4 comments about The Reader's Companion to Mexico.

1. Save your money. I could barely stay awake while reading any of the stories.



2. Finding an up-to-date travel guide is the never-ending search. So why bother?

   The selections in this collection are VERY dated (from 1888 to 1987) commentaries by VERY dated but, in their time, VERY famous artists, musicians, scientists and writers. The editor's introductions to each piece do a great job of connecting the authors and times and setting the scenes.

   From D H Lawrence and Katherine Anne Porter to Langston Hughes and Graham Greene to Paul Theroux and John Steinbeck, these portraits of their times in Mexico are valuable comments on the way things were. If you're going beyond the casual visits to Mexican resorts (been there ...) and are interested in the character of the country, this book is well worth reading AND owning.




3. A truly fascinating book. This is not a travel book one would get to learn about hotel rooms and restaurants and tourist sites, but what a wonderful insight into the fascinating culture of Mexico. And by really good writers! The material dates from 1888 to 1978, but time is not so much the issue as insight and perspective. Top notch armchair travel book, and a good book to read before going there for background on a different culture.



4. Ryan did his homework before putting this book together. Although the stories aren't current, they open a door to the real Mexico. And you have to appreciate the authors. Most of them are good travelers,inquisitive and patient. They soak up all the culture they can, and turn episodes of inconvience into fascinating cultural exchanges. I've read a few of the books used in this compilation and after reading this book am going to order more. A wonderful read.

5 comments about Moon Handbooks Mexico City (Moon Handbooks).

1. Although this guide was a bit out dated and recommended resturants on the more expensive side, the maps and information were perfect. I accompanied it with Mexico City: An opinionated guide for curious travelers and the combination was PERFECT. The Opinionated Guide was more about the culture and the inside of Mexico City whereas Moons Guide was a bit more turisty. In the Moons Guide we were able to get a brief history of each sight. I would most definitely recommend this book. If you are traveling to more than one city in Mexico though, I would probably get an all encompasing book. This book is a bit large to carry in addition to others. But this one is GREAT for Mexico City and the places surrounding it.



2. As a former resident and frequent visitor to Mexico City, I still appreciate having access to this guidebook, which I find quite practical and easy to carry along (as opposed to the more common, bulkier Mexico country guides). I find the author's writing to be directed not just towards the casual tourist, but also towards longer-term visitors and ex-pats as well, with its extensive coverage of nightlife, day-trips, restaurants, bars, neighborhoods, and experiences that would not necessarily be of interest to a first time, short-term visitor. At the same time, it is well-organized and precise enough to be very useful to short-term visitors, I have on several occasions lent my copy to colleagues or friends and they have all had a good experience using the this guidebook. I find the writing strikes the right balance between being descriptive enough to get a very good feel for the sights/events and succint enough not to overwhelm with description. To boot, it can be an entertaining and informative read, especially in its side bars and background information sections (i.e., "chilango slang"). Overall, highly recommended.



3. This book is compact, easy to carry. It is well written - concise, intelligent, and informative. I've been getting to know Mexico City over the last year through two trips and a third upcoming, and so far this book hasn't let me down. I'm particularly interested in cultural, architectural, and historical sites, and the Moon Guide has directed me to many wonderful things, some well frequented by tourists, others less so. I've found it to be a perfect combination of seriousness and brevity.



4. I picked up this guide for a five day trip to D.F. last summer and it proved to be very helpful. It provided a varied and eclectic source of ideas and helpful tips on what to do and where to stay, and it helped guide my travel companion and me to some of the Capital's less-frequented attractions that a more concise guide might have left out. Though in some parts a bit dated, it is generally pretty good about offering interesting background information on different sights and attractions, as well as providing the reader with what to expect as far as hours, costs, and accessibility.
   
   The book itself is well organized, accessible, and easy to use. Indeed, it would have been made more complete with the inclusion of a more detailed map of the metro system, but I was easily able to pick up one of those in a book store before I left. Luckily, the metro system in Mexico City is quite good and not difficult to maneuver. And Mexicans are abundantly courteous about offering assistance to haggard-looking travelers with a limited grasp of Spanish.



5. The plusses: the book includes a great deal of useful information about the city, its history, and the surrounding areas. The descriptions are well-written and it's clear the author has spent a great deal of time in the city; I didn't go wrong at any of the hotels or restaurants recommended. The list of ways to spend your time in the DF is incredibly detailed, and the chilango slang glossary toward the back is excellent.
   
   Potential cons: the author assumes you will be driving; while this is very useful to anyone who is road tripping, instructions on getting around via Mexico City's extensive public transportation system are occasionally unclear or nonexistent. The maps take some getting used to in order to be useful, and woe to you if your route requires you to skip from one map to another to find yourself.
   
