Mexico Books

Four Hands is a wonderfully inventive novel: a political thriller of spies, hit men, terrorists, drug dealers, and assorted malefactors, all involved in the shadowy fringes of the history of two nations. Its tellers are Greg Simon and Julio Fernandez, investigative journalists who are chasing down an elaborate conspiracy plot. The story they discover and type out together weaves truth with lies, wild humor with tragedy, and reality with fantasy-a stranger-than-fiction tale of imperial excess where delusion makes perfect sense.

Four Hands

ANNOTATION
Stan Laurel, one of the heroes of Four Hands, wanders into Mexico and witnesses the assassination of Pancho Villa. There follow other episodes, centered on Greg, an American journalist, and Julio, his Mexican friend and collaborator. Taibo gives the reader a plethora of brilliant characters in this panoramic novel that moves backward and forward in time.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
St. Martin's Press is proud to publish the first English translation of a major literary novel by Paco Ignacio Taibo II, whose previous appearances in this country have been this leading Mexican author's crime novels. The "four hands" are those of two world-ranging journalists, one Mexican and one American. It is these two men who provide the initially improbable links between such disparate elements of Taibo's amazing novel as Stan Laurel's witnessing the assassination of Pancho Villa; the Disinformation Operation of an anonymous group in New York who approach their dingy office up a fire escape; the discovery of Leon Trotsky's notes for the crime novel he was writing when he was murdered in Mexico; the stupefying thesis proposals of graduate student Elena Jordan; an episode in the Contra war in Nicaragua; and the Spanish miner's takeover of a coal mine in the thirties. These themes and others, like the voices of a Bach fugue, appear and disappear and reappear, gradually weaving together into an intricate whole without losing their separate identities. Four Hands is a funny, dazzling, and exuberant work that only this author could have created.

FROM THE CRITICS
Publisher's Weekly
Two journalists-one Mexican, the other American-each tell the story of a plot to vilify the Nicaraguan Sandinistas in this complex tale that weaves together real and fictional characters including Pancho Villa, Stan Laurel and Harry Houdini. (July)

Library Journal
At times reminiscent of Doctorow's work, Four Hands is a glorious documentary-style novel, offbeat and usually comic. Taibo (Some Clouds, LJ 6/1/92) focuses on two 1980s journalists. Both partners and friends, Mexican Julio Fernndez and North American Greg Simon write about politics and revolution for the likes of Mother Jones and Rolling Stone. Interwoven with their stories are strands of fiction and fictionalized nonfiction that span the decades of the 20th century, roaming from the Americas to Europe and back. Other characters include Stan Laurel, Leon Trotsky, and civil engineer and anti-Sandinista Ben Linder. Taibo, who lives in Mexico City, is already well known to Spanish-language readers. This novel belongs in all strong contemporary literature collections.-Mary Margaret Benson, Linfield Coll. Lib., McMinnville, Ore.

BookList - Donna Seaman
Taibo is usually considered a crime writer due to such anarchistic detective novels as No Happy Ending , but even though espionage plays a role here, this hilariously disorienting tale is too slippery for a genre designation. The title refers to lucrative if frequently ludicrous partnerships, such as that of Laurel and Hardy (Stan Laurel plays a key role in this complicated narrative), and the collaboration of the novel's main characters, journalists Greg and Julio. Greg, Jewish and chronically alienated, is the photographer, while Julio, loquacious and sanguine, does most of the writing, although, four-handedly, they manage to crank out articles in both Spanish and English, doubling their earning potential. As they track down their latest story amid the chaos and fervor of Latin American politics, war, gun trading, and drug dealing, they inadvertently parallel Operation Snow White, the goofy, most likely pointless brainchild of a CIA operative named Alex. Taibo's cleverly fractured yet unmistakably pointed plot involves dwarfs both literal and figurative, Houdini, a long-lost manuscript of a mystery written by Trotsky, and wonderfully caustic musings on the cult of information. Taibo ranges all over the map, and we follow, curious and entertained.

