Mexico Books

The book has all the substance and objectivity of a scholarly work by someone who has done research in Chiapas for over a decade, but unfolds with all the suspense of a good novel. It is the definitive account to date on this very important topic and a significant contribution to the debate on indigenous rights.

You will be hard pressed to find another book written with this level of analysis. The Zapatista rebellion was not an overnight reaction to a single set of economic rules, but is rather the manifestation of centuries of injustices, financial hardships and lack of political efficacy. This book explains the multitude of issues and events leading to the Zapatista rebellion. Dr. Harvey is a scholar who understands the political complexity and communicates this for all to understand.

This is how all books should be like. It's too bad high schools don't use books like this one. Gomez-Quinones doesn't sugarcoat anything in his book.

This book is written on facts. I highly recommend it to others.

Although I have not read this book yet, It must be worth reading. I have seen Chon Noriega in at least 2 videos of Latin American people in film and he is fantastic! He projects a very professional, truthfull and honest take on historical Latino experiences and events.

I cannot wait to buy this book!

and Thank You Chon for being such a positive influence to millions! We need you here in Texas!

Chon Noriega, Editor of Chicanos in Film, dares to create a book that reveals the culture, philosophy, corazon, affirmation, sangre, and issues of contemporary Chicano Films. Pues, what are you waiting for? Buy it and learn how Richard "Cheech" Marin threw stereotypes on their head and how Frances Salome Espana creates films on her own terms.

This book is a delight, and an essential tool for Santa Fe parents and visitors. Every home should have one. It's a complete, clear, and enticing guide to the things children of all ages can enjoy in Santa Fe. It made me want to borrow friends' children or be a kid again, myself.

D.Potter

This is one of two great guidebooks written for parents to help them select places to visit and activities to include when they take their children to Santa Fe. Both this guide and "Santa Fe with Kids" provide basic information about the usual activities and attractions popular with children in Santa Fe: the Children's mMseum, Palace of the Governors, the Plaza, and lots of others. You can't go wrong with either of these.

This guide is a little more "scholarly" than the other. It begins with several pages of child-friendly facts about Santa Fe's history, and includes more activities related to the arts and culture.

Both guides describe fun day trips from Santa Fe, but this one includes a good bit of information on attractions and activities for children in Albuquerque (and Los Alamos) that is useful if you plan to spend time there as well.

Overall, this guide contains more information than the other (it's longer and a little more expensive) and it has a wonderful drawing of the Plaza on the cover. It does lack the information about child-friendly restaurants that the other guide provides.

Of course, if you are looking for a guide that is written for children rather than for parents--one that can be your child's own--I recommend I See Santa Fe! A Children's Guide and Coloring Book

-Lynn Michelsohn, author of Roswell, Your Travel Guide to the UFO Capital of the World!

This book was just what I needed to get started loving hot peppers. Now I am an enthusiast, growing my own Thai Dragons, Jalapenos, Habaneros, Anchos, and more. The book is quite colorful, has many many pictures and is full of history, medical uses, recipes, and other things. It is certainly a great book, my favorite!!!

Delightfully written, with marvelous photography. A great starting point for those new to the adventurous world of chiles. Historical information, basic botany and cultivation, chile lore, chile art, medicinal and mystical uses of chiles - it's all here

Very nice book about Mexico and it's cities. Explained where to go and not to go. We took it with us site seeing!!! A+++++

Very good book if you don't know which beach resort to go to in Mexico. We knew we were going to Ixtapa but had never been to Mexico before. This book had the most comprehensive information on Ixtapa compared to others I looked at on the shelf. Written very lighthearted, honest and to the point. Good general information in the first couple of chapters about traveling into Mexico and what to expect (money, food, customs, culture, etc.). I found that the information was very acurate in its referrals in all areas (restaurants, lodging, places to go, night spots). I will keep this book to help me make a decision on which place to visit in Mexico next trip!

I prefer reading history books to novels and my favorite history books are often written in America. Michael Johns' "City of Mexico" is a fine example why American history often makes for such compelling reading. The book is a mix of excellent research, a engaging vision on the timeframe, and prose that offers a kaleidoscopical view on the city. Johns really achieves bringing back to life the Mexico City of 100 years ago, it's as if by reading this book, we walk through the streets of late 19th century Mexico city.

One of the superior qualities of the book, is that Johns has been able to present Mexico City in the Age of Diaz as a mirror of Mexico's history since the conquest by Cortes. The legacy of Mexico's repressive colonial and traumatic post-colonial history shines through every page of this book, and is illustrated by many fascinating, painful and sometimes hilarious anecdotes.

This book reminds me of another excellent book I read a couple of years ago, Jeffrey Pilcher's "Que vivan los tamales. Food and the making of Mexican identity", which is also a must-read.

I define a great book as one that changes and clarifies the way that I view the world. This one changed the way I viewed part of the world, and that's good enough for me to highly recommend it. I scarcely knew the history of the country on our southern border, and Diaz was simply a name with no context. This book is an eloquent geographical study of Mexico City during the turn of the 19th-20th century. Johns unravels cause and effect, patterns and trends, politics and society in what would seem to a visitor to be mere chaos. This academic book not only lays out the context and causes of the Revolucion, but provides some lessons in politics and power that play out even today. The only drawback is that the book brings us to the edge of the Mexican Revolution and then the book ends, like the first movie in a trilogy, teasing the reader for a sequel. But then I suppose the book would have lost its focus, so I am satisfied that is a self-contained and tight (and well-referenced) exploration of an intriguing place and time.

