Argentina Books

"The World is a Class" is an excellent book.
I am looking to teach overseas when I graduate and I found this book to be very informative. This is the first book I have purchased about overseas teaching, and I loved it!! I do wish it was longer, however, I greatly enjoyed it.
I believe it is a great book for anyone looking to teach anywhere overseas.
I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

I am on the hunt for more books about teaching overseas! :-)

This book did contain some useful information from a guy who has obviously taught overseas. However, it was so very brief...I read it in about an hour. It seemed like he wrote it in one sitting, just like I read it in one sitting. It would seem he could've provided some additional research or information. Instead, it seemed like he talked to a couple friends and then wrote it. Again, there is some useful information here, but I would expect more for the money.

I came to Japan this month and bought this book, and it turns out it has helped save me some headaches, specifically, my apartment was poorly furnished, and far from my school. If not for the book I might have accepted 'what you see is what you get' and said nothing. Instead, I told my employer I was not happy, and ended up getting the apartment furnished to my liking and better hours to facilitate my commute time. Complaining immediately seemed to make a difference. I don't know what the previous review was upset about, there is a difference between wanting to make a buck and wanting to avoid being exploited. Maybe the reviewer would have been happy as a Red Guard in China, there anyone who 'made a buck' was punished. THe only problem with the book is it could be longer, but has enough valuable information that it's money well spent.

I took a TESL (teaching English as a second language) position in Bogota, Columbia and learned much of what is in this book the hard way. If you are new to TESL then by all means read this book!

Caleb Powell has covered most all of the needed information to help you move forward to new worlds. He covers topics from "Why Teach Overseas" ("I saw islands and temples, climbed mountains, ate raw fish and beetle larvae and took a vacation in Taiwan."), to contract negotiations (an especially helpful section in this book).

Helpful are the short quips from other teachers around the world who have learned the various life lessons and the ins and outs of TESL.What is missing is an important appendix section that covers `web' resources. Only `Dave's ESL Café' is noted in the book. Strongly Recommended.

My husband & I have a 5 year goal to be teaching ESL overseas. We wanted information about the potential scams, or cultural pitfalls (communications & assumptions) which can turn a 2 year commitment into a prison sentence. This book obviously couldn't cover everything, but it DID give us insights to create a list of interview questions to assess potential employers. We would recommend this book.

This is certainly not an adventure book in the classical sense. The style of writing does not allow for it. Buy it for its British humor and charm, not for adventures which don't take place.

Every so often I have to buy a new copy of Brazillian Adventure because I lend my copy to someone and they flatly refuse to return it again. This is one of the most engaging and good-humoured travel books ever. It was Fleming's first adventure and his first book - yet it became a classic work going into several editions early on and being used in schools as a study piece. It is seriously well written, and seriously engaging.

It starts with his blandly describing how he got involved in the expedition in the first place- answering an advertisement in the paper to go on a 'Fawcett hunt" (as he later called it). He thought he would go on a grand expedition to find the missing explorer Colonel Fawcett and get a little hunting done at the same time. There have been numerous books and studies done on the disappearnce of Fawcett in Brazil in the 1920's - to this day no one quite knows what happened to him, and as it turns out the expedition that Fleming was joining was not going to throw new light on matters either.

In fact the trip deteriorated badly the moment they hit Brazil, and Fleming's dry wit turns it all into a hilarious read - although it must have been desparately uncomfortable for them all. The expedition Leader was incompetent, the expedition split into two warring factions and they all ended up in a race back down the Amazon to try to get the banks in time.

Peter Fleming, in case you didn't know, is the brother of the 'James Bond' author Ian Fleming - a talent for writing seemed to run in the family. Peter continued his travels and writing career but I think this first book is the best of them all. There is also a wonderful biography on his life available but I think that is now out of print.

I bought this book because I am fascinated by South America, the Amazon River, etc..and also because this looked like a real life adventure book searching for clues into the dissappearance of Major Fawcett.

