Puerto Rico Books

I like Ricky Martin he is the best man in the whole wide world and I am going to go out with him one day

I think that this book was a great example of a true biography of a person. Ricky Martin is a great preformer who has only been on this earth for such a short time and has already achived so much sucess with much more to come. This book portrays his life in a great light and allows the reader to feel as if they know Ricky after reading this book. It is not a teen bopper book about Ricky but rather a window into his exciting and sometimes heart breaking life's story.

I like Ricky Martin he is the best man in the whole wide world and I am going to go out with him one day

but people writing reviews should learn to spel

This book is great(of course not as much as Ricky!). It told me all I wanted to know about him. I know is great, but by reading this book made him my favorite celebrety ever!!!!!!!!!! It's all about his life and youth in different careers. I only gave three stars because there weren't many pictures. They were all black and white. And there was mostly long hair, but if I needed to I'd buy this book again!!!!!!!!!!

I bought this book at a fair. There was a "Spanish Only" book stand and I started a conversation with the lady about how homesick I was and she said this is what I needed to read. I'm a younger generation, but I loved it because my Grandmother was not from the city so I read a lof of things that reminded me of her. But there were even some expressions and cultural aspects that have obviously remained the same. The book was extremely interesting and I cried and laughed (and I tend to read in public so I got a couple of weird looks). It really hits home and gives a very accurate view of life in "el campo" in Puerto Rico during the times of depression, but does it in a way that still allows you to notice the beauty of our culture, our people. I am reading the sequel right now and already ordered the last of the three. She's an amazing narrator. Enjoy!

[...]

este libro esta escrito en una sinplesa que cualquiera lo puede leer lo que esta muy bien, me gusto mucho este libro lo compre en espanol y lo lei en una semana, me parecio un libro muy entretenido y lo recomiendo

En este excelente libro Esmeralda Santiago nos introduce a sus recuerdos de la infancia en Puerto Rico como se desarrolla hasta su adultes. Utilizando su especial manera de escribir Santiago relata la dura vida que sufrieron miles de puertoriquenos a mediados de siglo, y los eventuales cambios y transformaciones sociales que le precedieron a este periodo. Cualquiera que lea este libro podra imaginarse a Negui y su familia en sus que haceres y ocurrencias. Puerto Rican or not you can read this book. It's excellent. A must read.

This is the Spanish text edition of "When I was Puerto Rican", a rich and evocative memoir of the author's chaotic childhood. Growing up in rural Puerto Rico, while often living in primitive conditions, the author's lush and lyrical prose paints a vivid picture her early life. The flavor and rythms of her island home come alive under her expert hand, creating an unforgettable picture of her early childhood.

The author grew up in a poor family. During her childhood, she lived in Puerto Rico with her unmarried parents, who were always at war with each other, as her father was a somewhat irresponsible philanderer. It was her mother who centered the family and who always sought a better life for all of her children. When an irrevocable break occurred between her parents, her mother moved to New York during the nineteen sixties, eventually settling with her seven children in the mean streets of Williamsburg, Brooklyn in New York City.

The author details her life's journey from rural Puerto Rico to Brooklyn. The author was transplanted to Brooklyn at the age of thirteen, and her description of her life in Brooklyn is every bit as interesting as that of her life in Puerto Rico. Her oftentimes bewildering transition from her native, Spanish speaking Puerto Rico to an English speaking environment is engagingly chronicled. The author takes the reader on her journey through Brooklyn's public school system to the prestigious High School of Performing Arts, where she graduated and went on to attend Harvard University on a scholarship.

This coming of age memoir is so engagingly written that I was left with the desire of wanting to know more about the life of this remarkable woman. I was also very taken with her writing style. So, I went ahead and bought every book that this author has ever written and look forward to reading each and every one.

