Mexico Books

I got the map and have spent hours looking at it. If there is a more detailed, current map of Baja I haven't seen it. I like that the peninsula is divided on both sides, allowing for a fantastic level of detail. The texture is also very durable, though I'm not sure that it is truly waterproof. If I could only take one publication with me to Baja, this would be it.

I love maps, and getting one that is water proof is the best laminate for the fact it still folds nice an stores in the map drawer or libary shelf. This came fast and was in perfect condition.

This is the latest of many maps I've purchased for Baja, and by far it's the best one! The things I love the most: it's basic topographic, with perennial streams and springs marked, and road-quality marked the best of any of the maps I have; the settlements and important points-of-interest (gas stations, etc.) are well- and accurately-marked; and it's waterproof (in case you spill your cafe on it). If they come out with another series that is more detailed (say a 1:250,000 scale), I'll be ecstatic!

Great map. Water resistant would be more accurate description. A must map for Baja travel. Only complaint of its functionality would be some typos in names and legend icons. Complaint of its aesthetics would be the hideous photo on the cover. Baja is a beautiful peninsula, surely there were a thousand better images to feature on the cover of this map. Get it anyway.

This is an excellent map. It helped us wander our way through Baja over spring break. It's plasticized material stands up to all kinds of abuse, and it contains an impressive amount of detail and useful information. Couple it with The Rough Guide to Baja California (Rough Guide Travel Guides) and you're ready for a guide time.



The only other map for Baja I'd recommend is the AAA one, free to members.

I had the pleasure of going to San Ignacio Lagoon with Summertree Institute. It is a wonderful organization and San Ignacio Lagoon was unforgettable. This book will remind me of how wonderful the Lagoon and whales are and that it would be a tragedy to not protect them. I recommend the book and the trip!

What a wonderful book! I send a huge and heart-felt thank you to the author, Doug Thompson, for being such an excellent spokesperson for the friendly Grey Whales of our ocean...for writing such an important book...and at a time when their very existence is beginning to be threatened again.

Each year we watch, from our coastal town in Oregon, as these magnificent creatures make their yearly journey to and from Baja. It is a journey that we look forward to each year as they make their way down the coastline and back again.
I have had the opportunity of looking into the eyes of some of these whales and I must say, I have been changed. And now, even more so, after reading this excellent book.

It is my hope that everyone will have the chance to read this book and to learn from it. It truly needs to be in the hands of every conservationist.
'Touching the Mystery' is a thoughtful and beautiful book that not only educates folks about the wonder of these intelligent creatures and the importance of protecting them, but also about the lives of those that live near them...the keepers of the lagoons and stewards of the land and sea.

This book comes with a 30 minute DVD offering incredible footage of these Whales. Doug's many years as a film maker certainly are apparent in this documentary. It is absolutely stunning!

I am about to order several more copies (after having already purchased an armload)
Thank you again Mr. Thompson!!! You are a hero!

This book really shines a light on a world so few of us see. Doug Thompson has written one of the definitive books on whales, their history and their future. His personal connection to whales and the way he introduces us to the people and places that are so crucial to their survival takes you on a journey filled with the passion of someone who deeply cares for these amazing sea creatures. The DVD that is included adds a visual element that brings the pages of the book to life. It's also great to hear the author narrate the DVD and get a greater sense of his commitment to these smart engaging animals. Whales: Touching the Mystery is an enjoyable read and one that you'll recommend to all your friends.

Whales: Touching the Mystery entrances the reader. Complete with a DVD showing incredible footage of humans interacting with whales and whales enjoying thier ocean journeys. The book explores Gray Whales teaching us the beauty of their life and the impact of their journeys from Alaska to Baja Mexico on humans and the viabilty of ocean life. This book is for whale lovers, nature adventurous and the curious. The author tells the story of the current effords of humans to preserve the birthing lagoons of the whales, as well as the impact on the indigious folks of the area. Historical information combined with current conservation by the Mexican goverment creates an intrique of circumstances and give hopes to the future. Reading this book will have you heading towards Baja to sea for yourself and to experience the joy of our whale ancestors. READ it and Buy it for a friend or your local library.