   Also, since the book was published three years ago (are there any more recent?), expect most prices to be $US 5-10 higher than listed and be prepared for some sights to no longer exist (the aquarium in Coyoacán, for example, is no more). This, of course, is not a criticism of the book since all travel books age quickly; it's just an FYI.

5 comments about Good Neighbors: Communicating with the Mexicans, 2nd edition (Interact Series).

1. Having traveled back and forth from the States to Mexico on numerous occasions I have found Condon's book very helpful in aiding in my understanding of the Mexican culture and mindset. Whether it be Christian short term missionaries or business men his analysis of the culture is very insightful. The past is what propels Mexicans while the future pulls us Americans forward. Mexicans have a much larger inclusive concept for the family than we Americans do. Mexicans also have two views of truth: Objective and interpersonal. Their speech is also more emotive than ours. Their concepts of time are also very different. These are just a few of the new things that can be learned from reading this book.



2. Good Neighbors is plagued with comparisons between the United States and Mexican culture. Presenting the material in this way is by no means objective and burns more bridges than it builds. Exhibiting cultural material as a ratioed math problem: X culture=this while Y culture=this, is an unfair comparison. Each culture is rich and diverse in its own right and Condon fails to get this message to his reader. It is a good book if you want to understand American culture...NOT Mexican culture.



3. Rarely do books grow in importance in their subsequent editions. John Condon's Good Neighbors: is one that increases in value for our times. No one who looks at the demographics and traffic between Mexico and the US can underestimate the impact that these two nations will have on each other in the coming century. How important it is for of both sides of the border to discard their biases and to be accurately informed about each other!
   
   I am not tempted to call this scant 88-page text "an overview." True, it does not deal exhaustively with all facets of Mexican culture, but it does sort out and address in real depth, critical historical, social and practical facets of Mexican culture pertinent to our understanding of where our values and communication styles run afoul of each other. It contrasts Mexican culture brilliantly with that of the Norteamericanos and shows how they set the scene for misunderstandings both on the personal and individual levels as well as in political and economic affairs.
   
   Rooted in solid historical fact, Good Neighbors brilliantly dissolves our assumptions about Mexico and its people and about the US in that stormy relationship and assists us with insights and information that can make a difference in how we deal with each other. Particularly noteworthy in this second edition is Condon's treatment of diversity trends in the US and how their potential to intensify certain cultural differences, e.g., around gender, rather than create acceptance and understanding.
   
   Good Neighbors is a good read, its depth belied by its slimness.



4. If you are looking to immerse yourself in the "mystery and romance" of Mexico, this book is not for you. This is a practical analysis of Mexican culture, as it compares with North American culture, geared slightly toward the needs and interests of persons doing business there. Much of it is actually a sort of "Cliff Notes" version of the great work by Octavio Paz, The Labyrinth of Solitude, and that book is quoted frequently. I have traveled to Mexico many times and am married to a person of Mexican descent. I found the book very helpful in better understanding Mexicans, my Mexican-American relatives, and myself.



5. ..then I suppose this might be okay. However, it didn't do much for me. You'd be better off just watching some good ol' telenovelas!

1 comments about National Geographic Traveler: Mexico, 2nd Edition.

1. Using this guide book my boyfriend and I planned an amazing Mexican getaway and traveled all over central and eastern Mexico by bus. This guide gave us great local information and all of the spots they suggested turned out to be wonderful. I will keep this forever with our notes and lend it to friends that want to have a great time! Great buy!

5 comments about Adventure Guide to the Yucatan, Cancun & Cozumel.

1. I spent a week in Cancun last year and this was the only guidebook I took with me. The best part about this book is that it highlights some more out of the way sites and things to see and do. I also appreciated the section on car rental since we did end up renting one to see some of the aforementioned out of the way sites (Tulum and Aktun Chen - which, if you are planning a trip to the Yucatan, are must-see sites).
   
   The dining recommendations were spot on. We ate at several of the reviewed restaurants and were very happy. When I didn't follow their recommendations, I was a bit disappointed (they were right and I didn't listen).
   
   If you want a Mexican vacation where you sun yourself on a beach and want some upscale dining and hotel recommendations, this book might not be for you. However, if you want to stay busy every day with exciting things to do and interesting sites to see, this book will surely help you on your adventure.



2. We visited the Yucatan area for ~8 days and used this book extensively throughout our trip. This is an excellent guide if you like to do things different than the mainstream. Not surprisingly we got tired of Cancun itself very quickly, with it's Vegas-like atmosphere, crowds and prices. This book was the only reference we needed to visit the surrounding region and provided a great overview of the 'real' Yucatan.
   