This book starts out slow because of the british style of writing in the early 20th century. For me it was too "flowery" and maybe that is not the right word. I nearly stopped reading the book because of it, but I didn't. Thankfully, the last half of the book, describing the race back to civilization, was much better.

This book is okay, but nowhere near great

I brought this book for my Brazilian trip this past Dec. I found this book slow and boring in the beginning. This may be due to the fact that the author used lot of what I assume to be late 19th and early 20th century references which I have no idea about and the British writing. But after half way through, I learned to read past the subtle British writing and concentrate on the story and this make the book more enjoyable.

This is contemporary American adventure: buy an SUV, watch game shows based on Lord of the Flies, try the risotto recipe Martha Stewart used on her ascent in the Himilayas. Please! Brazilian Adventure is the real thing for those who don't own their own snowshoes. Sure, the author and his companions set off with pith helmets worthy of Ralph Lauren and more elaborate gear than they'll ever use; true, Fleming is something of a good old boy circa 1932 Oxford style. Skin to be shed. When reality hits, which it does early in the adventure and continues to the bedraggled end, he rises to the occasion. The narrative is suffused with clear-eyed wit, honesty and optimism. I hope there are other Peter Fleming books out there.

I usually stay away from novelizations of movies as they are completely artless and offer no enjoyment outside of total pulp. George Gipe's take on Gremlins, however, is actually an entertaining and easy read. Just the thing you need to wind you down if you've had a hard day or recently read a tough book that takes a lot out of you.

Gipe works from Chris Columbus' original script before it was cut down for the film and includes the famous subplot of Mrs. Deagle's intentions to build a nuclear power plant. There are some completly new creations of his own though. The Mogwai and Gremlins can talk to each other. And they are not just strange earth creatures but aliens designed as failed perfect pets on the planet Enz by Doctor Mogturmen. Quite an eccentric addition and perhaps a bit annoying for hardcore Gremlin's fans who don't want it to drift off into non-canon territory.

Aside from this, Gipe's writing is bang-on and never uninteresting. He manages to emulate the movie very well and sticks close to the atmosphere Joe Dante affected. There may not be any art or huge skill involved in it, but Gremlins is a fun book that will entertain you from beginning to end. And that is exactly what it is meant to do.

"Gremlins" is one of my favorite movies, about a furry little creature (a Mogwai) named Gizmo who is adopted by a young man, Billy Peltzer. Billy's given three simple rules to abide by: don't expose it to sunlight (or else it will die), don't get it wet (or else it will multiply into more Mogwai--or Gremlins, depending on its current stage), and never feed it after midnight (or else it will metamorphosize into a killer Gremlin).

While I love the movie, I wasn't too pleased with this loose novelization of the film. The author seemed to want to write his own version of "Gremlins"; he barely stuck to the script--dropping, adding, and altering several scenes along the way. This is evident right from the beginning with the prologue--a quick but unimportant explanation of the Mogwai's origin as alien beings on the planet Enz. (Since when?)

The one good thing about this book, though, is the dozen or so color photos taken from the movie. The cute black-and-white illustrations of Gizmo and Spike at the beginning of each chapter are also a nice touch.

The intended audience for this book is apparently preteens, though it's appropriate for all ages. However, I'd recommend sticking with the movie instead.

*spoilers included*

He did a superb job on BACK TO THE FUTURE, and he did just as well on GREMLINS. As he did in BTTF, here he takes us *inside* the characters, where he reveals more of their background, secrets, and ambitions. In particular, the origins of the Gremlins and the conversations between Gizmo and Stripe were excellent additions.

The only flaw is the same one that haunted the novelization of BTTF--it seems that Gipe was not given the final draft of the screenplay to work with. In the book, Mr. Futterman dies. In the actual movie, however, he was only seriously injured; the filmmakers apparently decided to spare him at the last moment. But this is a minor flaw that does not detract too much.