Have you read a lot of mystery novels? Can you guess "whodunnit" before the final chapter? If so, try your wits against this book. Written from several different perspectives, bridging not only gaps in point of view but time and geography as well, this novel will make you want to bang your head into the wall. Taibo's work, however, is well worth the all the confusion, because once you have a vague idea of what is going on, the work's machinations are fascinating. While Four Hands can be read as an exercise in disinformation, in the creation of history, it can also be read as the construction of a mystery. In other words, reading this novel is like seeing the cogs turning in Agatha Christie's head. Taibo supplies all of the necessary ingredients for a good mystery novel: the killer, the victim, the mastermind, and of course, the detectives (Greg and Julian, two journalists). The construction of the mystery then proves more important than the mystery itself; the reader waits and waits for all of these ingredients to come together. The character of Alex, the crazy agent in charge of the intelligence agency "SD" ("It is not especially clear who maintains the SD either. One time someone suggested their paychecks came directly from the National Security Council"(11)) is Taibo's mad artist figure, pulling all of the mystery's factors together. Alex, however, tries to plan the outcome of this mystery, and so there is potentially no mystery at all, but just the manipulations of an intelligence agency. Can all mystery novels be seen as the result of such careful and meticulous calculation? Is there any such thing as the unknown anymore? Luckily, there are enough twists and turns in this complicated narrative to keep every reader happy. In fact, if you can keep up with what exactly is going on, then you deserve a gold medal. My advice is to just enjoy this "mystery-in-reverse" and to appreciate the kind of thought and energy that goes into creating traditional mystery novels.

Yummy. This book is a real treat for any person who can string together alot of facts, loves details from the four corners of the earth that all play into a plot, and intellectualism in their mystery. I have to admit there were some chapters about a play in some prision that I did not get at all. But what I did get was a huge grin on my face for three days while I slogged through this fun fun book. So many subplots. The CIA (sort of, with a great oberkonig character), revolutionary-chasing reporters (they love Che and pal around in El Salvador when they're not drunk), stressed out drug dealers, Leon Trotsky, and some old International Marxist Organization surviving through a bunch of octagenarians. Oh-- I forgot my favorite-- a PhD student in search of a thesis topic. All these characters come together in an odd tale. And the best thing--- the book has NO POINT. At least none that I could pick up. Don't read this if you need to have your Ts crossed by the time you're done. Personally, it was sheer joy to read this. The author and translator are clever and witty to an art form and I hope someday I have friends who can amuse me so.

I have not counted the number of books and papers regarding Geronimo's surrender but they are many. Here are the facts, easy to read, accurate, and presented in a very enjoyable read. The author has done an excellent job presenting to the common man the story of bravery, death, and hardship of the early American soldier, and the betrayal of the American Indian. Many thanks to the author and publisher. Where are the awards for them?

If you don't feel capable of wading through the Western history in this book, I suggest you see the movie "Geronimo." It's an excellent, slightly-fictionalized story of the Apache war chief Geronimo played by Wes Studi and Lt. Charles Gatewood played by Jason Patric.

Gatewood, the U.S. army's foremost expert on the Apaches, persuaded Geronimo to surrender in 1886. Both Geronimo and Gatewood were betrayed by the U.S. government. Geronimo was sent to Florida to prison; Gateway was sent to oblivion, remaining a lieutenant until the end of his military career.

Geronimo is remarkable as a cunning, cruel guerilla leader fighting to keep his freedom from the encroaching Whites; Gatewood is remarkable for the integrity he brought to his job as an indian agent and soldier. It's comforting to see Gatewood's qualities are remembered in book and movie long after more conventionally successful men have been forgotten.

This book maintains a high standard of accuracy and scholarship. It tells one of the best stories from the old West.