   However, the coverage of hotels and restaurants is not comprehensive. The authors only describe the places that where they have actually eaten/stayed, with a lot of personal opinions rather than objective views. Also, they seem to be fixated on bakeries, which was kind of odd.
   
   Overall a great book, but I would suggest to get a complementary guide for the purpose of food/lodging.



3. Might be a great book, but for my purposes (travel from Cancun to Tulum) it really didn't cut it. (1) None of the maps are to scale. Not a big deal, but in some instances towns don't appear to be placed in the correct geographic locations (e.g., shows Playa de Carmen located inland), and in the text the authors sometimes neglect to mention how far the town is from benchmarks (e.g., other towns, kilometer markers). As a result, you will have no idea if you are getting close or still have 20 km to go. In unfamiliar terrain this is somewhat of a big deal ("did we pass it?"). (2) Many of the prices listed in the book are WAY off. Not sure how this could be unless the locals have recently figured out they can charge a lot more. (3) Some of the recommended "budget" or "moderately-priced" hotels were faily sketchy. Personally, I wouldn't recommend a hotel that didn't come with a toilet seat on the toilet, or that provided only one dingy, ripped towell for the shower. Maybe that suits budget travelers, but at $60/night I doubt it.



4. This is a great guide we have been using now for the last two editions. We have looked at other guides, and so far this one is the most comprehensive for folks who want an unbiased guide to travel and learn the local flavor, locations, and habits of the people of Cancun and the Yucatan. If you are an "all-inclusive" type traveler who stays in one of those mega-resorts, this guide may enable you to see what you are missing by not venturing out on your own outside of the "packaged" trips controlled by the mega-resorts. If it had more information on local shopping areas like Mercado 28, Mercado 23, etc. and more local street restaurants, I would have rated it a 5.



5. This is a great guide. I've been to the Yucatan and Cozumel many times, and have family who live there. Still I found new places to go and things to do using this guide. I recommend it over the other guides out there. Some of the other guides claiming to be for the current year (2007-2008) list restaurants that closed down 2 or 3 years ago as favorites. It doesn't seem like the reviewers have actually been to the area. This guide really does seem to be from first hand experience. The descriptions are honest and informative.

1 comments about 49 Trout Streams of New Mexico.

1. This book is a very nice University Press book that conveys the essence of NM trout streams and its high quality trout fishing. Not a fish pic book, it emphasizes the experience of angling in beautiful places. Highly recommended.

No comments about New Mexico (Flyfisher's Guides) (Flyfisher's Guides).

1 comments about Mexico Style (Icon (Taschen)).

1. The book is very nice to take an inspiration for a mexican party decoration, with real ambients and true colors.

1 comments about New Mexico Map (State Maps-USA).

1. All the route information you could want while traveling through
   the State Of New Mexico and then some.
   Excellent !

2 comments about Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition (Penguin Classics).

1. I was intrigued by this strange chronicle when i lifted it from the dusty shelf of my local bookstore. I had never heard of it and I was surprised that such a thing even existed. A first-hand account of a 16th century conquistador expedition to the new lands of the Americas no less!

   The book is short enough to hold the attention and the fact that it is a true tale holds the attention through periods of drab text and detailed descriptions of the lay of the land. In fact, two distinct points capture the attention, firstly the matter-of-fact way in which cabeza de vaca views the monstrosities he is faced with, from shipwreck to torture and hunger. Secondly, the altogether human way in which the natives are protrayed; they are not seen as unthinking savages but as children, scared and uncertain, that need to be cared for. This is certainly not the tale of a gross escapade to conquer primitive peoples, rather it is an 'expedition' in every respect and it is fascinating as a result.

   At times it is a chore to plough through, but i believe the overall and lasting impression that the book leaves is a sufficient reward for the time spent on it.

   And, hang on a minute, doesn't the name of the author mean 'head of the cow'? How strange....




2. I didn't know anything about this real story until I watched BBC Conquistadors. When I learned about Cabeza de Vaca, I was eager to read the account of his years lost, wandering in the south part of North America for 9 long years until he found some "Christians" in the northwest part of Mexico. Although the book is short and simple, the information provided is invaluable, especially with the descriptions of the Indians in this region, its customs and way of living.
   One thing that called my attention was all the hardships he had to endure during his long journey, going naked and feeding mostly of fruits and roots, proving in this case that he was a survivor by nature since others were not that lucky in the same precarious environment. And yes, what a strange name.