Recommended for GREMLINS fans, and anyone who wants to see how movie novelizations should be done!

Meet Gizmo the Mogwai. A cuddly little creaturer which comes with a list of three rules:

1) Keep him away from bright lights. They could kill him.

2) Keep him away from water. A single drop will bring you another Mogwai.

3) Don't feed him after midnight. A single bite will bring about a terror like no other...GREMLINS.

Author George Gipe turns a fun B-movie into a literary masterpiece of equal parts terror and laughs. This book contains much that the movie was missing. We learn the origins of the Mogwai and Gremlins. We hear conversations between the creatures. And we hear about past incidents of Gremlin escapades.

The best part of this novel is the start of the Gremlin invasion. We jump between reports being relayed to the local radio stations and the terrifying experiences of the hero's neighbors.

George Gipe only wrote three novelizations in his career: GREMLINS, EXPLORERS, and BACK TO THE FUTURE. All were excellent, but left you hungry for more of Gipe's work. Where did he go?

If you are lucky enough to find this book, by all means pick it up. You'll love it.

If you're a big fan of the movie, this book will probably entertain you as well. It gives an alternate look at a couple of the movie's events that may not have translated onto the big screen particularly well. For example, the battle between the evil mogwai and Barney the dog is given in great detail. We are also privy to some of the thoughts of Gizmo and Spike (and Barney), which gives us some insight into where Gremlins have come from and how they got to where they are at the time that the book begins.

I found the writing to be serviceable, with a couple of appreciated flourishes (such as the chapter which consists of only two words). The story itself is very imaginative and original, although you're probably already familiar with it.

Without being any more sophisticated, the book is a darker version of the movie, and director Joel Dante would have probably preferred to bring this version to the screen if he didn't have to worry about reaching a broad family audience.

This was a school reading and it wasnt good at all..very difficult to read and you should stay away from it...

I'm biased, in the way that this is my all time favourite, not only because of the narrative, but also because of the prosaic poetry.

When you read this book, you feel swallowed by the jungle, in the same way that you feel like fighting a marlin in "The Old Man and the Sea". But beleive me, you won't feel a bullhorn through your head (litterally), except when you read it.

When I left Colombia, I tried and bring the book with me, but I left it there, halfway through the story. I can finally have it back. It just feels right when you are Colombian and read this book.

Now, I can't speak for the non-spanish talkers, but I know as a fact that the biggest context that you can put yourself to read a book like this is to imagine to be a latin american. But I'll say that you won't feel dissapointed by the pace.

You'll feel the jungle getting thicker when you turn the pages.

(for English scroll down)

RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL: Tuve este libro por mas de una década y no lo leí. Fue una pena que no lo hiciera antes. Es una de las mejores novelas que he leido en cualquier idioma. Es lamentable que no circule más debido a la época en que se escribió y su aparente falta de valor comercial. ¡Pero qué libro! Después de leerlo usted nunca mirará un bosque de la misma manera otra vez. Usted nunca mirará el caucho de la misma manera otra vez. ¡Usted nunca seguirá sus pasiones ciegamente otra vez! Este libro tiene un poder destructivo que también es renovador.

FULL ENGLISH REVIEW:
For more than a decade I had this book and didn't read it. I am glad I finally did. It's one of the greatest novels I have read in any language. It's a shame that because of the time when it was written and the lack of marketing value it presents to an uninformed public it has not circulated more in the world. What a book! By God, after you read it you will never look at a forest in the same way again. You will never look at rubber the same way again! You will never follow your passions blindly again! This book has a destructive power that is also renewing. Yes, it is written in elegant Spanish, one that is not spoken in the same way any more, so it is only for the native speaker or someone who has very good knowledge of the language and culture and willing to take the challenge. But by no means will you find it boring, if you can follow it and know what a good narrative is. I just finished reading it yesterday and feel like I would read it all over again. It's powerful fiction of a writer who probably gave his life in the process of bringing this story --his only novel-- to us (He died mysteriously --no known cause-- in New York City, on his birthday, after the book's publication. Hmmm.). It's also an outcry, a denunciation of the savagery of commerce, of the brutality of the forest, of the corruption of human beings when there is a fortune to be made or dreamed of. Oh, what else can I say. It's a story I will never forget because it has become engrained in my heart. I wish I had written it. One other thing you may notice stylistically: Rivera's writing was not formulaic, like it seems to be nowadays. It feels like poetry as well as fiction.