KLIATT, November 2000 Reviewed by Raymond L. Puffer, Ph.D., Historian, Edwards Air Force Base, CA

Most historical accounts of Geronimo and the lengthy struggle of his Apache warriors against white settlement have focused upon either the Chiricahua leader himself, or the two U.S. Army generals usually credited with forcing their bitter surrender. George Crook and Nelson Miles were indeed instrumental in planning and leading the campaigns that hounded the remnants of the Apache people into their inevitable subjugation. Neither, however, could convince the holdouts ot lay down their arms and put themselves at the white man's mercy. That role fell to a weary cavalry lieutenant, Charles B. Gatewood, who had won the Indians' grudging respect through hard fighting and his sympathy to their plight. In the course of a final meeting, which was as poignant as it was historical, Gatewood at length persuaded the exhausted "renegades" to lay down their arms to General

Miles, and to accept his offer of farmland and aid. When Geronimo did so, the last native resistance to federal hegemony came to an end. Ultimately, though, Geronimo and Lieutenant Gatewood were betrayed by the federal government.

Louis Kraft has written an important and historically significant study of the final phase of the Apache Wars. Unusual for such books, this one is as readable as popular history, and it will be enjoyed by those who have an interest in looking behind the scenes of history. The book is a fine reminder that earnest, hardworking and suffering people were responsible for the events in their textbooks.

Publishers Weekly, April 17, 2000

This recent addition to the parallel lives genre is a superbly told tale of the vicious Apache wars of the 1880s in Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico. Drawing upon a variety of original sources, Kraft (Custer and the Cheyenne) reconstructs the complex story of the famous Chiricahua leader Geronimo, a medicine man who came forward as a tribal leader and headed resistance to the coerced settlement of his people on reservations where they were to become farmers instead of nomadic hunters. Lt. Charles B. Gatewood of the 6th U.S. Cavalry was posted to Arizona in 1878 and became a respected leader of Apache scouts, who tracked Apache guerrillas for the U.S. The frail lieutenant, sent to administer the Apache reservation, seemingly treated his charges fairly, earning the enmity of civilians and army brass, which led to a stalemated career and a lengthy court case brought by a man whom Gatewood arrested for defrauding Apaches. After meeting at various times and maintaining a mutual respect, Gatewood and Geronimo came together again in 1886, when the former was ordered to track the latter to Mexico and convince him to surrender, even as columns of American and Mexican troops searched for Geronimo's elusive group. The tension and frustrations of what was Gatewood's final mission are palpable, as he convinces Geronimo to allow the tribe's "relocation" to Florida. Gatewood, who gets much fuller treatment here than his counterpart, never got his due for brilliant service in tragically misguided cause, and Geronimo never again saw his homeland or many of his family, from whom he was separated.

"Gatewood and Geronimo" by Louis Kraft documents the heroic deeds of a man of unheralded greatness, of one Charles B. Gatewood. Many lesser men rose to the rank of general while Gatewood died holding the same rank he held when he played the key role in efecting the surrender of the formidable Apache warrior, Geronimo. The surrender of Geronimo effectively ended the American Indian Wars. Kraft's volume brings focus on the long neglected importance of Gatewood's role in American history, and on the long term effects that one ordinary man's moral integrity can have on human history, even though it was ignored, and even despised while Gatewood was alive.

A Gathering Of Fugitives: American Political Expatriates In Mexico 1948-1965 by Diana Anhalt is a solid reference and historical narrative about a group of Americans (ranging from Spanish Civil War veterans, Communist Party organizers, Hollywood activists, and other post-World War II political dissidents) who went through political exile and expatriation in Mexico for a variety of different reasons. Their individual and community struggles to adapt, political clashes, along with the personal stories of some who returned to America are all covered in-depth in this most remarkable and recommended study.

I was motivated to read Diana Anhalt's book in almost one sitting. Having grown up in the setting she describes but being well sheltered from the events, I am very impressed by her very thorough research into the smallest details of the events. She is objective and points out the extent to which governments, including our own and not excluding others, will go to in order to protect their current objectives. It makes us painfully aware of how much we should or should not allow our government to do in the name of expediency.

The fate of creative Americans trapped in the McCarthy mulcher of the early 50s is well-known, but in this splendid volume Diana Anhalt sheds much-needed light on an unfamiliar aspect of that era. Here we meet lesser lights who chose to flee their homeland and take up residence in Mexico, in a tightly-knit community of the similarly beset. This is not a scholarly treatise but a deeply personal, moving account of innocents abroad. Will appeal to the general reader in addition to those with a particular interest in this period, and is highly recommended.