I can't claim to be deeply familiar with the current literature about whales (my library boasts at most two or three books on the subject) but if you're looking for the one book that conveys the majesty and wonder of these incredible creatures, one that engages both the mind and the heart in ways both powerful and moving, this book and accompanying DVD is it. Mariner, naturalist and filmmaker Thompson has been leading whale watching expeditions to Baja California for 30 years--he may have been the first one to do so-- and he does an admirable job of distilling the knowledge, wisdom and deep insights gained from three decades of whale interaction into a narrative that is at once accessible, informative and fascinating.

While much has been reported about the profound, even life-changing, impact that touching a whale has on those who have had the experience, Thompson deftly steers clear of being preachy or New Age-y, leaving the spiritual experience for the reader to feel implicitly through his descriptions and the DVD. In fact, he has multiple objectives: enthrall, entice, educate, honor the stewards of the San Ignacio Lagoon, lobby, give the rich ideas for helping (and politicians reasons for voting), and gain new friends of the whale world-wide. He achieves all of these goals without losing any of his audiences. His brief history of whale hunting is especially powerful.

My wife Susan and I watched the 30 minute companion DVD. Like the book, it's pitch perfect and wonderfully complementary. We've both been fortunate to get close to whales in waters off Northern California, but Thompson's images of whale encounters in the San Ignacio Lagoon are nothing short of astonishing, truly powerful and moving. This is a beautifully produced video, with a quality worthy of network broadcast. Little wonder that Thompson and this book and DVD have garnered the respect and imprimatur of no less an icon than primatologist Jane Goodall. Like Goodall, Thompson is making an impact. Highest recommendation.
John Grissim, author of The Lost Treasure of the Concepcion and Pure Stoke

Here's another wine region which receives little attention in the typical wine books: an examination of Mexican wines - the first published in English. From a survey of the oldest winery in Baja California to newer ones springing up today, each winery receives a description review of products and size, and plenty of historical background. Tasting notes, reviews of Baja grapes and wine events, and supplemental travel details on accommodations and restaurants for those intending a visit make WINES OF BAJA CALIFORNIA: TOURING AND TASTING MEXICO'S UNDISCOVERED TREASURES a winner.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

It may come as a surprise to many that Mexico produces fine wines. This is especially true on the northern Baja where the climate is ideal. Ralph Amey, an Angeleno who lives there part time, holds many awards from and positions in winemaking circles, evaluates many different vintners and their wines in the area near Ensenada, especially the Valle de Guadalupe and nearby valleys. The book opens with a history of winemaking in Mexico, then provides a detailed map of how to find the ones in the Northern Baja. The book is lavishly illustrated with black-and-white photos.
There are two different sorts of wineries in the area, Urban and Valley. Among the Urban are Bodegas de Santo Tomas and Cavas Valmar, both in Ensenada. The valley wineries are Casa Pedro Domecq, L. A. Cetto, Monte Xanic, Chateau Camou, Mogor-Badan, Vinos Bibayoff, Vina de Liceaga, Casa de Piedra, Adobe Guadalupe Vineyard, and Vinisterra S.A. de C.V. For each, Amey provides directions for getting there, telephone numbers in case you get lost or have been imbibing the wine rather than tasting it, fax and email addresses, their web pages, founding dates, owners, vintners, details on tour times, as well as their production capacities, and the acreage of their vineyards. He also lists the red and white wines produced at each, plus how each winery came into being.
In the event you're a novice and don't know Merlot from Mogen David, a later passage describes the history of each wine and its distinctive taste. The only criticism I would have of the volume is its inability to be held open to the page you want at the winery you're at. A spiral-bound book would have served both the amateur and the connoisseur much better.
There is no question that Ralph Amey knows wines, especially Mexican wines. He is a founding member of the Southern California Society of Wine Educators. This is an invaluable book. Salud!

The author is remarkably humble to our greatly improving vineyards while accurate to a pinpoint. So great a book about Baja North, Mexican wines (guadalupe Valley where I live) that I have given 16 copies, to date, to colleagues including one who lives in France and another in Germany.
Roberto Chantlos: Rosarito, Baja CA, Mexico.