Together with Garcia Márquez, Jorge Isaacs and Tomás Carasquilla, Jose Eustasio Rivera is one of the great colombian and latinamerican writers.

Garcia Maquez has written to the world about the "bananero" crisis and Colombia, while Rivera does the same but for the "caucho" plantations situation.

This book is written with probably the same passion that Vincent van Gogh painted. Once you start reading it you will be inmersed in a world that is probably new to you, that of the inclemencies of the south american "selvas" (jungles) and the way they devour those who defy them.

This book is definitely worth reading and is written in a fast paced elegant Spanish.

The style and the content of this novel are unique. The language is beautiful and the story engrossing, but don't pick it up to learn elementary or intermediate spanish-- it's too difficult. On the other hand, if you want to experience natural, silky Latin American spanish prose at it's finest this book is for you. It provides a unique glimpse into life on the rubber plantations that vanished with the advent of new technology. it's a great adventure story, and it's written in exemplary and, at times, poetic, idiomatic spanish.

Jose Eustacio Rivera was in New York working on a North American edition when he died of pneumonia on his 39th birthday.

This book is similar to my college papers, about 20 pages of info crammed into (stretched out to) 180 pages. Meaning that is repetitive in order to fill up the book. The only people that should purchase this book are those that are going to definitely buy in Buenos Aires. Do not get this book for casual reading or out of curiosity. It is simply not worth it. You can find most of the contents on the Web. The author wants you to pay another huge fee to get a list of recommended attorneys, real estate agents, etc. That should be part of the book. All in all not a great deal, except for Mr. Fawkes (the author).

The book is ok, gives a lot of information and sets you on the right track.
Maybe. I should buy the apartment first, then I will be able to judge.
The book tells you how to do and that you need a reputable real estate company and lawyer and then does not give you any address of those guys leaving you at the starting point.
Where are you going to find them? You have to pay for 295 U$ for the extra info.
So, the book is not enough and partly acts as a sales tool for the appendix.
You can find 70% of this info online, I mean exactly the same text.
And, yes, it has huge fonts just to make it look big.
It could have been smaller.
Anyway, if you have to buy an apartment, go for the book, it can't hurt.

If you are thinking of buying a second home, investment property, or vacation spot in Argentina, this is a handy book to have. The author has actually done the buying and investing and has practical advice. The emphasis is definitely on buying in Buenos Aires, so if you're looking to invest in a different area of the country, the information won't be as handy. However, the actual legal and business explanations hold true for buying in Argentina, so it's very worthwhile.
There is a scarcity of these types of books(first one I've ever found and I'm from Argentina), buy this one and you won't be sorry.

I wish this book had been available a year ago when I bought my first apartment. I had difficulty finding accurate information and as a result I paid far more than I should have and had a bad experience. As the investment potential in Buenos Aires is so great I'm now buying a second apartment for rental purposes. Even after having learnt a lot from my first experience of buying in Buenos Aires I've found the information in this book to be a godsend.

This book is worth its weight in gold. I was in BA late last year, loved it, and decided to buy an apartment. I did some research on the net but all I found was conflicting information that left me more confused than ever. Much of this (mis)information is put out by "investment consultants" who promise to steer you through the minefield for a fat fee. I didn't feel comfortable using any of them so I was at a loss what to do. Then I discovered this book. Quite simply it's brilliant. It explains in detail exactly what the law is, how the tax system works with respect to foreigners and common ways that people in the real estate business in Argentina will try to trip you up and get you to pay more - often illegally. It also discusses in detail the main barrios of BA of interest to the investor, with handy maps showing exactly where they are, their pros and cons with respect to short and long term rentals, and typical real estate prices in each of them. This is information I couldn't find anywhere else.