We've heard about the Hollywood Ten and other Communists and those suspected of Communist activities who sought haven in Mexico in the 1950s. What happened to these people and their families as they struggled to earn a living in an alien culture, always fearful of being deported? Diana Anhalt, who was 10 years old when her parents left the Bronx for Mexico City, has tracked down many of these people and their families whom she knew from her childhood. The stories she tells sound like they could have come from the movie scripts and other writings of the fugitives who gathered in Mexico. As a witness, she makes their stories come alive in a very personal book.

This book has the best information of any ghost town book that I have read. I would recommend it highly to anyone interested in learning about the mining camps and people of the old west.

A great book on the subject! The only reason I did not give it five stars is the lack of maps and the antiquity of the maps shown. Otherwise this book is a great source of information!

This book is the most extensive ghost town book I have ever seen or read. I believe the content is well detailed and documented. Though true of many ghost town books, I wonder if Florin's photos illustrate current conditions. Florin does not appear to leave any stone unturned in order to find historical details to compose each town's history in an interesting and many times comicial combination of text and pictures. To the book's detriment, the pictures are horrendous. Many are too contrasty, poorly exposed, and lack detail. I would have rated this book 10 if the photographs complemented the extensive research and text. If you are interested in ghost towns, it would appear that this publication could be a benchmark by which others are judged (exclusive of Florin's apparent lack of photographic expertise)

I have been to many of the locations given in this book. It is almost a shame that some of them are no longer in the same shape as when this book was originally published. I think that the research used by the author to be very accurate and makes for very entertaining reading. When I wish I was out exploring but can't go I pull this book off the shelf and it is as if I am there. The pictures leave a little to be desired but that adds to the mystery of the ghost town being described. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a thorough guide to western ghost towns. Well worth the cost of the book.

Maria's Rebellion gives a unique look into the Yucatan of the 1930's and, in particular, the life of children. Ten-year-old Maria finds many ways to get into trouble. She skips school. She takes money without asking. She sneaks away and worries her family. She goes to a dangerous cave and gets both her brother and herself hurt. In the end, she discovers that the approval of her parents, her family, and her friends is more important than doing what she wants. We learn about the Day of the Dead, about the class system in that society, and about many other aspects of daily life.

Gift of the Yucatan: Maria's Rebellion
By Trudy Sauri

Ten-year-old Maria is growing up in the tropical climate of the Yucatan, in 1935. Her father is so busy with his business that he doesn't pay much attention to Maria or her family. She rebel's against school and takes money from the family store, blaming her best friend when she gets caught.

Maria is sure that her antics will soon get her father's attention; even if it causes her to get a whipping. Maria manages to lose her best friend, and gets her brother hurt in her selfish rebellion.

Will Maria be able to get her best friend back? Will she regain her mother's trust, and her father's love?

I enjoyed this historical novel of the Yucatan and a young girl's rebellion during the troubled times of the 1930's. This author captured the essence of the culture, and the time period. Her characters will capture your heart.

Jill Ammon Vanderwood, Author:
Through the Rug
Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)

Great book. I loved it and the other books. They are interesting to say the least

Trudy Sauri captures the feelings and frustrations of moving into adolescence, the need for self esteem, parental love and acceptance, and the spirit of independence and rebellion. "Maria's Rebellion" another in the "Gift of the Yucatan" series is about change, risk taking, and the consequences of bad choices.

Ten year old Maria faces family turmoil during a time of political unrest in the Yucatan during the 1930's. Papa's frequent absences from home have created an atmosphere of tension and anger. Strict rules and severe punishment prevail which lead to deception and rebellion.

Maria's rebellion begins when her father has to leave the family in the midst of a holiday celebration. Family tradition brought them together for a gala fiesta. Disappointed and hurt, as an act of defiance, Maria took money from her father's store and gambled it away with her best friend Angela and some local boys in a game of Kimbomba. Maria's rebellion leads to skipping school and an adventure exploring the forbidden caves of Loltun with her brother.