I give 5 stars, not because I was necessarily challenged in weighty intellectual "profundities" (as one of the critics above states), but simply because the quality of story-telling (at least in the Spanish version) is insurpassable. I was able to see right into the heart of Esmeralda's thinking. She was almost always eloquent beyond her years; at first I thought that this wasn't accurate for a girl of her age; but in retrospect, I think that the author knew this beforehand and realizes that her character is indeed representative of the many children or tíneyers who are absolutely brilliant but are perceived to be not so bright because of a spoken language. I would like to find out if this was a subtility that she wanted to communicate.
With that said, my favorite aspect of Esmeralda's eloquent subtilities is her honest, authentic anger towards haughty and egotistical people. I believe that E. Santiago was intending also to disfrazel the machista haughtiness that existed in Po'rico. I wanted to reach into the story and punch her Papi in the face. What a pig! I grieves me to think that such a man really existed! Another thing, the move to New York, wonderfully contrasted with Macún - and the innocence of perceiving the jews, italians and blacks throught the eyes of a sweet girl with no prejudices - a brilliant girl indeed! How was she able to dislodge herself from all of the enticements of having prejudices so quickly formed? The best part of the entire novel - a definite tear-jerker - is the rapid dénouement punched at me (the first sentence of the epilogue). I didn't expect it; it had sort of a Great Expectations twist there at the end; if there were ever a movie based on this story, I think that that would be the brilliant finish of the story. The human spirit inside of each of us hopes and believes: "Un día de estos, un día de estos." We all relate so well with Esmeralda that I strongly suggest that this book be included in ethnic-american/hispanoamerican classes and reading circles. This is a must. It's already been successful at Pittsburg State University (KS) with Greg Brown and Dr. Edmée Fernández; try it.

I am African American and I purchased this wonderful cookbook several years ago. The cover on my book was different than what's shown here, but all I can say is WOW!!! What a pleasure, there were always certain Puerto Rican recipes that I loved and whenever I would ask how to make it I would get "I don't know, I just make it, I don't use a recipe." I always loved the flavor in the beans and never knew how to accomplish the taste, now I know it's sofrito, I now make my own. The description on how to make pasteles is a big positive too. I have a Greek friend and she makes pasteles around the holidays and gives them as gifts. One Puerto Rican guy couldn't believe that a Greek girl made the pasteles. But thanks to Oswald Rivera's fine cookbook it's possible. I especially enjoy his humor and the stories, I feel he's right there in the kitchen with me. I feel contrary to what the other reviewer said about pictures I didn't miss them at all I just wanted these basic recipes for my friends and family to enjoy. BRAVO! Mr. Rivera, you've put a smile on my face.

I love this cookbook! It has so many recipes in it. I've tried a number of them and I loved them all. this book is so great. My mom never really taught me how to cook or my grandmom, and what they did show me, I never remembered, I have to use recipes and with this book at my side, I can make everything. My rice is fabulous. My kids love my cooking and they tell me all the time that I should be a chef! :) thanks Mr. Rivera.

I purchased this book and the recipes sound great but there was no illustration to show you what the dish should look like (very dissappointing). I also found that a lot of the ingredients could only be purchased at "Bodegas" or spanish neighborhoods.

I was expecting to find more recipes of Puerto rican dishes. However, it does the job in providing you with basic recipes that you can do on a daily basis. I was expecting one for some fancy dish.

We decided we needed some Puerto Rican cookbooks in the house, and Puerto Rican Cuisine is one of them. It really looks like all our abuelitas worked on this great cookbook with Rivera. Quite a few recipes brought tears to my eyes since I haven't eaten them in over six years since my great-grandmother died. We look forward to recreating many of her dishes with the assistance of this book. If you want a simple, authentic Puerto Rican cookbook, this is for your culinary library.

I ordered this book on Dec. 6th for a Christmas gift. Apparently the book was not in stock, they never told me that... only that I would be delivered within 2 weeks, then without any notice at all they changed the delivery date to Jan 6th, which I only found out by visiting amazon.com to find out where my book is.

The book eventually arrived, too late for Christmas. After giving me really bad service, with NO communication at all, woody's has now contacted me multiple times to get me to remove negative reviews. Forget it, Woody. You give bad, unreliable service you get bad reviews.

This combination cookbook, art book, and memoir is the story of a major celebrity chef's retreat from restaurant cooking to spend four weeks of culinary invention with a supporting cast of one culinary journalist (Michael Ruhlman), one painter (Valintino Cortazar), two photographers (Shimon and Tamar Rothstein), and a sous chef / recipe scribe Andrea Glick, all in a rather pricy package.