The book gave me the advance knowledge and confidence to approach local realtors and lawyers in BA and to know when they were telling me the truth. As a result I have just completed on a beautiful apartment and I know that I didn't overpay anyone. I thoroughly recommend this book as essential to anyone foreign who is considering buying in Buenos Aires.

The author has talent and knows how to write. However, he does not manage to go even a little bit beyond the usual stereotypes about Argentina. It may have been too easy for him to fall to the temptation of using the same template over and over again when he was working for Reuters during those years when the Argentinian economy collapsed, and the world showed a sudden, albeit passing, interest in that country's fate: this book is just that same template more elaborated and expanded. Although the author seems to be a perceptive young man and seems to have spent some effort researching the country's history, he wasn't able to come up with an understanding beyond the cliche. That's at least my humble opinion, having spent 25 years of my life in that country. I still give this book three stars because it's entertaining and it taught me a couple of things about Discepolo and the tango.

Books and blogs by women about their tango experiences/epiphanies in Buenos Aires proliferate yearly. (OK, so I'm one of those women.)

It's refreshing to read a story about a foreigner in Buenos Aires written by a man. Sure, we've had the cheap and disgusting Kiss and Tango by Marina Palmer, and the interesting pre-crisis Bad Times in Buenos Aires by Miranda France, among many others, but now we have something entirely different: Brian Winter's Long After Midnight at the Nino Bien; a Yanqui's Missteps in Argentina.

Not a memoir, but rather a well-written attempt to make 21st century readers understand the why-and-wherefores of the Buenos Aires of today. It's not an excuse for the author to delve into his emotional past, or to write about sexual encounters, nor does he do any reflection--the main aspect of a memoir. It's an impressionistic travelogue with fantasy characters--think Wizard of Oz or Star Wars set in South America with lots of illuminating and witty historical citations.

Young Mr. Winter (a recent college grad who floats to Argentina hoping to find a job) also writes about his experience as a tango dancer wannabe. He relates preposterous scenes with fictitious milongueros, but I believe these scenes, while accurately conveying feelings and emotions if not truths, are not from his experience but from research and imagination. He is a fantastic researcher, as well as a hell of a writer. And he's funny, too!

He wanted to write an essay about Buenos Aires, and how then could he leave out tango, even if he knew nothing and cared less about it? His Mafia round table of wise old milongueros allow for exposition and stories about Argentina's history, the influence of the gauchos, the corruption of the politicians, the legacy of Peron and Evita. Miller quotes tangos and the gaucho poem, Martin Fierro. He quotes and relates and integrates, all with humor and a great turn of phrase, and it makes for enjoyable reading, and a history lesson too.

But I do know about the milongas, the milongueros, and certainly, about Nino Bien, the "decaying bar" of the title. His stories of cartoon characters like El Nene, El Dandi, El Chino 1 & 2, and El Tigre entertain and maybe enlighten. Certainly it's not the habit of real milongueros, or anyone else in a milonga, to drink frozen strawberry daiquiris at La Ideal or Nino Bien, let alone wear white terrycloth suits with orange shirts and pink scarves and lead ganchos and barridas. While he has the tango facts and details mostly all wrong, he nevertheless zeros in on the mood, effect and the result. The milonga is an easy target for satire.

Yes, there are countless factual errors in the tango telling, and lots of mistakes in Castellano and Buenos Aires geography, but from my fact checking on the internet, Miller's tales of political corruption, battles, presidents, and gauchos all seem to ring true. I especially enjoyed the story of the depressed tango lyricist Discepolo and his mis-alignment with the government, and his artistic crashes with the tango god himself, Carlos Gardel.