After Papa confronted her about the missing money she lied and blamed Angela for taking the money to escape punishment. Angela was punished by her parents causing her to resent Maria and broke off their friendship.

In another kind of rebellion (a political town meeting) Maria had a chance to show bravery. Papa helped Maria understand the consequences of her rebellion and the hurt that others experienced because of wrong choices.

The Gift of the Yucatan Series is designed for the young reader and is an excellent resource for learning about the Yucatan culture and history. Guided conversations will provide an excellent tool for assimilating the important information and character development emphasized throughout the story. An important glossary is included which will help English readers improve their communication skills with our Mexican neighbors. Beautiful color pictures enhance the enjoyment of reading and understanding the Yucatan locale and customs

"Maria's Rebellion" teaches lessons on integrity, loyalty, obedience, and making good choices. The story is engaging, packed with adventure, and is memorable. Highly recommended for the Juvenile and Teenage reader.

This is a beautiful love story and very informative historically
The author describes events and characters like you were really there and knew these people.
I really enjoyed reading this novel. I couldn't hardly put the book down.This author is very impressive.

The author grabs your attention by setting you right in the excitement of New Mexico becoming a state, as seen through the eyes of a young woman and her family. Mardee has a captivating personality that draws you into her adventures and her loves, with an ambition beyond her era. The history of NM and descriptions of her beautiful mountains are wonderfully woven throughout the book. You won't want to put the book down. I am waiting for a sequel.

"Girl of the Manzanos" is an amazing story. Even though I am not finished reading it yet, this story grabbed my attention the first time I picked it up to read it. This story is insightful, and I think young boys, and especially young girls, can relate to the main character, Mardee. Barbara Spencer Foster did an amazing job writing "Girl of the Manzanos." It was obviously hard work writing such a good story, but she managed to do it successfully. I think everyone should read "Girl of the Manzanos."

Girl of the Manzanos is an easy flowing novel portraying the history of the early statehood era of New Mexico and entertwining romance with the culture of the time. The main character, Mardee, is appealing and believeable, and somebody with whom we can admire and identify. She's ambitious, beautiful, and bright - a girl ahead of her time. I couldn't put the book down and believe it will appeal to readers of all ages.

Tad Nichols (memory eternal!) left us a treasure: powerful images of a beautiful canyon now buried under water and mud. The art is amazing, very much in the tradition of Ansel Adams. The loss is stunning: it's difficult to imagine how even hardened landwasters could have condemned this wonder to a watery grave. Now all that's left to us are photographs and memories ... of a world most of us will never have the privilege to see. Enjoy!

This is the best collection of photos I have seen on the now drowned Glen Canyon. Unlike some other books covering the area, this collection was clearly taken by a professional photographer. These pictures could easily be mistaken for Ansel Adams and I believe Mr. Nichols lists him as a big influence on his work. If you are like me and a lover of canyon country, it will definitely make you a little wistful thinking that this area has been lost--probably irretrievably. I just wish there were a comparable collection of color photos of Glen Canyon to supplement this wonderful work.

Anyone will find the pictures breathtaking. If you have an interest in the southwest rivers and canyons you will especially enjoy this book. If you are interested in seeing what they stole from us by the construction of Glen Canyon Dam then this book is required reading. Hayduke lives!

I have been researching Glen Canyon and Lake Powell for years now, for a book I'm working on, and my wife had always taken a very passive interest in what I was doing. She'd listen to me talk and add a comment or two, but it wasn't until I got this book that she realized just what I'd been rambling about.
The photos are just like that.
The black-and-white photos of sinuos, twisting, sandstone places like Dungeon Canyon and the Cathedral-in-the-Desert will take your breath away; they will make you ache to see the places the photos are of, and then they will break your heart when you realize all those places are currently underwater.
Whatever your position on Lake Powell and Glen Canyon is--whether you think that Glen Canyon Dam is a giant, concrete Satan, or that it's a great source of employment, water, and electricity for the people of the West, you will have to admit these photos are beautiful, and of a beautiful place, and that something irreplaceable has been drowned and hidden away.
By all means, get this book.
And get Eleanor Inskip's full-color "The Colorado River through Glen Canyon: Before Lake Powell." Both books are excellent.