This new book by Ralph Amey fills a real need for a description of the many fabulous wines of Baja, plus it provides an interesting history, and lots of discussion of locations and useful maps and guides. Everybody who likes to think of himself or herself as a wine connoisseur should have a copy of this book.

As you begin this book you know immediately that Ralph Amey enjoys wines and is an expert on the subject. Here he has set out to tell us about "Wines of Baja California," as his title states but it isn't only the wines that he enjoys and writes about. He obviously loves Baja, and so we hear a lot also about "touring and tasting Mexico's undiscovered treasures,"including practical tips for visitors to the area.

The book is a gracefully-written, detailed consideration of the history of winemaking in Mexico, how to get to the valleys where winemaking takes place, the history and ownership of the wineries, as well as the vintages and grapes. Finally there is a discussion of wine festivals and fiestas, places to stay and to eat, sources of more information, and a helpful glossary of wine-related terms.

What makes this book unique is not just Ralph Amey's experience as a connoisseur and judge of wines, but his habits of thought as a research chemist and teacher; he is interested in history and geography and weather and people and processes as they relate to his subject, and his experience as a researcher and teacher help him to know the value of details and how to explain in an interesting way. An especially helpful touch is his suggesting, again and again, what foods go well with what wines, for example: "Unico Gran Reserva. . .Try with osso buco or mushrooms in puff pastry."

There's a refreshing informal tone to the writing and to the beautiful design of the pages, enhanced by vintage photographs, maps, and circular pre-columbian Mexican motifs. Very inviting.

Wired is a beautifully produced book from cover to cover. This extraordinary art form is depicted eloquently in text and photos and is the perfect addition to any art book collector's library. I found Mr. Arment's historic representation of the craft to be informative and the featured artisan weaver's stories to be both compelling and personal. The contemporary design, exquisite photography and high quality of production contribute to an outstanding book.

This is a great book on the Zulu art of making baskets out of colorful telephone wire. Not only is this a fascinating collection of images that jump off the pages, but it gives this art form its due. The use of wire in sub-Saharan Africa is explained and adds some historic context to this contemporary art form. The development of this form by the pioneers of the craft - the true night watchmen, is also documented here for the first time. The book also highlights the masters of this art form, with some personal history and images of each person's work. This is a highly recommended addition to you collection of books on African Art.

I just got a copy of this book and it is extraordinary!!! I travel to South Africa frequently and have several telephone wire baskets. I often wondered who made these baskets, and how they were connected to traditional African baskets and crafts. Well, this book answers my questions and more. The history is well written, including a GREAT foreword by Karel Nel, THE expert on South African art. In addition, the book gives the artist's their due, highlighting 14 weavers (or should I say artists), with their personal story and images of their work. I can now identify baskets in my collection, some by these weavers. This is a book you will love.

This book documents a marvelously vital art form and is itself a beautiful work of art. It is obviously expensively produced and carefully executed. The jacket, the cover , the paper, everything about it is absolutely first rate. An informative and very entertaining documentation of this fascinating art form. The photography by Andrew Cerino and the well known interiors photographer Peter Vitale is brilliant and voluptous (the color reproduction is astonishing).
I couldn't be happier with it and I think it will soon be a very valuable and much sought-after reference source.

This is an extremely high quality "art book" which will be at home on any coffee table or in any library of people interested in baskets, Africa or any indigenous arts and crafts. The photographs are outstanding, the paper weight feels wonderful in your hand, it's a very well produced volume. I especially enjoyed the introduction by Paul Mikula which gave a great context for how difficult the baskets are to weave and spoke to the history of the weaving from more of the standpoint of the Zulu people. I have been carrying these types of baskets for over 3 years now and there has been a big void in the world for information on these baskets. This book fills the void plus some! Thanks to the authors for a great information source!

Jeffe Kennedy has created a special window on the world. She appears to have the sharp mind of a scientist combined with the beautiful soul of a poet, and this allows her to take us by the hand and lead us to some simple truths about life and death and the world around us - truths which we might otherwise miss. Ms. Kennedy's book is an engaging and revealing journey, and I would recommend it highly.