For the $50 list, one gets about 156 recipes, 15 of which are for condiments and ingredient preparations such as a vinaigrette and confit of lemon. Included in the price is the text by Ripert and Ruhlman which can be read in less than 4 hours, very good photographs of some, but not all of the dishes and photos of Rippert staring at and fondling ingredients, and about 100 paintings by Cortazar.

The most valuable aspect of this book is what it reveals about how Rippert reached his level of excellence in the culinary arts, and how he works to maintain that level. Rippert appears to follow the same path as Bobby Flay, Emril Lagasse, Tony Bourdain, and, if you can believe it, Alton Brown, where these people were mediocre at school and other vocations until they discovered cooking, which, along with some very important mentors, they came alive with the passion needed for excellence in the culinary arts. Rippert's primary mentor was the great French chef Joel Robuchon, who demanded a level of excellence and discipline which only a handful of chefs can accomplish. The insights of this sort you simply don't get on the Food Network. Wolfgang Puck will give you his secret for a poached beef, but not for the way he thinks when he creates and tests recipes.

The recipes are much more a part of this narrative of revelation than they are a worthy source of material for the food hobbyist, much less for the everyday cook. The recipes are not organized by ingredient, taste, or course. Some are simple, but many are very involved and use uncommon ingredients such as the always elusive Kaffir lime leaves and expensive ingredients such as foie gras and truffles. Each recipe give an estimated prep time and cooking time. This is an excellent reature and probably should be included in every worthy recipe book, but I suspect the prep times are a bit ambitious for the average home cook, even for an enthusiastic hobbyist who is not under any time pressure. Twenty-five (25) minutes is not a lot of time to perform some type of preparation on eleven (11) different ingredients unless you are Eric Rippert. One symptom of the impracticality of this cuisine is that an important ingredient for several dishes is lemon confit, which requires THREE MONTHS to prepare. And, it is not an ingredient you will commonly find even at the local megamart. True to Rippert's history and the cuisine of his restaurant, Le Bernardin, the majority of the more interesting recipes are for seafood and I think he includes several important techniques for dealing with them. You will want to prepare more than a few of these recipes, but I think the bottom line is that the recipes are much more valuable as a part of the narrative than they are a part of a cookbook.

The photographs are very good; however, they are basically eye candy, except for the few glimpses of the attractive Ms. Glick, The paintings are pleasant. Somewhat more interesting eye candy than the photographs. The text in Mr. Ruhlman's voice is primarily background scenery, about as useful as the non-food photographs. Ruhlman has serious credentials in culinary writing, so I suspect he made a serious contribution to the words Eric Rippert's voice. The text in Mr. Rippert's voice is the main game. The only real dissonance I found in his discourse was when he shows his disinterest in pastry, claiming it was `too scientific' requiring far too many measurements. The great irony of this statement is that Eric Rippert's methods represent the scientific method at it's best, constantly tasting and adjusting based on his experiences with intermediate steps.

The overall package is attractive, with one glaring sour note. The font of the text is FAR TOO SMALL. This is a major annoyance, something which would have never gotten out the door at Knopf or Harper Collins. The book has much value for serious foodies with very good eyesight. The recipes are very good and well worth the investment, if you can get the book at a discount.

This may be Ripert's return to the kitchen (ie., this is arguably not "restaurant" food), but it's still demanding of money, time, and skill (probably in that order). I say money and time first because he uses top-notch and/or esoteric ingredients, which will require some investment and shopping (eg: live pibales: I never heard of them anywhere else before or since. Even the book says they are very difficult to find: Ripert special orders them from a supplier for $65 a pound. No substitution is mentioned, and the description of them is too limited to make a guess at an acceptable sub. Perhaps there simply is none...). But that's to be expected from any top-tier chef's book, so it's certainly no reason to knock this down.

I'll leave it as established that the recipes are delicious and mouth-watering, etc., and intend to focus this review on who might consider this cookbook and whether or not I'd recommend it.

Admittedly, I spent more time gazing longingly at this book than cooking from it. But, when I have cooked from it, I have always learned something about technique or ingredients, and for that, I rate this book 5 starts. The expense and general highly-demanding nature are irrelevant to rating, as I see it, because you can tell what you're getting into when you consider any book with this many artists and this size of pages involved.

