4 comments about Moon Handbooks: Mexico (2nd Ed.).

1. Utterly useless! I found myself in mexico with this waste of space. Luckily after only two weeks I found the Lonely Planet book.

   Buy it if you need something to keep a door open, or rest you foot on, but that's all.

   Some important towns are not listed, hotel and restaurant listings are brief and often prices are not included. Do yourself a favour and buy the Excellent Lonely planet guide to mexico.




2. It is tough to say if this book is the Good Mexico Guidebook or the Bad one on the market today. I don't want to jump to the hyperboles of my fellow reviewer. I have used Lonely Planet books and had an awful time of it before (see my review of Lonely Planet Brazil). So many people use Lonely Planet books that these "off the beaten path" travellers end up forming their own beaten path: they all stay in the LP-recomended hotel, eat at the LP-recomended restaurant, etc. LP is the Microsoft of independent travel books, and so you should use their books with caution. On the other hand, like most LP Asia books, LP Thailand is a classic - it served me well in the 1980's. So when I saw that Joe Cummings had traded his Thai travelling boots for a pair of Mexican ones, I jumped at the chance to use his guidebook for my Mexican travels. The results are mixed. Mexico is so big, there are so many places to go, and there are so many things to do, that it is a daunting task fitting it all into a single book (even a book this big!). Like LP's "On a Shoestring" guides, this Mexico book appears to actually be a synthesis and summary of some of Moon's other, more in-depth books, such as Pacific Mexico, Cabo, Cancun, etc. For that reason, it would appear that some of the Moon regional guides contain the details and nitty gritty. So if you aren't planning on criss-crossing the country from north to south, east to west, you might consider investing in one of the regional guides which covers a smaller area of Mexico in more detail. As an aside, if you can read a bit of Spanish and want to get really nitty gritty in the "Places to Go / Things to Do" category, check out mexicodesconocido.com.mx. They don't publish any guidebooks, but their travel magazines and on-line content is rich enough to replace any of the Mexico guidebooks on the market.



3. This book was absolutely useless. I used this book in 1999/2000 and found the majority of the information contained in this book to be inaccurate or very outdated. I encountered numerous situations where services, i.e. trains, buses, hotels and museums had closed down or not existed for up to 10 years in the past! The 2nd addition did not update any of even the most basic of information. After countless experiences of "wrong advise/info" I tossed the book. Please bear in mind that I lived in Mexico for one year and traveled extensively during this time with my Mexican wife. Buy any other book but this one! You have been warned.



4. I used the guide in 2000 and found it quite solid. Everything mentioned in it was there, and I generally agreed with the assessments.
   
   I like Moon Guides because they strike a practical balance between high-brow analysis of, say, the Blue Guides and cultural vacuum of Fodors. If you like to decide for yourself where to go, this one is a good start.

No comments about Woodall's Tenting Directory, 2004 (Woodall's Tenting Directory).

2 comments about The Magic of Bandelier.

1. I would recommend this small book to anyone who is interested in southwest archaeology. Written by an archaeologist, it resonates with solid science. But equally as notable is its readability. You laymen looking into southwest archaeology should enjoy this. Also those travelling in the area will appreciate all of the background provided in so few words .



2. I first discovered ruins of the Anasasi Indians in 1972 during a trip to Mesa Verde National Monument. Since then I have spent many hours exploring Anasasi sites including Bandelier, Canyon De Chelly, Chaco Canyon and scores of less known sites. I have read several books trying to understand who these people were, why the left their homes, and what happened to them. All of these books have been informative, but most have left me still confused. Now I have found a great book, "The Magic of Bandelier" by David E. Stuart. Mr. Stuart has written an interesting and detailed book about the Anasasi Indians who lived in and around Bandelier National Monument. He paints a clear picture of where these prehistoric people came from, what their daily lives would have been like, and why they migrated between the deserts, mesas and river valleys of the Southwest. He has taken complicated information, and presented it in a clear and concise manner. "The Magic of Bandelier" explains why and when different type of living shelters were developed, from pit houses to cliff dwellings to the huge stone and mud pueblos found in most of the national monuments. It also contains excellent information about the pottery made by these people, the remaining shards of which can still be seen at most sites. I think that lay persons, as well as those searching for scholarly information about the Anasasi Indians, will find "The Magic of Bandelier" to be both informative and stimulating. Now if I can only find my back pack and the time to explore more of these magical sites.

No comments about Recollections of Mexico.

2 comments about Mexico: A Higher Vision.

1. Mexico: A higher vision, is a book for all people. Whether or not you have been to Mexico the photographs alone are astonishing. The book portrays a beautiful country giving writen details about different sections of the country along with some historical facts and myths. For those who have been there it is a sweet reminder of the culture. From the past to the present. It gives photos of the old and the new and how they mix together. Definately a must have.



2. Wow. The photos of this book are really great. As the wife of a Mexican, we had to have a book of photos from Mexico - to reminisce and to see places that we haven't yet visited. We searched for the perfect book - and this is it. All color photos, artistically captured, exclusively of the countryside are in this book. All of the major regions of Mexico are featured. If you haven't been to Mexico, this is a preview to the wonders that await you, and if you are missing Mexico, then this will bring a smile to your face.

No comments about Frommer's Great Outdoor Guide to Arizona & New Mexico.

No comments about Silent Cities of Mexico and the Maya.

No comments about The Aztec Palimpsest: Mexico in the Modern Imagination.

No comments about The Mexico City Metro, a user's guide, cultual and historical tour (Metro Guide).

No comments about Rving America's Backroads: Arizona.