Caribbean Books

This book and "the doorknob of destiny" are two of my all-time favorite children's books. The stories are campy, funny, and engaging, and the illustrations are wonderfull.

It's apparent from reading this title that the author really knows her stuff. She's spent 30 years island hopping the Caribbean and it shows in her grasp of local cultures and her ability to sniff out the authentic in every town. In a crowded field of Caribbean guidebooks, this title truly excels.

The book pulls no punches...tells it like it is. It gives the latest information and is well written and organized. If you plan to travel in the Caribbean, it is well worth the read. You can plan the places to go to and the places to stay away from. It is for the inexperienced traveler, and the experienced alike. Spend the 13 bucks and get informed before you plan your trip.

A very comprehensive and informative book on the The Virgin, Leeward and Windward Islands. It is an easy read and packed with relevant information for the tourist.

It is unfortunate that this book is no longer in print.

I am sure that a re-print would be economically viable.

Tao Drakes is a detective in the Ontario PD and he has been on the trail of a serial killer that, at first, targeted up and coming young women but has now moved on to gay men. When he traces the man to Jamaica things get hot in more ways than one...

Caribbean Heat is an average romantic suspense story with a light plot and a predictable ending peppered with erotic breaks between the leading men. Both Tao and Ken, Tao's love interest, felt a little one dimensional and I felt that they didn't act in a credible manner declaring "deep love" after a day's acquaintance. The sensual scenes between Tao and Ken were hot, but they felt glossed over as the heat builds up but the action is quickly described in "rosy" romantic terms. Tao and Ken have known vulnerabilities but none are explored as the story ends before anything can be explored. Also, the book as a whole could have used some polishing by some thorough editing to catch discrepancies within the narrative as the plot and characters promise to be interesting, if explored further. Caribbean Heat is a read for a day you are looking for a distraction from everyday life, but not an engrossing read.

Sabella
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

"You haven't experienced the Caribbean until you know what an island tastes like, what it sounds like, what it smells like and how it feels--including its mud and thorns," writes M. Timothy O'Keefe in Caribbean Hiking, a new book detailing almost 400 hikes on 30 islands. Filled with regional maps, plus tips on gear and safety, this is the definitive guide for hot-weather adventurers interested in more than sunshine and beaches. (OUTSIDE Magazine, Dec. 2001, p. 124)

A fast paced story, "Caribbean Holiday" has all the ingredients of a perfect suspense thriller. Wealthy Arabs employ Sextus Durkin to kidnap Augustus Bishop, a rich, enterprising individual, who controls a large uranium mine. Bishop only sells to contractors erecting or maintaining power plants, not to anyone interested in developing weapons. However, many Arab nations are interested in the uranium in order to develop weapons grade atomic material. To complicate matters further, Bishop and Sextus are half-brothers by their father.
A lion and gorilla are involved in Sextus' risky power game. Neurosurgeons working in Bishop's South African Medical Laboratory implanted a twelve-month dry chip in the cerebrum of each animal. Because of the chips, both beasts follow voice commands and are traceable. Sextus' women add intrigue and mystery to the story. Moore packs his novel full of adventure, including a thrilling journey in Bishop's yacht and submarine and also escapades on St. Kitts Island. During these aquatic quests, the peculiar behavior of dolphins and sharks is noticed and becomes central to the plot. Conspiracy, casinos, brutal murders, and suspense, this thrilling novel is sure to keep its readers on the edge of their seat from the first to the last word.

Buying/Building/Owning a home in the Caribbean is different and can be the source of difficult problems.
This new book covers the acquiring and ownership of a home in the Caribbean. It was written for the person who has been to the Caribbean and thinks that it would be nice to live there and for the people who have decided that they will live in Paradise.

It covers potential problems with buying a lot or existing house and gently and safely leads the reader through the maze of laws, problems with site planning and construction, including materials, and many other options.

Subjects include :

island and site selection
getting what you think you are paying for
permits
architects
design factors
builders

Electric power is covered from city power through self generation by Diesel, wind, or solar. A chapter on fire protection is for those who choose to live on desert islands. Water is covered in detail, from sources through treatment, storage and efficient usage as well as re-use on dry islands.

There are also sections on communications, home furnishings, appliances, lightning, animals (domestic and pests), tropical diseases, sewerage and sewage, vehicles, costs, insurance and on and on.

There is a three part Appendix covering basic electricity, basic hydraulics/plumbing and basic concrete principles, for those who want to learn something about these subjects as they apply to the Caribbean.

The book is illustrated by excellent line drawings and photographs. It has received enthusiastic reviews. This is truly a handbook of Caribbean living.

I found this book by accident and I'm thoroughly surprised that this incredible text isn't getting more publicity and circulation. It has a nice cover and some really interesting chapters. I liked this book much better than Guttman's "Changing Men." A Puerto Rican press with ties to AIDS funding published this book. I wonder if not having a mainland distributor somehow limited the publisher's reach. !Que lastima!

The book is subtitled "Working Papers." This practically sounds like a professor xeroxed students' term papers and just threw them in a binder after putting punchholes in each page. This book is for the most part quite polished. It has a nice mix of contributors: male and female; Caribbean and American; graduate students and full professors. The contributors look at song lyrics, elections, prison inmates, and nomenclature to discuss masculinity in this region. The chapters vary widely in terms of length and complexity. Perhaps this is why the anthology is humbly presented as just "working papers."

A good portion of this book is simply how to conduct men's studies research in the Caribbean, period. The authors are very conscious of this as a new terrain. Upon reading the table of contents, one would think only the last chapter deals with gay men in this area. However, gay relations, gay identity (or lack thereof), and homophobia are themes constantly presented in this book. This book is sufficiently representative of the Caribbean, covering the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking, machos and non-machos, as aforementioned men of various sexualities, etc. However, there is nothing on Cuba. I wonder if its status as a Communisti country somehow makes it unique in terms of gender, or doing research period. Richard Parker's chapter was unnecessary as it dealt exclusively with Brazil and not the Caribbean. I wonder if they included him just for the name recognition. Commentators on the Caribbean in other books have strongly stated that issues of gender cannot be separated from race and class matters. However, in this book, only one or two chapters bring those matters up. That is a bit of a letdown.

I truly applaud this book, wish the best for its contributors, and encourage all to read it.

"Caribbean New Wave: Contemporary Short Stories" brings together 23 tales, selected by Stewart Brown. The authors here represent a number of English-speaking Caribbean nations: Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana, Belize, Antigua, and St. Lucia. These stories capture the linguistic, religious, racial, and political complexity of this region.

Some of the most memorable selections include the following: Opal Palmer Adisa's "Duppy Get Her," which makes use of local supernatural beliefs and vernacular language; Neil Bissoondath's "Insecurity," an ironic tale about the international economic intrigues of a Hindu businessman in the Caribbean; and Rooplall Monar's "Bahadur," a humorous tale written all in vernacular. But my favorite in the collection is Ian McDonald's "The Duel in Mercy Ward," a funny and moving tale about the relationship between two elderly men--one a Christian of black African heritage, the other a Hindu of Asian Indian ancestry--in a hospital ward.

The brief author biographies at the end of the book include some bibliographical resources for interested readers. Overall, "Caribbean New Wave" is a good book for those who are interested in exploring the fiction that has come out of the English-speaking Caribbean.