Like any chef's book, you have to be willing to take what you can use: if you can't commit yourself to preparing all the elaborate components of a dish, try making the sauce, or using the cooking method. I've learned a lot of new sauces here, and I look to this almost every time I have a piece of fish in the fridge.

To me, the most interesting part of his grand project is how he brings his background to bear on the different cuisines and traditions of the location (my favorite chapter is in Puerto Rice). The flavor combinations alone are eye-opening, and satisfyingly so.

The artwork, photography, and other writings are, well, there, and how much you like them is up to your own taste. In that respect, you can approximate the book by its cover. I really like the paintings, and how they look like woodcuts, but sometimes the personalities can teeter on the precious or smug side (Though who can blame them: take a year off to paint/cook/eat and travel? I'd feel pretty special too.). I actually do not think I would want to have been part of this particular entourage.

I would most strongly recommend this to anyone who wanted to expand his/her repertoire of fish and seafood recipes: you will find ideas here that are not duplicated elsewhere, and seafood is why Ripert is famous.

If fish/seafood are not strong points of interest, but you are generally a good, well-budgeted and well-supplied cook, you'll probably enjoy this, but I wouldn't say it's an essential addition to your working library.

If you don't cook fish or seafood, I would buy something else.

Also, if you don't live near good, extensively stocked grocery stores (especially fish markets and butcher's who can supply you with things like veal cheeks), I don't think this would have much value as a usable cookbook. Unlike game or foie gras, fish doesn't seem like a strong mail-order candidate. Once you deduct recipes requiring specialty items, you're left with things ike "Figs Wrapped in Bacon" (and not in some ingenious Thomas Keller way; it's quite straightforward).

Obviously, if you're a novice cook, or looking for fast/simple/cheap recipes, you're probably not even viewing this item. In case you are, I recommend you immediately look elsewhere and avoid this book entirely.

Nonetheless, even if you're eating through a feeding tube, or never intend to cook a single thing in your life, but you really like looking at pictures of food, or reading about how people feel about food, you'll probably love this. As an attractive coffee table/daydream cookbook, it's one of the best.

The book is beautiful: layout, photography, the food itself. As others have noted, the recipes are very good for a home cook: impressive, but not so complex as to deter a dedicated cook.

Why 4 and not 5 stars? Because I think Ruhlman is merely an average writer. He spends too much time cozying up to M. Ripert. In browsing the book, I found several grammar errors (minor irritance, but in a book of this quality, I find disappointing). Ruhlman is no Reichl or Grimes -- but I think he tries to be. I think Ruhlman picks fascinating topics (I enjoyed Soul of a Chef immensely); it's just that, for me, his writing is a distraction from the content.

what can I say, this is simply the most beautiful
cookbook that I have ever come accross. What pictures
and paintings.

A real work of art and love. Almost to beautiful to want
to cook out of it and risk to splatter food on it.

Haven't tried any of the recipies yet, but can't wait and
will update this review as soon as I have tried a few of them.
But most of them look really surprisingly simple and
soooo delicious and very often surprising!!!!

A definite must have for any cooking lover

Ricky Martin's book was very interesting and i enjoyed it very much. Although there was a few bad bit's which I didn't enjoy and spoiled the book. I gave this book a 3 star rating because of this. I give him the best of luck with his next single and hope he gets to number #1 again

Ricky Martin is very gifted singer who seemingly overnight achieved a highest level of popular success. He is the role model for other talented latino performers, who would be following in his footsteps. This book details his life story, his perseverance and most of all you get to know Ricky on a very personal level. Very good job.

Ricky Martin's book was very interesting and i enjoyed it very much. Although there was a few bad bit's which I didn't enjoy and spoiled the book. I gave this book a 3 star rating because of this. I give him the best of luck with his next single and hope he gets to number #1 again

I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK. THE PHOTOS WERE HOT AND THE STORY WAS GREAT. I REALLY GOT TO KNOW RICKY FROM THIS BOOK.