"... the most useful guidebook... a great reference." The Traveling Golfer

A guide written by golfers for golfers. Hundreds of resorts are described in this book, with details including fees, course profile (par, hazards, yardage), resident pro information, accommodations (with prices), dining options and equipment rentals. All establishments are open to the public.

"If you love golf, Golf Resorts is for you." Relax Magazine

Northwest Airlines WorldTraveler Magazine: " Make sure you have a copy on hand. This tome is the only pre-trip guide you'll need to research not only golf courses, but nearby lodging, restaurants, and additional recreation - for after-golf or non-golfing spouses. The book covers more than 600 courses. The authors have rated the top 50, breaking those down into 38 large and 12 small resorts."

The book arrived as promised in like new condition. I am very pleased with the delivery and the sale process.

This book's central thesis is that Classical Maya civilization collapsed as a result of a drought in Mesoamerica extending throughout the 9th century AD. This particular drought was the local manifestation of Northern Hemisphere weather patterns that the author asserts have been repeated frequently over shorter time periods for thousands of years, even into this century, and which nearly always produce drought in Mesoamerica.

Once you accept the author's evidence for Mesoamerican droughts and their regularity, that evidence provides a parsimonious explanation for the end of Classical Maya civilization. After reading this book, I think many people will accept the evidence and the explanation.

More complex hypotheses, including overpopulation, warfare between Mayan city-states, external invasion, disease, over centralization, exhaustion of a stable environment, and peasant revolt are not needed to explain the collapse. This does not mean that such factors, if they existed, did not influence the course of the collapse, just that the collapse would have happened because of the drought whether or not other factors existed.

To support his thesis, which is clearly stated clearly at the beginning of the book, Dr. Gill takes the reader on a tour of a multitude of scientific disciplines. Each discipline studied adds information about the importance, frequency, possible causes and consequences of drought in Mesoamerican and on civilization and population trends throughout the world. Any one of these tours alone is worth the price of the book, since they are extremely well written and provide the foundation for further study on each topic covered.

In a chapter titled "Geology, Hydrology, and Water," the author describes the geology and hydrology of the Yucatan and the Maya highlands and the major drainage basins, and provides an extensive discussion of the water supply problem and how it was managed in the pre-Columbian period. The basic geology is the standard stuff: seasonal rainfall, permeable limestone, karstic drainage, deep underground fresh water usually inaccessible, except in the north through cenotes and along the east cost from freshwater lakes or lagoons. But, this chapter also explained how the Maya adapted to this environment. For example, the author describes natural surface depressions used as water reservoirs and known as aquadas. The Maya paved many of these small depressions and some were provided with chultunes, bell shaped chambers excavated below the aquada bottom to capture additional water when the aquada was filled. (A single chultun could hold 30,000 liters of water, enough to comfortably supply drinking and cooking water for twenty-five people for one year).

In fact, Mayan city-states and even smaller settlements were designed with water management a primary consideration, with central reservoirs, residential reservoirs, canals, and the terrain and pavement of the city itself all engineered to facilitate the collection and storage of water during the wet season. This was important, because, as explained in a chapter on "Paleoclimatology," small-scale (relative to the great final calamity) droughts were endemic to the Maya area as shown both by Maya water management strategies and more recent evidence from sediment recovered from the bottom of lakes. Records during the Spanish colonial period point to further famines on a regular basis after the conquest. In fact, during the colonial period, population looses from drought in the Yucatan ranged up to 30 or 40%.

In another chapter titled "Volcanoes and Weather" Dr. Gill argues that there is a strong correlation between the eruptions of large volcanoes around the world, and the worldwide weather patterns that lead to drought in Mesoamerica. This particular chapter not only provided evidence to support this correlation, but evidence that the volcanoes may have been a forcing mechanism for those weather patterns. Volcanoes and weather are a topic of some interest to me, and until I read this book, I had trouble finding a good introduction to the study of volcanoes, and to the relationship between volcanoes and weather. Now I have.