I could not put this book down; I literally read it in one sitting. The fresh new voice of Jeffe Kennedy will make readers laugh and cry. I especially enjoyed her descriptions of her family, lover, and tribulations of being a woman in a male-dominated profession. Jeffe is one to watch! This book of essays should only be the first in a line of fantastic books to come. My favorite chapters include "Appliances," "Girfriends," and "Home Ec."

I loved this book! What a delightful documentation of the transformation of a child into a mature woman! I particularly related to her story because she straddles two worlds--the sophisticated life in the city with art and culture, and the Wyoming West of men, trucks and being tough. My own family comes from both those worlds and I found Jeffe's book a validation of my own feelings.

Note: I submitted another review on this book about three weeks ago, but have not seen it yet, so am submitting this.

Wyoming Trucks, True Love, and the Weather Channel is one of those books that is difficult to categorize. It's memoir, essay, American West, magazine articles, all of that and yet not quite any of it. The title tells you how wide-ranging these pieces are, and it actually refers to only one of the essays in the collection. Even Amazon.com has had trouble pigeon-holing the book, since it appears here on a children's books page.

The strongest essays are the ones about Kennedy's family. The first piece is about visiting the site of her father's death in a plane crash twenty-five years earlier. She visits with her mother and they recall a time that Kennedy doesn't quite remember, when she was only three years old. By the end of the essay, you have a good idea of who Kennedy is.

Subsequent essays discuss her childhood, her friends, her relatives, and her long-time boyfriend. A chapter called Thanksgiving is one of the best essays, about her awkward relationships with the children of her boyfriend and with their mother, her boyfriend's ex-wife. The awkwardness comes to a head when one of the children is hospitalized and Kennedy realizes that although she has no formal or recognized relationship with the children, she feels responsibility and love for them.

For such a slim volume of essays, there's a lot to think about here.

This book came into my life almost accidentally, and I took my time getting it to the top of the stack. But as soon as I finished it, I wrote Jeffe Kennedy to offer my congratulations for a job superbly done. I now plan to purchase at least three more copies: one for my newlywed nephew in Colorado, because the book has such an emotional impact from a uniquely western point of view; one for my sister and brother-in-law, North Carolinians who have fallen in love with the west; one for a sister who just likes to read, and who, like Kennedy, inherited her husband's children. I list these recipients to illustrate that this book is for everyone. Yes, it's a woman's book, but only in that it was written by a woman. There's a wry voice, full of wisdom from life's lessons learned, ripe with humor and the author's ability to laugh at herself, and perhaps most important, laced with valuable information about the ecology of the region. Webster's defines ecology: The totality or pattern of relations between organisms and their environment. That's exactly what Kennedy gives us in this book...she's the organism and the many settings in her book are the environment. Buy this book. Read it and pass it on as a gift to someone you love; you'll be giving a gift of hours of pleasurable reading.

This is the road atlas I use the most. I wish I had had a copy on my cross-country trip earlier this year.

The large scale and large type edition gives a lot of detail without being cluttered or overwhelming. Even wayside stops (picnic areas) are marked. This balance was achieved by giving a lot of pages for every state. Even Rhode Island and Delaware have two pages each.

In addition to the master index and national mileage chart, every state has at least a local mileage chart and index printed next to the map. Almost every right-hand page has one. The large type makes it easy to read in a moving car, even if its dark outside and you're reading by the car's light or a flashlight.

Thanks to the spiral binding, this atlas is easy to handle. Now that I have two road atlases with spiral binding I wonder why I bothered with road atlases without spiral binding. Not only is it easier to use, wear and tear is less because I'm not folding it back on itself.

There are also descriptions of "travel adventures" provided by discover.com. Not necessarily very practical, but does inspire a little day-dreaming. This is the same exact set of descriptions that's in the smaller American Map Road Atlas of US, Canada and Mexico.

Because of the ease of use of this large-type edition, this is the atlas I keep in the car. My other atlas, the American Map Road Atlas of US, Canada and Mexico, which is also good, has been moved from the car to the bookshelf.

I highly recommend this road atlas.