Just want to share my excitment with everyone out there about this awesome book on Ricky. Ricky rules the world, even my grandma is crazy about him. I hope he'll read that. I love you Ricky,

Having looked at several guidebooks to Puerto Rico, this one is superior. Up-to-date information and nice photos.

i just love this book, it tell you all about the island it's history,
the people, and the food. you can even learn how to speak spanish, there's
a section in back of the book that teaches you even how to order food in
spanish.

We bought the Insight Guide and were pleased by the wonderful photos and the descriptive sections that cover culture, food, activities, and regions. However, if you are looking for hard details essential to making travel plans before and during a trip, this book is totally useless. Even if other books fail to capture the flavor of Puerto Rico, they can be relied upon to locate hotels, restaurants, museums and hours etc. This is a decorative book, worth reading, but not a travel guide in the usual sense of the word. All these impressions are fresh, since we arrived home just last night. As Northern Californians who look to Hawaii and Mexico for tropical vacations, we found PR, especially the time we spent on Vieques, to be at least the equal of our usual locales, and the time on Vieques to be unmatched in terms of mile-long beaches that you have to yourself.

I was a professor at the Univ. of Puerto Rico during the 1980s, and return occasionally for scientific work. I also teach a Tropical Biology course every other year that includes spring break in Puerto Rico. I've read about eight guides to Puerto Rico and nearby islands, and I think this is the best in terms of accurately reviewing history, culture, and some of the biology and geology. The photographs are extraordinary, and really capture the island in all its facets. This Guide also gives the best information about each town's history and points of interest. It probably devotes the least space to casinos and cruise ship information, but I see that as a strength. I want my students to develop some understanding of the history and culture of Puerto Rico, even though it's a biology class, and I have found the first couple chapters of the Insight Guide do a better job than any of the drier academic sources out there. If you want to buy a guide to Puerto Rico for your own enrichment, this is the one to get.

The insight guide to Puerto Rico is typical of the insight guides in that it provides full color photos of attractions, people and area maps. They cover most topics about the destination.

The book is almost as colorful as any National Geographic book. However, it does contains more in depth information on most aspects of Puerto Rico.

This guide is written with information that will remain valid for at least 5-8 years from the day it was written. However, you will not find website addresses nor recent prices for hotels, museums or attractions. If you are looking for bus schedules or travel times you'll also have to look elsewhere. That more mundane but useful travel information is not the focus of this book.

This book includes a great area map just inside the fold out front cover and a second one of Old San Juan on the fold out back cover. The logical place for all maps are on the covers just like this one. Good thinking people!

Read this book along with the Lonely Planet guide and you'll find just about everything you'll want to know. But, if you only get one book, this is the one to get.

The book The Meaning of Consuelo, by Judith Ortiz Cofer, is about a 1950's Puerto Rican family. In this time period "Americanization" comes to the island and changes many people lives. The main character Consuelo is a 14 year old girl and her younger sister Mili is about 11. These two girls live with there parents in Puerto Rico. There father works at the Golden Palms hotel in Puerto Rico and there mother is unemployed. This book is the story of Consuelo, a young girl trying to find her way in life. She has always been referred to as the smart sensible one while her sister is know as the risk taking, wild child. Consuelo is just trying to find her way in life and where she belongs in her family and in society. Consuelo's best friend is her cousin Patricio who is about the same age as Consuelo. They know each other better than anyone else and hoped that nothing would tear them apart. Consuelo has a large family with many aunts, uncles and cousins who she visits very often.

Consuelo's life at home seems to be going well until "la tragedia" as she likes to call it occurs. She can feel that a tragedy will be occurring within her family but she has no idea what. The main themes of this book are family and tragedy which will have a major effect on Consuelo and her actions. Her family goes through its up and down through the entire book. The tragedy hits hard and will force them family to make one of the biggest decisions ever.

In this book you learn about Consuelo's family, friends, interests and decisions. You will see the outcome of her choices and what she has to go through for her family. I liked this book because Consuelo and I are similar ages. I can relate to the decisions that someone of that age is forced to make and consequences of the actions that one must deal with. Now is also the time that I am trying to find my way in life and seeing how someone else found there way helps.

From reading this book I have learned that all families go through problems big or small. At the end of the day, your family is still your family and will always be there to help you. Without a strong family to support you, you won't be able to make it in life and its as simple as that.