To save space and my own energy, I am not going to discuss the chapter on "Thermohaline Circulation." Except, I will say that that I learned enough in that one chapter on North Atlantic deep water formation and three dimensional ocean circulation models for all of the world's oceans to help me understand an article on the subject recently published in the journal Nature. I will also skip lightly over the early chapter titled "Self-Organization" which discusses, among other things, the overall flow of energy in a civilization, and the important roll of exporting entropy to the environment by a civilization to reduce the potentially disruptive entropy in the civilization. I will also skip lightly over the chapter titled "Famine and the Individual" which describes how famine can rapidly lead to the complete collapse of social norms and the massive disruption of "normal" energy flows in any civilization.

Probably the most important or challenging single assertion Dr. Gill makes is changing the timing of the collapse of Chichen Itza. Traditionally dated around 1150 AD, and cited as an example of the ability of some Maya cities to survive the Classical collapse, the author re-dates this event to the 9th century based partly on re-interpretation of inscribed calendar dates attributed to the period after the collapse. This particular assertion is probably one of the most controversial in the book and is critical to the author's basic thesis. I suspect that it will be the focus of considerable argument. In support of this claim, the author provides a new interpretation of the relationship between Chichen Itza and the Toltecs, which itself is probably worth a fair amount of discussion.

I strongly recommend this book to just about anyone with an analytical mind. If you are interested in the general flow of Maya civilization this book has a lot to offer. If you are generally interested in the interplay between climate and civilization, this book also has a lot to offer. If you are just somewhat interested in topics such as global meteorology, volcanoes, tree-ring records in Europe and America, or the debate between uniformitariansm and neocatastrophism in the early study of geology, you will still find useful information that is readily accessible.

Dr. Gill has truly broken new ground with this startling theory on the demise of the Mayan Empire. Why no-one heretofore considered drought as the primary cause of the Mayan disappearance now seems remarkable. His premise debunks the previous and long-held concepts on the mysterious demise of these ancient people and literally re-writes a major chapter in the history of Mexico. Thank you, Dr. Gill for finally shedding light on this dark topic and providing a conclusive answer to what has long been a nebulous and even divisive black hole in the anthropologic annals of North America.

Although The Great Maya Droughts by Richardson Gill is a very impressive collection of information, it's not quite what I had expected. Given the title I had expected an archaeological account of recent finds and what they tell of the decline of Maya civilization. Instead the bulk of the book, eleven chapters of it, deals with a wide variety of scientific information having to do with a number of fields: physics, oceanography, complexity theory, meteorology, geology, hydrology, paleoclimatology, and volcanology among them. Not until the last two chapters of the book, and then mostly in summary form, does the author really discuss the archaeological data. For the average reader interested in the Maya and/or in general archaeology this might be a thirty dollar disappointment. Some of the material is rather complex, and although one might be able to work ones way through it on just the explanations the author gives of each topic, it would probably appeal more to those who already have at least some background in these areas. This having been said, though, I have to admit that I loved the book.

The author's primary goal is to introduce the theme of what he terms an energy failure as the cause of the Maya demise. To do this he approaches his topic as a physical scientist. Modern archaeology has come a long way since W. M. Flinders Petrie and A. Layard, and there is as much "hard" science involved in this discipline as digging in the sand. In fact with funds for excavations difficult to come by these days, there is probably far less digging in the sand going on now than there was in the past. Gill seems to be a model of the new archeologist/scientist. Steeped in what E. O. Wilson calls "consilience," the author calls upon data from a variety of fields to supply him with the building blocks he needs to reinforce his thesis.