So let's not read this book as a personal memoir, or as history, but rather as a fable of life and times in Buenos Aires from 2000-2004 from a foreigner's perspective. Despite its flaws in accuracy, there's much to be learned here, as well as several laughs and a couple of hours of entertaining reading.

LONG AFTER MIDNIGHT AT THE NINO BIEN: A YANQUI'S MISSTEPS IN ARGENTINA tells of an American who decides on a whim to move to Argentina and learn to tango - his quest to shine in the tango hall with a group of elderly men who move like Enrique Iglesias and his quest to understand the tango leads to a deeper cultural appreciation of Argentina as a whole: an appreciation which comes to life in a book highly recommended for a range of collections: those surveying international dance in general, tango in particular, or Latin American or Argentinean culture as a whole.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book makes Argentina come alive with real people and lively dialogue. I've read a lot about Argentina's social, political and economic crises, but the country never really came together for me until I read this book. Argentina, like the tango, is a sad thought you can dance to. Of course, it's a foreigner's perspective, but a fresh one from a young man who jumped into the whirl of Argentine life without preconceptions and writes about it with a refreshing honesty and lack of pretense.

As a Latina who was married to an Argentinean for many years and spent some time in Argentina in both the capital, Buenos Aires, and city of Mendoza in the wine country, I looked forward to reading this book. On the plus side, some of it is wryly humorous, and the author's chronicle of the history of the tango in Argentina is somewhat interesting. The author also captures some of the flavor of Argentina and gives a very decent account of its unstable political history.

Some of the characters described in the book, old tango instructors with whom the author hung out during his stay in Argentina, are colorful, and the author gives the reader a taste of the passion that the tango arouses and of its place in the culture of Argentina. I also felt that these very same characters that the author professed were his friends were probably secretly laughing at the author, a lumbering Texan who wanted to learn about the tango, and would say just about anything to him just for effect, whether or not it was true.

Moreover, some of the author's conclusions are those that only a Yanqui would devise, as I did not feel that they derived from a real understanding of Argentina or its people, given his limited scope of reference. Also, a few of the translations in the book were off the mark, which I found to be annoying. I also found the quality of the writing to be rather pedestrian, overall. Still, there is a modicum of enjoyment to be gotten from this book by those interested in other cultures or in the tango.

Tipping, how to say medium rare in Spanish when ordering one of their famous filet mignons.......you get the picture.......Good start for your adventure.......

Many people see France, Italy and Asia as culinary meccas of the world. But there is a wonderful cuisine waiting to be discovered. The food of Argentina!

As a food writer, I see a multitude of cookbooks and guides to cuisines all the time. But one of the areas that is lacking, is Argentina. With an Argentine mother, and having had the wonderful opportunity to have lived in Argentina, I can declare that this book is excellent and an invaluable resource of food and drink in Argentina.

Not only does this guide explain food terms and etiquette, but also which restaurants are good (even for special diets) as well as information on Argentina's wines.

There are some fantastic photos included too!

What I found to be wonderful were the recipes included for traditional Argentina fare, as well as guides to meat cuts and labeling in Argentina, the United States, England as well as France!

If you are going to eat in Argentina, you will need this book.

This colorfully illustrated book provides mouthwatering details of Argentine cuisine, going well beyond the basics of beef, mate and Malbec.

One of my favorite ways to immerse myself in another culture is to eat and drink as the locals do. It's easy with this comprehensive guide. Use its A-Z Guide to translate restaurant menus.

The book is well organized, easy to navigate and conviently sized for travel; it fits into your purse or pocket.

Expertly researched and co-authored by Dereck Foster & Richard Tripp, Food And Drink In Argentina: A Guide For Tourists And Residents is an informed and informative introduction and "user friendly" reference for dining-out while traveling or working in the beautiful South American nation of Argentina. Included is an A to Z translation for beverage and food terms, advice on where to eat and what to drink, information on exploring the great wine country in Argentina, tips on shopping for food, advice for special diets and those traveling with children, and a wealth of regional recipes and culinary dishes. A "slips easily into your pocket or purse" guidebook, Food And Drink In Argentina is to be given high praise and a very strongly recommended for planning an Argentina itinerary.