I would recommend this book because anyone can relate to Consuelo, male or female, 14 years old or 60 years old. Everyone can find similarities to Consuelo and her struggles. She is such a strong person and anyone can admire that.

Well the title just about says it all but yes it is a great novel about growing up and maturing in PR. Its different from History books in that it touches real life issues and themes from a first-hand basis such as homosexuality, losing virginity, leaving home, family tragedy, pressures and responsibilities. These are just some of the themes which Consuelo, the main character, deals with; there are plenty more. Very enjoyable and easy to read.

This book is beautifully written and engrosses you in the story as if you WERE Consuelo. The bond between the sisters in this story is incredible, as is the universal of growing up, becoming a woman and emotionally moving away from one's parents. Without giving away the story, this is a must read, and is one of the most incredible books I have read in many, many years.

Consuelo has always been the responsible one, the one who takes care of her little sister, Mili. Mili is the pretty one, the vivacious one, but she also tends to wander off or to get lost in her own head. As a child these traits were charming, but as she grows into a young woman they become more worrisome, until the family is forced to confront the fact that Mili is mentally ill.

This is a great story of how mental illness in a family affects every member, and how a child who isn't sick is often shuffled to the side. I like that this book acknowledged that fact, while not going too over the top with Consuelo's character. Her rebellions were relatively small and harmless and she never stopped loving her sister throughout her ordeal.

I didn't like the ending; I felt as though the author took the easy way out instead of trying to figure out what the next step in this family's saga would be. However, she did give plenty of advance notice that it was coming, so at least I was not caught completely off guard by the end.

The Meaning of Consuelo is not only well-written and vivid, the author manages to weave in so many things into a relatively short book. The book deals with coming of age for a young girl, a family's attempt to deal with mental illness, the difficulty of modernization, sexual identity both for heterosexuals and homosexuals, how society treats difference, and wrap it all up in the richness of Puerto Rican culture. A great book for students.

What a magnificent booklet! The author's insight, revolutionary intransigence, and eloquence remind one of Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, and Fidel Castro. He convinces the reader that Puerto Rico's independence is not only a necessity, but also an inevitability.

This inspiring little pamphlet is by a true fighter for Puerto Rico's independence. He spent a quarter century behind bars in US prisons for his actions, which included taking part in an armed protest in the US Capitol building in 1954. Nearly fifty years after that happened, he's still fighting and now there is a new generation of Puerto Ricans who are interested in his message. This pamphlet is not about the past, but about the present and future. One of the interviews with Rafael Cancel Miranda took place in 1998 as tens of thousands of workers for the state-owned Puerto Rican telephone company were on a 41-day strike, to protest selling the company to US big business. This sparked a 2-day general strike throughout the island. As these events and his ideas show, Puerto Rican nationalism is not dead. The second interview, done earlier in the year, gives a lot of helpful information about Miranda's own family background, how he became a rebel, and what his imprisonment was like. He explains that his first protest was at the age of six when he refused to say the pledge of allegiance to the US flag. This pamphlet also does a nice job of showing how the fight for Puerto Rican independence is tied up with workers struggles worldwide, including those in Cuba.

El uso de la isla Viequés como campo de tiro permanente es prueba contundente de que Puerto Rico es colonia. Que consiga la independencia es en los intereses no sólo del pueblo de la isla caribeño, sino también para la gran mayoría de los estadounidenses; con una lucha exitosa, la conquista de la independencia significará un golpe mortal a su enemigo común, las llamadas quinientas familias, mostrando que sí se puede romper las cadenas del imperio más poderoso y violento que jamás desgració la faz de la Tierra.

O bien por el simple espíritu de solidaridad humana contra el imperio, o bien por la directa necesidad de los explotados en los EE.UU. de unir contra el enemigo común o bien por el altruista fin de avanzar hacia un futuro en donde todos y todas seamos iguales, Puerto Rico, siendo de las últimas colonias, merece libertad.

La editorial Pathfinder a veces se llama "la editorial de los mártires", pero en este folleto conocemos el héroe vivo Rafael Cancel Miranda.