At first I was a little skeptical of this type of approach, even though I know a fair amount about most of Dr. Gill's supporting subjects. By the time he got to a discussion of the shifting of the ecotomes in Europe during the Roman period (p. 16), I was totally hooked. I had just read a book covering the rise and fall of the Roman occupation in Gaul, and Gill's discussion of it in his work made perfect sense. With his treatment of human culture and its limitations in terms of thermodynamics and its evolution in terms of self organizing criticality, he had completely reeled me in. Like others, I had considered the decay of the Maya centers to be a "multifaceted" problem. Human culture and behavior being as complex as they are-or seem to be-a multidimensional answer to the problem seemed logical. As Gill presents it, however, there is nothing so logical-or so simple-as the destruction of the human animal by a lack of water. As he points out, a person can live for months without eating but only days without water.

The book is well worth the effort, even for those with limited knowledge of the included topics, as long as he/she has the desire to learn something new and isn't afraid of a little work. Furthermore, the bibliography is a mine of useful resources, both books and periodicals. Some are a little old, 1970-1980s, but many are more current. Of the books that I've read from the author's list: Per Bak's How Nature Works is fun, as is Sigurdsson's Melting the Earth. Jered Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel is wonderful, a "must read" sort of book. Both Decker and Decker's Volcanoes and Bullard's Volcanoes of the Earth, though a little old, are interesting and easy to read. Of the journals American Scientist, Archaeology, Nature, Science, and Scientific American should be readily available in most college and urban public libraries. Those like Geology, The Holocene, Hydrobiologia, Hydrology, the Journal of Human Evolution, Journal of Paleoceanography, and Quaternary Research may be available in some university libraries or in their individual department libraries.

For THOSE WRITING PAPERS on archaeology, history, meteorology/climatology, anthropology, ecology, etc. this book would make an instructive source for "how-to-do-it with science." It would make an excellent source of quotes in support of your own themes, a good source for bibliographical material, and a good bibliographical entry for your own paper.

Not an easy book to get through. Certainly not for those who just want an overview of the Maya. Definitely worth it for those with a desire to learn.

Although 13 years old, much of the info in this book is still relevant. Despite the youthfulness of Los Angeles, there are restaurants and markets that have managed to survive for decades. These places are invariably great and almost institutions in their community. Hence, many of the listings in Burum's book still survive in this megapolis. You'll have fun tracking down that obscure German sausage maker who has had his shop for some 30 years...as well as the occassional let down upon discovering that the old Japanese immigrant, who made fresh tofu daily at the back of his grocery store, decided to call it quits a few years ago.

This book is not only a guide to the ethnic markets in LA, but also serves as an introduction to the cuisine of LA's ethnic groups. Interspersed within the listings, you'll find glimpses into the history of LA's immigrant communities, and what they really eat that you don't get at the mainstream ethnic restaurants. If you're the type that prefers to eat where you're the only one not of the ethnic group the restaurant caters to, get this book. It lets you in on not just the basics of a people's cuisine, but makes you feel comfortable with the unfamiliar (and much more authentic] dishes.

The book is organized into the following chapters, which fairly represents the demographics of Los Angeles:
China; Japan; Korea; Thailand; Vietnam; Southeast Asian [Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillipines]; India; Mexico; Central/South America and Caribbean; Europe; Greece, the Middle East and Africa.

Overall, an indispensable introduction to LA's greatest asset: It's diversity of people and cuisine.

This is a fantastic compendium of ethnic food in LA. It gives you everything you'd ever want to know: best bakeries, best markets, best restaurants. It divides categories by geography (important in LA) & by ethnic cuisines.

While the 1992 printing will make some info out of date (restaurants for example), this book is one of a kind & the best in its genre.

This is the greatest book on the best ethnic restaurants in LA. Hopefully, the author will put out a new edition. I have it. It's about 10 years old, and I'm not going to sell it. It's better than any new guide out there. Even if you don't go to these places, it's an interesting read.

When this book first came out about 10 yrs. ago or more it was a revelation. In one collection it guided you through EVERY major ethnic community in the greater L.A. region and told you which were the best restaurants, bakeries, markets, etc. I don't know of any other book that comes to close to being this comprehensive & incisive.

If you ever spend any time in L.A. & you are interested in ethnic food, you must have this book.