1 comments about Santa Catalina Island: The Story Behind the Scenery.

1. This book gives a nice introduction to the natural history of Santa Catalina Island, just a mere 23 miles off the Southern California coast. It includes lots of great photos and also information on the geology and biology of the island, with a few historical tidbits to boot. If you're curious about Catalina, this will whet your appetite!

No comments about Once Upon a Time There Was Colombia.

No comments about CONDE' NAST JOHANSENS RECOMMENDED HOTELS, INNS AND RESORTS - THE AMERICAS, ATLANTIC, CARIBBEAN, PACIFIC 2009 (Johansens Recommended Hotels Inns and Resorts: North America, Bermuda, Caribbean Pacific).

1 comments about Eastern Caribbean in Focus: A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture (In Focus Guides).

1. This slim book is a helpful and fact-filled introduction to the history and socio-economic trends in the Caribbean basin. Its focus is on the gentle arc of islands stretching from Anguilla to Trinidad. Sugar, bananas, and oil are among the commodities that have and continue to play a role in the economic life of the region. The author gives us a brief history of the Caribbean's past reliance on the slave trade to support its agricultural economy and the sometimes bloody uprisings prior to its eventual abolition in the nineteenth century. It is the kind of information you will not find in Fodor's or most travel brochures (I write this note standing at a Curacao resort photographing an idealized mural of healthy black servants - the second I have seen today). Of greater interest to the curious North American may be the history of colonial involvement which has left its ethnic mark on the islands' culture along British, French, and Dutch lines. Anglo-Canadians will almost certainly be amused to recall that it was in the Treaty of 1763 that Britain opted to retain Canada - dismissed by Voltaire as a "few acres of snow". In exchange, the delighted French retained a dotted cluster of islands that for all its imagined similarity to paradise is extraordinarily difficult to locate on any map - Guadeloupe. The impact of tourism is tremendous in the Caribbean today and it seems only destined to grow with cheap airfares and travel 'channels' of information breathlessly promoting the regions' splendid climate and recreational amenities. While some voice reservations about the cultural or ecological impact of this recent 'invasion', others might argue that the material benefits imparted to the island economies are real, needed, benign, and re-occurring. Each island's cultural identity is a dynamic asset that can be protected but not totally controlled from change with civic planning and an eye toward promoting the preservation of local traditions. In this way tourism and local identity can evolve together. The cultural impact of tourism, the development of off-shore banking enterprises, an ever-present awareness of the United States (the CNN Effect) get little attention and are generally beyond the scope of this book. The sinister threat of the drug trade moving through the islands is noted (A vacationing Amsterdam physician tells me to read SNEEUW OVER CURACAO, J.van den Heuvel [untranslated]). These are topics that warrant serious attention. Reading Ferguson's introduction is a reasonable place to prepare for that more serious study.

5 comments about Scuba Dic.: An Underwater Adventure Dictionary, Vol. 1: Caribbean Sea.

1. I was skeptical at first when I saw this, but I was getting bored just knowing the names of the fish I came across. I thought this would turn out like Fish Flips(eg only names of fish listed for each pic), but it has a LOT more to offer. There are written descriptions for each pic, that don't just list facts, but also explain how to find & approach sea life (eg. Size, time of day, hiding spots/location, animals behavior, etc.), I found this really useful, because after tooling around with my camera, I was getting tired of only getting snapshots of fishtails. The book held up great UW; the pages just got sticky bc I didn't rinse it off initially, but I left it overnight in fresh water and there was no problem after that. Since i started taking along scuba dic for dives, it's been abused more times than tina turner, & its still in good shape....thus far. I do think it's better to get familiar with it on your surface interval vs trying to learn underwater. But all in all, it's a really good idea.



2. Waterproof materials, GREAT photos, extremely useful information. I would recommend this clever reference guide to any diver. I can't wait for more scuba dic volumes! Retractable device a must, too.... places marine species identification literally at your fingertips.



