Central America Books

This book provides excellent, detailed information on the topic. Especially helpful on the historical side, as well as inclusion of students with significant disabilities in school reform discussions.

Most of the BFI Film Classics booklets are relatively mild-mannered dissertations on the worth and meaning of a particular film, usually steering clear of the worst excesses of the over-analytical 'Sight and Sound' magazine from whence many of them spring. Michael Rogin's guide to 'Independence Day' is not like that, however. It's ever so slightly mad. Presumably annoyed at having to write about such a shallow flim, Rogin piles on layers of Freudian analysis to such a degree that 'ID4' ceases to be a jingoistic action film, and becomes a dark view of contemporary sexual politics. In particular, Randy Quaid's vengeful, drunken airman is on a quest to regain his masculinity after violation at the hands of the aliens (whose 'mothership' is explicitly female, and against which he exacts revenge with a symbolically 'unnatural' penetration at the climax of the film), whilst Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith are acting out a drama of black / jewish unity with symbolically erect cigars. I'm not joking. It's either deeply misguided or a work of genius, and well worth buying.

This is a beautiful book with stunning colour lithographs,line engravings and halftone engravings. The paper quality is superb and the colours in the lithos is deep and true. The colour plates & line drawings are by the author. I have rarely seen anything as stunning on this subject. Of course musch of the anthropological and historic information is outdated.

One language connected all tribes of Americans not long ago. This book is filled with translations from English to Native American Sign Language as well the historical facts related to the period that this book was written. Even tribal accents are noted as certain tribes expressed the same words using their own habitual pronunciations in sign. This book not only clearly explains the language but paints a picture alphabetically of the subjects, abstract and tangible, that Native Americans talked about in 1877.

This book provides an excellent overview of the complexity of legal jurisdiction in the Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma) in the years prior to statehood. It covers tribal legal status and the loss of the limited self-government that the five tribes enjoyed prior to the Civil War. For anyone truly interested in the 'wild west' of the region this book explains WHY things were happening.

Betsy and I enjoyed creating this book because it gave us an opportunity to introduce visitors and residents to places that make Indianapolis special. Strolling, shopping, or sightseeing, visitors will be guided to those places that gave them the richest flavors the city has to offer.

The book is divided into thirteen chapters, including Where To Stay, Shopping, and Nightlife, making it easy for readers to pinpoint the topic they are searching for. Entries are short and fact-packed, and the book includes plenty of pictures and fun facts about the city.

We are particularly pleased that a portion of the books profits go to the Indianapolis Parks Foundation. Helen O'Guinn

I was preparing to give a lecture at the annual meeting of the Panama Canal Society in Orlando, Florida, and they had asked me to speak to the many cultures on the Isthmus, from its discovery by the Spanish through modern day. This little book was a tremendous find. This author was very astute in his descriptions of the Native Americans, their lifestyle, and their backgrounds. It helped in the preparation of my lecture. Very happy to have found this rare manuscript.

A must have for all those interested in how household economics, reciprocity, and other important variables affects biodiversity or conservation. Whether you're in development, an anthropologist, an economist, an Africanist or Latin Americanist, this book is an important addition to everyone's library, right next to Moran, Milton, and Rappaport.

As a graduate studuent who has conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Guatemala, I found this book to very insightful. In my view, Kay Warren does a commendable job of addressing and discussing the politics of the Pan-Maya movement and its actions and arguments since the signing of the peace accords. Furthermore, she describes the role of the foreign anthropologist in the Maya culture and the critiques given by Pan-Maya activists towards the discipline of anthropology. For example, Warren relates the statements of the well-known Pan-Mayanist, Sam Colop (82). Warren concludes that the underlying question is; "What are you doing in Guatemala to benefit the Maya people?" This is particularly relevant to any social scientist, let alone those working in Guatemala.

Of particular interest is Warren's discussion on 'transforming selves'; the belief that certain individuals possess the capacity to physically transform themselves into an animal. She provides an excellent argument on why this belief resurfaced during the civil war, a period of extreme distrust. The bibliography is extensive and Warren's knowledge of critical theory, anthropology, history, Guatemalan (and, one might add, Peruvian) ethnography and political studies is considerable. This book could serve as a starting point for anyone interested in the current situation in Guatemala.

The only shortcoming I found is that the chapters do not flow smoothly. This is most likely due to the fact that some of the book was derived from previously written articles.

Nevertheless, I found it to be an enjoyable read and strongly recommend it to anyone interested in Guatemala and the Maya culture.

I have not finished reading the book yet, but I found it difficult to put it down. The first part of the book describes his family and educational background, and offers insights to the American society in those days. Thanks to his position as a staff member of General MacArthur's team, his recount of the Korean War struck me as credible and insightful. The chapter on his trip to China is not as interesting as expected, which may be attributed to the fact that others like Nixon and Kissinger cover the subject in detail.