Este inspirado folleto constata una conversación entre revolucionarios: dos dirigentes de la Juventud Socialista norteamericana, el editor responsable del periódico socialista norteamericana Perspectiva Mundial, y un verdadero héroe de la lucha por la libertad de Puerto Rico (la última colonia directa del imperio yanqui). El héroe es Rafael Cancel Miranda, quien, en 1954, participó en una acción armada del movimiento independentista puertorriqueño.

Pasó casi 30 años en los cárceles norteamericanos donde intentaron romperle mental y físicamente. Fracasaron; tal y como le pasó con Nelson Mandela, salió del reclusorio fortalecido. Casi la mitad de este folleto es una defensa animada de la revolución cubana y su ejemplo para el pueblo trabajador mundial de lo que podemos hacer. Es una obra indispensable para todo luchador -joven o viejo- por un mundo verdaderamente humano.

This inspiring pamphlet is mainly a conversation between revolutionaries: two leaders of the Young Socialists organization based in the U.S., and a true hero of Puerto Rico's fight for freedom ( Puerto Rico is the Yanqui Empire's last direct colony ).Rafael Cancel Miranda participated in an armed action of the Puerto Rican independence movement in 1954.He spent almost 30 years in US prisons where they tried to break him physically and mentally. They failed; like Nelson Mandela he came out stronger. Almost half of this pamphlet is a stirring defense of socialist Cuba and its example for working people worldwide as an example of what we can do. Indispensable reading for any fighter, young or old, for a truly human world.

Excellent historical portrayal of life at a given time in a given place. Recommended reading.

Although the author of Affinity for Trouble, a fictionalized autobiography by Héctor Varela, and I hail from Santurce, Puerto Rico, he has the distinction of possessing memories that I, having been raised from age two in New York, can only imagine. Sensing that his story might confuse readers who cannot distinguish fact from fiction, Valera informs us from the start that his story is real but the dialogue is, for the most part, invented. This, one can surmise, is to avoid the kind of controversy that Piri Thomas faced when his memorable book Down These Mean Streets was promoted first as a memoir and later, because of its allegedly spurious dialogue, declared a novel. But this is a minor point; once we enter little Héctor's world of late 1940s Santurce we're in for a treat. He is a poor but proud boy struggling with life's pains and joys amid a circle of family and friends with slightly Dickensian qualities. But Affinity for Trouble is an episodic novel, thus void of anything resembling a plot. And Hector's thoughts, fears, emotions and daily routine convincingly takes us to a particular time and place; its sights, sounds and rich food. Of specific interest are his step-sister Paula, a Creole who rectifies Héctor's spiritual ambiguities; his father Guelo, tough soldier, but loving father; his mother Letty, devoted cornerstone of the family; then there's Héctor's sickly younger brother Vitín, some shady relatives and a few tough street urchins.

However, Affinity for Trouble may be cumbersome to readers who aren't bilingual. The author's overwhelming use of Spanish words and phrases throughout the book is at times irksome. After all, too much spice can ruin any good meal. And there are expressions here and there that lose their meaning when translated into English. But he does provide a good glossary. Also confusing is that one doesn't know whether the narrator is a child, when he repeatedly says, "my papi Guelo," "my mami Letty," "my titi Chele," or a mature man reflecting and expressing himself as an adult when he delves into politics or spiritual matters. Although Mr. Varela possesses talent for narration and, I dare say, dialogue, some serious editing may've raised this book to a higher level. But it's still a fine read.

The most poignant scene occurs when his father and the all Puerto Rican 65th Infantry Regiment sail off San Juan harbor to fight in the Korean War. It is night, family and friends stand along the ancient ramparts of El Morro fortress, wave as the sad soldiers wave back, strum guitars and sing, "Adios, adios, adios... Borinquen querido..." Wish I'd been there.

Hector's description of the surroundings, food and characters are so to the point that it takes you back to that time. His language is easy to comprehend and, thus, immerses you in the story, taking you through the life of this boy and his family, as if you were right there. Please continue the story going with a sequel. Thanks for a great book.

You will become immediately engaged in the adventures of this curious boy!Every description of music, food and Puerto Rico are so vivid, you will feel a part of this historical and pivotal era as America enters into this already culturally blended land.