3. Just in the first five minutes I learned to much about the world under the sea.Great book.



4. I like its physical size since its large enough to easily utilize while checking out interesting animals, yet not overly big and clumsy so as to interfere with your equipment. With the animal's photo on one side of the page and its environmental aspects discussed on the opposite side, e.g., size, hiding areas, and behavior, it helps enlarge one's knowledge and appreciation for subject. And I first tested its `waterproof' capability in my marine aquarium, where it was left for 30 minutes, then removed and cleaned in freshwater. Still looks like new, and I'll test it somewhat further when I go to the Caymans in the near future. I'm already looking forward to Vol. 2. Bob Goemans



5. I'm a recreational diver at the moment and I love this reference guide to some of the amazing stuff you can encounter while diving! Although it's just a small sample of what you'll run into underwater, it's a very informative and helpful guide to browse through before and after your dives to give your dive a fun scavenger hunt! It comes with a retractable clip that prevents it from getting lost or misplaced. A great gift for those considering becoming a scuba diver and veterans alike. Even if you don't go diving it will take you into the amazing underwater world through the wonderful pictures along with a description of the marine life shown.

1 comments about San Juan: Memoir of a City (THE AMERICAS).

1. Ably translated into English by Peter Grandbois (Assistant professor of English at California State University, Sacramento) and provided with an informative Foreword by Antonio Skarmeta, "San Juan: Memoir Of A City" by Edgardo Rodriguez Julia is a combination travel guide and memoir of Puerto Rico's capital city. More than just a guidebook for tourists, "San Juan" presents a personalized perspective on the city's history and culture by a gifted author who has created a unique work of literary merit as he describes everything the city has to offer from cockfighting clubs and smoke-filled bars, to cabarets and street traffic. The reader is vividly introduced to a living city conflicted with its colonial past juxtaposed with aspirations for a 'commercial future'. Also available in a hardcover edition (9780299203702, $45.00), "San Juan" is rewarding and highly recommended reading for anyone with an interest in this fascinating, complex, colorful, and sometimes contradictory city.

No comments about Chart Kit Region 10: Virgin Islands.

1 comments about The Traveller's Tree: A Journey Through the Caribbean Islands.

1. Got this based on a "top books on the Carribean" review in one of the popular travel magazines. The book is old, so some of the word choice and writing style is very out of date. The descriptions of things, areas, and experiences are indeed very good and detailed, but the prose is so flowery that it comes across as very pompous and unnecessarilly wordy. I've never read a book with so many 4-5 syllable words strung together in almost every paragraph.
   
   If you're into interesting older books with flowery linguistics, this is a doosey. It does give you a clear sense of the experiences the authors had. So overall... it's a bit archaic, but gives an interesting sense of what it was like traveling in the Caribberan decades ago.

No comments about Lonely Planet Republica Dominicana (Lonely Planet. (Spanish Guides)).

1 comments about Diving Bermuda, Second Edition (Aqua Quest Diving Series).

1. Ever considered a trip to Bermuda? Take one look at this book and you will. Bermuda is world-famous for some excellent historic shipwrecks and, speaking as someone who writes about shipwrecks for a living, I was very keen to see what original information was available to me. The answer was "Quite a lot."
   
   "Diving Bermuda" measures 10" x 7" and is another diving guide in the well-established medium size format from Aqua Quest Publishing of New York. As I have said before, these particular publishers, set high standards and demand all contributing authors/photographers maintain those standards at all times. Little wonder Aqua Quest are a leading name in the USA for books such as this.
   
   Not only is this book well-presented from beginning to end, but, as a Guide for Divers considering a visit to this country it achieves all the requirements for such a guide. Chapter One is an overall introduction containing details of Bermuda's Maritime Legacy - from the past to the present. This is followed by all the vital and relevant information a visitor needs to know when planning a trip including sections on Accommodations (to suit all budgets.), Shopping and Dining.
   
   Having, therefore, set the scene as far as the country is concerned, the book then concentrates on the dive sites with three chapters providing all the relevant information - both terrestrial and submarine. This includes no fewer than 20 shipwrecks but, for those who prefer not to visit man-made objects underwater, an additional chapter is dedicated to the country's stunning reefs and marine life.
   
   If all that is not enough, the Authors have also given thought to those who limit their underwater activities to Snorkelling with a further chapter detailing several good sites. With a final chapter on the all-important subject of Safety, the book is then rounded off with Appendices on local Scuba Diving facilities and Bermuda Tourist Board Offices in the USA. Time to grab that phone and make some enquiries I think.
   
   With almost every page decorated with high quality colour images and maps, this has to be rated as a first class book which achieves exactly what a Diving Guide should achieve and I congratulate the Authors and Publishers on an excellent product.
   
   NM