I wasted my money and the space in my suitcase buying this book. It is more a spanish-english dictionary. The mayority of the book consists of a long list of spanish words with its meaning in english (ocassionally followed by a brief description and illustration).
Not recommended if:
1) you are spanish speaker
2) you are looking for a dinning guide or something similar.

You will do better by buying a local guide in Buenos Aires

Derrida misses out on the spiritual dimension in this book--although other authors have pointed out similarities between Derrida's thought and that of Nagarjuna. Especially helpful are Powell's "Derrida for Beginners," and Coward's Derrida and Negative Theology."

RELIGION AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS. DERRIDA FALLS SHORT OF EXPLAINING THE NEED FOR RELIGION AND TRANSCENDENCE, BUT AS USUALLY HE IS FASCINATING AND DIFFICULT.

Derrida and Vattimo's collection of essays given on the Isle of Capri truly shows how even postmodern philosophy must still come front-and-center with the question of religion. As postmodernity brings an end to the metaphysics that made God undesirable, a different type of God, a God of Life (as Unamuno would call it) must be dealt with anew. Derrida, Vattimo, Gadamar, Vitiello, Trias and others discuss the role of religion in an age that claims to be so removed from it.

My personal impression of the book is that Derrida reveals the type of religious issues that he offered us in his _Circumfessions_ and is wonderfully explicated in John Caputo's _Prayers and Tears of Jacques Derrida_. Vitiello's essay "Toward a Topology of the Religious" is insightful and necessary (if only Nietzsche could have read it!).

Jacques Derrida's contribution to this seminar which was held in 1994 on the island of Capri is the essay entitled "Faith and Knowledge." What is particularly interesting about this keynote address is Derrida's neologism "globalatinization" which he defines as "this strange alliance of Christianity, as the experience of the death of God, and tele-technoscientific capitalism." There is talk of religion and digitality, airborn pilgrimages to Mecca, Jerusalem and its three monotheisms watched over by the heavenly and monstrous glance of CNN, a Pope versed in televisual rhetoric, miracles transmitted live followed by commercials, and lastly the televisual diplomacy of the Dalai Lama. Because Capri is an island not far from Rome, Derrida also has some interesting things to say about religion in the Mediterranean and the Levant, as well as the Promised Land and the desert. This essay is particularly opaque and beautiful and it would definitely help the reader if he or she is familiar with Martin Heidegger's Sein und Zeit (Being And Time) as well as Beitrage zur Philosophie (Contributions to Philosophy), as JD name drops the great German philosopher's ideas here and there throughout this essay. This is definitely good beach reading.

This is a very saddening book in which these authors, who have helped to move our thinking away from some of the remnants of religion over which we continue to trip, express their (perhaps elderly, not to say senile) longing for old-time religion itself. Not only that, but they suggest, as opponents of postmodernism or pragmatism do, that outgrowing the tiresome remnants of religion found in the arrogant self-descriptions of scientists or ethicists actually allows (or is it causes?) "the return of religion" - an event which they claim to be witnessing although they offer little argument for its existence or desirability. They seem (and, of course, each takes a slightly different tack) to be arguing ad populum instead of admitting their desire for religion. They explain that people are scared by nuclear proliferation and environmental destruction and are turning to religion, but do not address whether such false comfort should be joined in. Rather, they simply join in it - without, however, ever quite saying so. Not one of them writes "I believe in God," but each asserts by every word he writes "God is worth writing about."

The book is well done overall. But I thought Dr. Simpsons attitudes toward Patagonian poeple and culture were through a myoptic pair of American/European glasses.

It is fun to read this book as the second in a trilogy. The first is Darwin's "Voyage of the Beagle", the third is Bruce Chatwin's "In Patagonia". Chatwin's appreciation of Patagonian people and culture is much more to my liking.