This is my second novel by Loren D Estleman;the first being "Journey of the Dead" for which I wrote a Review on January 31,2007 and rated it 5*.
Although I enjoyed it more;this novel is somewhat similar in style.
Estleman includes a lot of historical connections,extensive ,almost to the point of excess descriptions. He spends a lot of effort in great detail on characters and other things;where in many cases I just wished he would get on with the story. As a result ,his writing,descriptions etc, outweigh the storyline.If that is what you like ,you'll really enjoy this author.
I notice from some of the author's other novels that he writes a lot of mystery and suspense;and this definately comes through in this novel;but less so in "Journey of the Dead".
Estleman combines historical facts,characters,events etc. with fiction and I find it somewhat of an aggravation to sort things out. In 1991 ,I spent a week in the area of Soccoro,Bosque del Apache,San Marcial,and Truth or Consequences; Birding.This is where most of this novel is set.There is still an Old Soccoro area,with many buildings from the 1880's,but I don't recall any Mesas,nor can I find any town of San Sabado on the atlas.The town of Truth or Consequences is still very active and it certainly was Geronimo's old stomping grounds. Actually,I remember seeing a spring where he came for water. The time period is 1881,and several references to the death of President Garfield are made along with those of Jay Gould,the Railroad Magnate,Lillie Langtree,the actress,Jack Rimfire a writer somewhat like Ned Buntline,Bill Cody,Billy the Kid ;just to name a few. Although I'm not positive, I doubt if Judge Blacktorne,Marshal Ortiz,Frank Baronet ever existed or were based on real characters. I'd like to know if otherwise.
Readers of the fast-ation westerns will note the similarity of the main character Page Murdock,to Curtis Long of "Longarm",Skye Fargo of "The Trailsman",or Ben Stillman and Lou Prophet ,Peter Brandvold writes about.
If your preference is descriptive writing,lots of historical association and mystery over barroom ,canyon and mainstreet fast-action and shoot-outs ;this novel should be right down your alley.
Estleman sprinkles his novels with great lines,such as these;

"Cheap meaning stole."

"Every great fortune begins with a crime."

"God's finger touched him and he slept."

"They were dressed all in black from bonnets to shoes,their dark
hems dragging like crow's wings in the dust of the street."

"California has its swallows and we have our magpies."

"Any town that is running out of widows can't be all bad."

"A man who arms himself in secret is a man who will come at you from
behind."

"Gold itself isn't wicked,only its source."

"There is no sport in hunting men.I never did it for sport."

This story would be Ideal for the film media. Though it is a western novel,it bears the stamp of authenticity due to the fact that it was carefully researched, the characters were not just cardboard figures with dialogue but human beings living in Western United States in the 1870-1880's. Its setting is after the Lincoln County Wars when most of the males were killed off
during the fueds. Enter U.S. Marshall Page Murdock who is undercover searching for the Baronette Brothers who were guilty of a murder in the North,he is supposed to have retired from law enforcement. He was commisioned to bring in the baronnete brothers but had to do so quickly because the statute of limitations for their crime was approaching expiration. He bought a third interest in a saloon with an ex-lover who proves treacherous and one of the baronetted brothers who happens to be the Marshall in a neighboring town. The action in this story leads to a credible climax, it is a story which will have you waiting for the next Page Murdock Novel.

This is one of the great classics of anthropology and Latin American studies. Largely ignored during the rush to make anthropology a science of culture, this is a description of Candomble and the women who led the spiritual life of Bahia in the thirties. Good to see that it is now available in this format.

If you are looking for an excellent book on the Candomble Orixa Worship of Brazil, then this is the classic. The book as the title states is of the power of the Brazilian Priestesses of the orixas, also known as orisha. Mai De Santos, or Priestesses of Orixas are as powerful, and as highly respected as the Babalawos of the Ifa and Babalorichas of Lucumi. I highly recomend this to all Voodoo Mambos, Santeria Santeras, and all Woman of the world, who believe in the power of Woman.

From a man's point of view this is a brilliant and inspiring work, and should be read buy all who honor the Ancient African Gods.

Asi como el lector de QR, lo compre en un puesto de libros usados (de Gdl) pero este libro definitivamente vale mucho mucho más que pagamos nosotros -- incluso tiene grabados, fotos muy historicas etc. Además de que el autor (premiado como novelista, escribio obras respetadas en todos los generos literarios) captura (con investigación rigurosa) una epoca fascinante en Mexico, retrata muchos personajes y revela enlaces con Europa que no he visto en otros tomos.

en un local de buenos libros usados, me costó menos de la tercera parte de lo que aqui se pide por él, aunque vale mucho mas que eso, se trata de una edicion, agotada de planeta, no se donde tendria yo la cabeza, aunque la cartera si, cuando esta edicion salio a la luz hace ya unos 25 años, lastima que planeta no reedite tales obras, les hace falta ingenio a sus encargados de marketing, por su contenido historico vale la pena pagar, incluso mas de lo que aqui se pide por él.