This book is absolutely fabulous! Valera makes you feel as if you're living the character. You can smell the aroma of the food and remember the tastes; hear the melodic sounds of the "musica romantica"; and, feel as if you were part of this beautiful family with all its ups and downs. It's a must read for those of us who want to remember our past and culture and for those who want to learn more about the Puerto Rican people and their culture. Loved it and can't wait for the sequel...thank you Mr. Valera.

I bought this book for a student of mine with Puerto Rican heritage. He loved having Spanish on one side and English on the other. He was not an avid reader, but he loved this book so much that he read it in a week or so.

This was a present for my friend whos is Puerto Rician he loved the book.

This is the second "Side-by-Side" book I have read.
I prefer the first, "Stories from Latin America,"
because the editors of that volume better understood
their purpose -- which is to present side-by-side versions
of the same story, such that a reader conversant in one
language but not the other, may learn new vocabulary, verify
verb tense, etc. If one looks at the back cover of "Stories
from Puerto Rico," one sees that it says there that "we've
placed the Spanish and English stories side by side -- lado a
lado -- so you can practice and improve your reading skills in your
new language while enjoying the support of your native language.
That way, you'll avoid the inconvenience of constantly having to
look up unfamiliar words and expressions in a dictionary."
Well, you had better have a dictionary handy if you plan to
learn from this book. I have been exasperated time and again by
English translations that are too loose to be useful. If one is
translating for the purpose of conveying the sense and spirit of
a story, then a precise word-for-word translation is unnecessary.
However, this book is designed for language students who are trying
to learn a foreign language. A precise translation is just what's
needed, and I think it's what was promised on that back cover. Yet,
this is not what the book delivers. Let me give an example. There
are many to choose from. This one appears on page 117. Here's the
Spanish version:

"No sabemos si existió, ni dónde, ni cuándo, pero sus desventuras
han hecho reír a generaciones de puertoriquenos. A continuación
encontrará una versión de una historia de Juan Bobo." [I've omitted
the diacritical mark on the "n" in puertoriquenos, but it's there in
the text.]

Now here's the English version of the same sentences:

"We don't know if he really existed, or where, or when, but his
misadventures have entertained generations of Puerto Ricans. The
following is one version of a story about Foolish Jack."

Here now is my problem with the English translation. First, the
word "entertained." The Spanish word translated is "reír." The
Spanish word means "to laugh." Why didn't the translator give us
the precise translation? The clause should read, "his adventures have made generations of
Puerto Ricans laugh." What's wrong with this more precise translation?
Had I not recognized that the Spanish verb is similar to the French
for "laugh" (which I know already), then I might not have bothered
to look the word up. I might have assumed that "reír" means "to
entertain." It does not. My second problem with the English translation
has to do with the last sentence. The Spanish verb "encontrará" is
simply not translated. As though that weren't bad enough, the tense
has been changed from future to present. As a person trying to learn
Spanish (that's why I bought this book), I want to know the meaning and
tense of "encontrará." The Spanish sentence should have been translated
as follows: "Following, you will find a version of one story about Juan
Bobo." Is that so hard? What did the translator think he was doing?
What did he think his purpose was?

This book still has value, and that's why I give it three stars. The
English translation helps convey the general sense of a sentence, and
that is usually enough to help the reader fill in the gaps. However,
a dictionary is still required -- especially since some of the Spanish
vocabulary in not included in the glossary.

A very sloppy job of editing. "Stories from Latin America" is better
done.

I found this book to be very helpful in two important ways: widening my perspective of Latin culture, and bettering my Spanish reading comprehension. The 18 stories are each short enough to keep the reader interested in the story, but filled with enough vocabulary to keep him or her constantly learning. Plus, the reader that is a little shaky can use the opposite page in English as a crutch, and there is also an index of vocabulary in the back of the book if one would prefer that approach. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to further their vocabulary, while at the same time broaden their cultural perspective.

I recommend this book to all people, especially the Puerto Ricans, because it talks about our roots, our culture and our different ethnic origins. After you read this book you will understand our Spanish people more, know about our needs and be more understandable of Puerto Rican people.

My best regards to Robert L. Muckley and Adela Martínez-Santiago for their great job in this wonderful book.