This atlas does not cover Canada and Mexico.

petervtamas@mail.com

This is good road atlas that we frequently use for planning trips.

This atlas has a lot of detail. Even wayside stops (picnic areas) are marked. In addition to the master index and national mileage chart, every state has at least a local mileage chart and index printed next to the map.

Thanks to the spiral binding, this atlas is easy to handle. Now that I have two road atlases with spiral binding I wonder why I bothered with road atlases without spiral binding. Not only is it easier to use, wear and tear is less because I'm not folding it back on itself.

There are also descriptions of "travel adventures" provided by discover.com. Not necessarily very practical, but does inspire a little day-dreaming. This is the same exact set of descriptions that's in the large-print American Map Road Atlas of US

I recommend this road atlas, but I prefer the large-print version. However, I doubt you'll find a better atlas in this format.

This atlas covers Canada and Mexico. However, as it only covers 1 page for most of the provinces and 2 pages for Mexico, you'll probably want additional maps when traveling in these countries.

I have used the 2001 AMC Road Atlas for two travel seasons, across the US and Mexico. It is sturdy, easy to use, and up-to-date. I'm in the process of buying the new one, and I look forward to buying one every couple years as long as I travel.

I'll never go back to the old staple paradigm with all the advances of spiral binding at my fingertips.

Well illustrated, easy to read.

This is a high quality navigation tool.

One feature of the Guia Roji is a list of the toll charges on the autopistas. The diagrams show routes from city center to city center and NOT THE BYPASS ROUTES AROUND THE CITIES. Some of the bypasses can be quite pricey especially in an RV. If all of the city bypasses are included from Nogales to Mazatlan it adds FORTY DOLLARS to the cost of an RV toll. The bypass around Monterrey are EIGHTY DOLLARS for an RV (pickup towing a three axle trailer).

This is hands down the best road atlas for Mexico there is. The maps are colorful and highly detailed, if somewhat small. The paper is also high quality stock, though laminated pages would've been a nice touch and added long durability. Overall I give it 5 stars because it works where it counts and, rest assured, you'll never get lost driving in Mexico if you carry this atlas with you.

This guide is the best known guide for roads and highways in Mexico. I have personally seen that even taxi drivers use this guide.

Of course, you can;t go wrong with an Atlas made from within it's own country.

Guia Roji has allways been a good resource for any map needed!

Well worth the money you'll pay for this book

Well worth the money you'll pay for this book

This publication has been my "Hikers Bible" for many years now. As some of you already know, there is not much information out there on this subject. Craig Martin has created a concise, easy to read list of places to the footpaths of New Mexico. Complete with maps and photos. A book I keep in my car!

This book, as the title states, lists 75 hikes that are in New Mexico. I found this book to be very useful in planning our family camping trips.

I particularly liked the fact that at the start of each hike was some information that can help me rule out or count in a hike with very little reading. For example, it will provide: distance, elevation, elevation gain, interesting points of the hike, maps that I might want to have, the difficulty, the best season to hike this trail. THe maps also are very useful.

My only comment would be that the pictures are black and white and many of them can be left out with very little loss since they don't add much to the text. (in otherwords, they are flowers, chipmunks etc.)

An excellent resource for someone who might be interested in hiking New Mexico.

I'm pleased to see that academia is now starting to look to subcultural doings as they happen, instead of invoking the fond nostalgia that the Beatniks inspired. The ability to digest and deconstruct the events that take place in this otherworldly space is much to be commended, and I think that by doing so the authors of these various articles may be tapping in to something most of their colleagues shy away from. The articles themselves are intriguing and scholarly, but never lose sight of their subject. I would love to see more editions of this book as the event (and the world around it - the context) changes and grows!

Prior to reading this excellent sophisticated introduction to Burning Man, I had dismissed this event as shamanism and tantra for amateurs. However, these well written, knowledgeable, and at times quite learned articles, have convinced me that Burning Man allows for the creation of authentic rituals that are rife with both transformative and aesthetic epiphanies. Moreover, it appears that Burning Man has largely not yet been" recouped" (to the use Guy Debord's term) by bourgeois capitualist society, and thereby succeeds where its predecessors, the Surrealists and Situationists, left off. Next year, instead of visiting the Himalayas or Mongolia for my taste of the (w)holy other, I will just go to Burning Man.

in these pages? Read this book and you will. Tho the author comments that this book was a composite of many different burning an festivals, te undercurrent feels strangely like one which puts you there in the middle of things.

