate in the late 1940s. Gaitan's political outlook was left-of-center and he was a champion of the lower and middle classes. Because Gaitan was the people's candidate, he was not especially liked by the Colombian oligarchy. Gaitan was assasinated in 1948 and to this day it is not officially known who the intellectual authors of that crime were. However, the people felt their candidate had been murdered by the oligarchy and this led to a brutal 10-year civil war that claimed over 200,000 lives. This is a must-read book to understand the root causes of Colombian political violence.

This book provides the reader with a precise insight on the evolution of Colombia's restrictive political system. In other words, the author shows the way in which this country's ruling elite have been successful in excluding the masses from major political decisions. This situation has been an influential cause for the fall of such popular figures as Jorge Eliecer Gaitan.

I found this book by chance on my last trip to NY.

I am an argentinian living in Buenos Aires, and I love my city. I think the book shows it in a wonderful way, through the text and pictures, which I found really beautiful.

It's good value for money too.

This pictorial review of Buenos Aires is a stunning display of photos of the city, its homes and its people. Coupled with a descriptive narrative, the photographs, all in color, trace the history of the city and describe modern day Buenos Aires. It is awesome to see the turn of the century architecture of the various buildings and at the same time to be allowed into the private homes of the city's residents. As an American visitor to Bs.As., I found that this book allowed me to see areas that otherwise would be unavailable to view. In later chapters of the book, the writer and photographer take the reader to the city's suburbs and then on to the world famous Argentine estancias (ranches).I would recommend this book to those who have traveled to the city who now wish to be reminded of its beauty as well as to the Argentines who may now live outside the country yet long for a reminder of what awaits their return. For those who have yet to visit Bs. As., this book is a fine substitute.

As an argentinian expatriate, this book is a wonderful reminder of my beloved Buenos Aires. But if you were not born in Argentina, you will not find only a turistic guide, a political essay or a historical vision of the city, but all that and more.

The description of the society is really accurate, and it is made with the objective point of view of a foreigner. And the research about the History of the city is precise as well. As an architect, I find the photographs excellent, and they show the reality and the contrasts of this wonderful city.

So, if you are planning a trip to Buenos Aires or just want to know more about the city, this book will give you an excellent vision of what you will find there.

If you wish a clear, objective overview of shamanic worldview, this book is outstanding. The introduction alone (which is all I have read so far) is worth a great deal. Without being dressed up in obscurities, there is much to learn here.

Along with Schultes' and Raffauf's Vine of the Soul, this is one of the best books on ayahuasca ever written. Luis Eduardo Luna is one of the world's leading authorities on this intriguing subject and Pablo Amaringo is equally knowledgeable. A treasure trove of info and art for anyone interested in art, the Amazon, and shamanism-

I have tried time and again to pick up this book and read the text in sequence, but the full-page color plates of Pablo Amaringo's paintings always pull me away from the text and into the world of shamans, angels, devils, serpents, jungle cats, mermaids, and aliens. I've read a lot of the text, but usually I have done so in search of an explanation for the images in specific paintings.

My first ayahuasca experiences were under the guidance of Luis Eduardo Luna. His knowledge of plant lore, chemistry, shamanism, and human nature is awe-inspiring, and I do want to read his words, but the pull of Pablo Amaringo's images has been too strong for me to resist thus far. I'm glad to have this book on my shelf because whenever someone asks me about ayahuasca, I know that I can place this book in their hands and the images will capture their imagination and make them hungry to learn more.

The discovery of the New World has always been a topic that both fascinated and horrified me. As an American, I recognized that it as the foundation for much of who I am. But as a sensative, caring person, I could not help feeling ashamed of the greed, racism, and cruelty exhibited first by the Spanish conquistadors towards the Aztecs, then by Europeans in general towards all the first nations that were here before us.

By providing a history written by the conquered as well as the conquerors, "Aztec, Death of a Nation" has helped me understand some of the complexity behind the history I learned in school. There are no "good guys" or "bad guys" in this story. Rather, this is really a history of individual human beings.

Some of the people I read about struck me as cruel and barabaric, but because the accounts also provided insight into the social, relgious, and politcial climates and into the personal struggles endured by these people, I came to realize that I couldn't lay blame on any of them. Some of the people I read about struck me as good and kind - more of what I think as as truly civilized - but because I could see that the goodness and kindness came out of individual strength and conviction, I also couldn't judge any of groups of people as being better or worse than any other.

"Aztec, Death of a Nation" is the first book I have found that has been able to help me come to terms with my heritage as a member of the conquering race. Rarely are we given an opportunity like this to see through the eyes of past civilization.

Kenneth Pearce's collection of eyewitness acounts of the rise and fall of the Aztec Empire is a book most fantasy fiction readers won't want to miss. This book weaves many short personal stories together to provide an epic tale of power, glory, and the ultimate clash between two races.