Don Bailey jeep1104@yahoo.com

I bought this books years ago at an estate sale of a anthro. prof. at a local college. Estate and garage sales are a fantastic source of cheap books.

I agree with the criticism of the Eurocentric attitudes, but hey Bernal Diaz had even harsher attitudes in his Conquest of New Spain - and that book is still worth reading.

I often recommend this book to friends . If I had only been aware that it was out of print I would have held on to it.

Time to look for another copy...........

I first read this book many years ago, and it is one of the best books I have ever read. I started reading not knowing anything about Patagonia, or the subject of the book, but was quickly swept into a real life adventure. I have taken several trips with a vague destination and purpose in mind, but found the journey was far more interesting than the goal. This is one of those adventures. The book is about a constant unfolding landscape of people, places, and things, where each new discovery is a suprise to the reader. Too bad it is out of print, but my copy is not for sale.

This is an odd book. It is hard to find, even for an experienced haunter of used book stores, and not many people have read it. But once you vicariously join the Scarrit Expedition hunting fossils in the Patagonian wilderness in the early 1930s, you may never completely recover. "Attending Marvels" is a trip into several lost worlds at once: most obviously that of the "whole lot of other ---ontotheres" that dominated South American fauna before the Isthmus of Panama rose, but also into the almost incredibly isolated and harsh lives of the Patagonians. But the trip that takes the reader furthest is into Simpson's outlook. He is endlessly curious, delighted with everything in the natural world, and able to appreciate and communicate with people who are as culturally different from him as a fellow human could be. This wide-eyed gusto for the world shows in his lyrical descriptions of such unpromising subjects as hedgehogs, yerba mate, and of course, bits of fossilised bone. True, there are also national politics, academic politics, martial law and a homicidal maniac but none of these are as important to Simpson or as vivid to the reader as the fossil snake. It is a prime example of the scientist/naturalist world view at its best. "Atending Marvels" is also great fun to read. It is full of wonderful anecdotes and some very funny passages; some lines ("You can't possibly kill anyone before the 15th of the month"; "This is your Patagonia--keep it beautiful", "Es triste, non?") have become code phrases among my friends and family. So take the effort to find this book; the trip is worth the trouble.

I hope that everyone disregards the first reviewer of this book. I am a student at Barnard College of Columbia University, where Jose Moya is a professor. I had the privilege and pleasure of taking a class with Prof. Moya, entitled Latin American Civilization. This book was the main text of the class and what we eventually had to write our paper on. It was an amazing resource and a tremendous asset to the class, and I don't know why the first reviewer stated that the entire book was inaccurate. This is not the case at all; in fact Cousins and Strangers provides an interesting argument for the immigration of Europeans to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in which he states that this huge wave of immigrants to the area in the 19th century was the result of no one phenomenon, but a combination of five major revolutions. There are a lot of excellent charts, maps, and graphs (all primary sources) that Moya uses to get his points across. For anyone interested in the subject, or anyone such as myself taking a class in Latin American Civ or history, this is a wonderful read.

Please disregard the childish review filed from Miami. Historians have justly praised Moya's text as a product of broad and extensive research in Argentina and Spain. Relying on archival research, oral history, and cross-national investigations of families and communities across generations, Cousins and Strangers provides a clear explanation of the factors that shape the immigrant experience in Buenos Aires. There is no better book on the subject. It will influence and inspire future researchers who want to investigate the history of immigrant communities and cultures in the Americas for years to come.

This book is terribly written, full of nonsense, and simply wrong about nearly everything. The author should go to Buenos Aires and see for himself just how far off he was when wrote this strange piece of work.

This book is bold in conception, elegant in its execution, imaginative in its methodology. It should be read by anyone interested in the immigrant experience anywhere and in the craft of history in general. Others seem to agree with me. It has won five prestigious awards. Apparently, the taste of readers from Miami is as philistine as their politics.