Central America Books

A formidable achievement, one of value for everyone interested in recent trends in social science

Students of Pennsylvania politics and legislative systems will find the surveys and their analysis that were compiled in researching this book as extremely valuable. This book is highly recommended.
An interesting observation this author makes is how the legislature has become more ideologically divisive. In previous studies from the 1950s, legislative elections were fought over few issues and legislative matters seldom reached "liberal/conservative" perspective splits. Today, legislative matters are considered far more partisan.
The book provides a historical basis for the current Pennsylvania legislature. The Pennsylvania legislature, which began in 1682, is our planet's oldest legislative body. We learn about the composition of the legislative today as opposed to a few decades ago, in terms of qualities such as political party (increasingly Republican), educational achievement (the legislature has become more college educated), and occupation (fewer lawyers lately). Readers further learn about the importance of political party organizations in legislative campaigns (they're important), how legislators spend their time (mostly on constituent matters), and how most legislators think (moderately conservative.)
A critical change in recent decades has been the increased professionalism of the legislature as what was once a part-time body turned into a full-time operation. Interesting, the composition of the legislature in terms of race and gender varied little during this change.

This collection of folk literature is valuable for anyone teaching bilingual Spanish/English literature. It is also very useful for teachers of Spanish language, anthropology , children's literature, and folklore. I am using it in a college level writing class. Stories are printed in both Spanish and English. They are short and well-written, retaining the flavor of the original in the translation.

Berlitz guides are not what you may call heavy-duty full-scale guides. They are cheaper - and also thinner on research, sticking to simpler matters and giving just a quick glance at the area. If you do not have excessive expectations, this book will not disappoint you.

Berlitz Costa Dorada is very good for a holiday-maker who will be spending most of the time on the beach and will keep cultural exploration as a firm second priority. For these travellers, a big and substantial guide (such as any thick book covering Catalonia) would not represent ideal value for money.

I found most details accurate and writing readable if uninspired. Again, you cannot judge this book by applying standards of a full-budget travel guide. Photographs are good, and some descriptions are in fact very honest compared to bigger brothers who often try to be too vague trying not to offend anyone.

Library Journal's review of this guide: "Combining encyclopedic coverage of destinations with loads of practical information and atlas- type maps, the series illuminates the wonders of nature but emphasizes the peculiarity of a place's people and their folklore."

I'm glad that I read this book. My family and I are considering living in Costa Rica.

This book will help us understand Costa Rican culture so we can have a positive experience in Costa Rica.

My wife and I have visited Costa Rica several times over the last 18 years and we have seen a movement in the direction of "up-scale" in lodging, in activities for visitors, and, of course, costs. This guide, written by a retired person living in Costa Rica, is exactly what the low budget traveler needs. It is not a guide to 5-star hotels but rather a guide for students, retired folks, and anyone else interested in an authentic Costa Rica vacation without breaking the bank.The author's knowledge about the bus system is a real plus!

This book along with the coffee-table book "Costa Rica : The Last Country the Gods Made" should be owned by anyone who loves Costa Rica, even if they think they despise social histories or politics as deathly dull. This book's spirit is undeniable.

If you don't buy any other book, get this one. It has it all.

Studied it at length before booking and then we took it along and were glad we did both. You will be too.

Part of the Global Studies: Latin America & The Caribbean series, Costa Rica: A Global Studies Handbook is a solid educational text written for students, travelers, businesspeople, and anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of this beautiful nation. Costa Rica: A Global Studies Handbook is divided into a narrative section (which relates the history of the land along with information about its politics, institutions, society, and culture) and a reference section (which has a timeline of key events in Costa Rican history, a listing of significant Costa Rican organizations, and entries of key Costa Rican historical figures, places, and events). An annotated bibliography and an index round out this down-to-earth, highly readable primer.