It paints a picture of a culture, religion, and history so different from our own that it feels more alien than many stories set on other planets or in other realities, and it is true.

Those of us who love roller coasters do so partly because they are more than just a thrill; They are real, with a hint of real danger. Reading this book provides that same added edge for the fantasy reader. As this book took me on journeys into the underworld, showed me prophecies from the past, ritual cannibalism and invasion from abroad, a spine tingling whisper in the back of mind kept reminding me that it was all true

I had the pleasure of reading an early draft of this book. The detailed and scholarly endnotes were the only reminder that I was not reading a work of pure fiction, but rather the actual words of soldiers, priests, chiefs, even pesants who were present at the downfall of the Aztec empire. "Aztec, Death of a Nation" is a fractured ancient vase carefully restored by a knowledgable archaeologist.

I've read this book 3 times and I'm going to re-read it again. It's just perfect.

This is one of Gerald Durrell's best and funniest books. WHY is it out of print?!!

This book is a delightful true account of a naturalist's trip to South America in 1954. He is collecting animals for British zoos and in many cases he seems to be making some of the first discoveries of the intimate lives of his charges (what they eat, how best to house them, their temperaments, etc.). In the course their 6 month adventure, Gerald and his wife, Jacquie, must deal with numerous non-animal problems, such a revolution in Argentina, a crazed carpenter cage builder, and the eccentric habits of their temporary housekeeper, who also happens to be the local madam. Durrell's descriptions of the animals and the countryside are alternately beautiful and hilarious. This is a book to read aloud. It really is wonderful. :-)

AFter a trip to Miami, I had to purchase this book so I could make some of the food. Very yummy recipes & easy to follow instructions. I recommend highly.

This is the quintessential cookbook in that every time I make something from it EVERYBODY and his mother wants the recipe (which I don't dare give out -- if they want it, they can buy the book)!

Rafael is a secret waiting to be exposed -- hopefully on cable television with his own cooking show one day. Check out his other books from Chronicle -- they're not as well written (but don't blame the chef), but they make great companions to this spectacular volume.

Deliciously inventive stuff

It is refreshing to read a history written by someone who is not a professional historian that is so well researched. Here is a book on a little visited corner of the world that touches on a relatively obscure chapter in history, but manages to entertain and capture its reader's interest by relating it all to the larger issues of the world stage over an extended period. While this is a book about the controversial Catholic order of Jesuits, it is not just for Catholic readers. In fact, the author bends over backward to present a balanced and nuanced narrative that should appeal to those who are more interested in historical machinations than grubby religious conflict.

I found this exciting history of early South America exceptionally well written and easy to follow. William Jaenike has done an outstanding job of bringing this period of time in the early history of the Jesuits and of the influences of various European countries into easy to understand
writing. Those were bloody times and cruel times and are vividly brought to mind by this excellent author. I highly reccomend this book to all.

I loved this book. It combined a very personal view of the people involved with a well researched history of the period. I thought it was both entertaining and educational.

This is a great book showing the scout perspective. The other half is the Handbook For Scout Masters 1914 recently reprinted. The two show both sides of the picture and are both funny from their angle.

Lot of info is out of date here, such as their dietary and first aid, but that is what makes it fun.

Superb book. In the world we live in there is constant change, this book demonstrates that somethings are timeless.

I was a Cub Scout, Weblo, and Boy Scout for years. Some of my fondest memories are of times spent with my fellow scouts around the campfire, telling stories, jokes, and just being BOYS. This edition reminds me of the pre-PC and pre-secular Boy Scouts, when scouting was almost a calling for teenage boys, and certainly contributed to their moral and ethical upbringings. In this day of anti-God, anti-anything-as-long-as-it's-secular-humanism, it's refreshing to read a handbook with advice on serving one's God, and that it should be a regular part of one's life. Kudos to the publisher for re-introducing a classic.

This book of captivating images and relevant descriptions was like going back in history. I have fond memories of Boynton Beach from the early 1980's and now I have new appreciation for the community and its history. I especially enjoyed the chapter on farming and the images from the early 1900's.

This beautiful book's pictures - from funny to quirky to insightful - really work well to humanize history and give legends like "The Barefoot Mailman" to the orgins of the yearly holiday parade faces, names and dates.

Some of the pictures even have handwritten notations on them, again serving to connect the reader to the history. The captions that accompany each picture helps to solidify the significance of the photograph, and is kept brief enough to keep the reader skimming page after page.

No one knows what tomorrow may bring, but one thing is for sure, we owe a debt of gratitude to Rev. Gill and Janet DeVries for a well written history. The photos and their descriptions are treasures which will be cherished by our citizens of the community for years to come.

L.Lanson, Retirement Community Social Director