There are a few details which, if you've been there, are a little flaky, and the book gets off to kind of a slow start (ergo the 4 stars) but as you bury yourself in this read (and it's one read that, if you're at all a burner, you will end up burying yourself in) you will be amazed... engrossed... wind blown... with a lot of little surprises thrown in that you don't expect, even all the way at the end.

There is another thing, tho... if you've never been to Black Rock City, and wonder what all the hubbub is about, ad you want to know if that ticket's worth it... and what it's getting you into... this book will give you a fairly good idea. Of course, your experience is your own... but, like I said in the beginning... read this, and you can almost smell the playa dust in these pages...

Critical writing up to any academic standards fused with a joy in language and topic. Wonderful! It will make your mind spin with ideas, and what could be better than that!

All This Way for the Short Ride: Roughstock Sonnets is a rollicking blend of poetry and action-packed, black-and-white photographs celebrating the American West, the ranch way of life, and especially rodeo culture. Written in the continued spirit of the original "Roughneck Sonnets", All This Way for the Short Ride pays especial tribute to the brave men and women who dare to ride fiercely bucking broncos for as many seconds as they can. A collaboration brimming with life, love, and the passion of the strongest roughnecks, highly recommended for western and rodeo fans. " The Night the Devil Danced on Me": A werewolf moon glares / from the top row of the bleachers, horned / owl with one eye plucked. In the black hole / of chute 8, Lonewolf waits - / an ugly bronc, mustang and rank, / the cowboys say, with notched right ear / and snaky, suck-back ways.

This is an entertaining and moving collection of 32 poems by Montana poet Paul Zarzyski, who belongs to that rarified fraternity of rodeo cowboy poets. The intensity and focus required for riding roughstock are transferred into these highly charged poems, and most of them have the headlong intensity of a high-scoring 8-second ride.

Some of my favorite Zarzyski poems are included in this collection: "Buck," a Christmas-time lament for a dead horse; "To Wallace," a tribute to rancher-poet Wallace McRae; "Partner," about the fierce and loving bond between two rodeo friends, dedicated to Montana writer, Kim Zupan; "Monte Carlo Express - Box 258, 15.3 Miles Home," about reading mail while driving a speeding car; and the high-spirited "Escorting Granny to the Potluck Rocky Mountain Oyster Feed at Bowman's Corner." The best, of course, is the title poem, "All This Way for the Short Ride," about the death of another rider.

There's an appreciative foreword by Wyoming-born western writer, Teresa Jordan, and 27 wonderful black-and-white rodeo photographs by Montana photographer Barbara Van Cleve, taken between the years 1971-1996. An excellent addition to any bookshelf of Western literature.

I took my wife on a whirlwind vacation of Montana in 1996. One of our stops was the annual Cowboy Poetry Reading in Lewistown. Paul was there to recite "Rosined-Up-'n'-Itchin'-to-Git" and "Monte Carlo Express-Box 258, 15.3 Miles Home." Afterwards I had the great pleasure of meeting him and shaking his hand. I was so impressed by his ability to describe his feelings for the West and for his own personal experiences that I wanted to read more, and was able to find copies of his Roughstock Sonnets and I Am Not A Cowboy. Everything about this man tells you what it's like to live life to the fullest, from the bare-back of a bucking horse. Thank God there are still cowboys among us.

Zarzyski is the perfect guide to take us on a journey through the cowboy life - his heart and his soul. But these poems aren't just for cowfolk, horsefolk, and rodeo lovers. "All This Way..." contains some of the most poignant, soul-touching lyrics. The poems seem rough, but once the reader catches the rhythm, it's a beautiful ride! Van Cleve's photos, honest and real, set Zarzyski's works off perfectly. If you are a horse/cow person or just a lover of fine poetry, please experience "All This Way for the Short Ride"! You will be greatly rewarded.