5 comments about Nicaragua /in Focus: A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture (The in Focus Guides).

1. "In Focus Nicaragua", while a decent enough tool for those searching for a light primer on Nicaraguan history and culture, nevertheless contains glaring revisions of well-known historical events that helped shape important parts of Nicaragua's past.
   
   In specific, Hazel Plunkett's descriptions of the violent Marxist revolution in the 1960's and 70's tell more about her personal politics than they do help explain the circumstances surrounding the fall of the Somoza dictatorship and the wars which followed. The reader is left wondering what lesser-known details of Nicaraguan culture and history Ms. Plunkett has decided to skew to fit her worldview. This calls into question the usefulness of the entire book.
   
   Multiple, negatively inferred references to the "right-wing" Nicaraguan press, "right-wing" American administrations and senators, etc. abound. Nowhere in this book are the words Marxist or Communist written.
   
   Ms. Plunkett fails to inform us that both Cuba and the Soviet Union funded the leftist FSLN, providing billions in aid to help fight both the Somozas as well as the Contras. They cynically viewed the revolution in Nicaragua as a nothing more than a prime opportunity to threaten/embarrass the United States, rather than as a chance to support some lofty egalitarian workers revolution. It's not clear Ms. Plunkett understands this. Rather, she chooses to accuse the United States of having behaved cynically with its use of the trade embargo to pressure the FSLN and Helms Burton to reform the unjust "land-reforms". While one can certainly argue that the United States took a very active role in opposing the Sandinistas, without some proper historical background as to why they were behaving this way, the story lacks perspective. One is left with the feeling that Ms Plunkett has an agenda.
   
   This book is full of these and logically, other, inexcusable omissions that neither serves history, nor "In Focus Nicaragua" well.



2. This book is a great quick review of the important historical issues and trends that have affected Nicaraguans. I spent a month in Nica back in Jan 06. I'm looking forward to returning and would recommend this book to anyone going who is interested in understanding where the people have been and where they are going.



3. The only possible improvement would be an updating of this book, now five years later, with the free and fair re-election of Daniel Ortega once more as President of Nicaragua, and moving towards the Bolivariano international movement of Latin America.
   
   This book adequately, clearly and comprehensively covers the history of this nation from William Walker to Ocotal to the most recent times, reported very objectively despite what appears elsewhere upon this page by those who might not have seen the same book as the one I received today. I find this book very objective, wel-researched, written and reported, and very thorough.
   
   It is a wonderful addition to any school library at any level, and a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about this intriguing and exciting nation. I lived there. This book tells it like it was, and is.
   
   And that excellent cover photo of the woman with the generous warm smile selling tostadas in the market is making my mouth water with warm memories of happier times.
   
   Not only for the student, but also for travellers. Excellent and updated travellers tips are included for which I can vouch, including how safe it once was while I lived there, although less stable now after the intervening Aleman and Chamorro governments. Very good book to prepare for any trip to Nicaragua. This is a good book, believe me, and the photos are also great. PLEASE DO AN UPDATE SOON!



4. I have gone to Nicaragua two or three times a year over the past 25 years. This little book is a good overview of the country without getting ideological. It is a few years out of date, but it seems to me pretty accurate. I will order it for my university students who go with me next year.



5. The only possible improvement would be an updating of this book, now five years later, with the free and fair re-election of Daniel Ortega once more as President of Nicaragua, and moving towards the Bolivariano international movement of Latin America.
   
   This book adequately, clearly and comprehensively covers the history of this nation from William Walker to the aerial bombardment of the civilian city of Ocotal by US Marines to the most recent times, reported very objectively despite what appears elsewhere upon this page by those who might not have seen the same book as the one I received. I find this book very objective, wel-researched, written and reported, and very thorough.
   
   It is a wonderful addition to any school library at any level, and a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about this intriguing and exciting nation. I lived there. This book tells it like it was, and is.
   
   And that excellent cover photo of the woman with the generous warm smile selling tostadas in the market is making my mouth water with warm memories of happier times.
   
   Not only for the student, but also for travellers. Excellent and updated travellers tips are included for which I can vouch, including how safe it once was while I lived there, although less stable now after the intervening US supported Aleman and Chamorro governments which enslaved Nicaragua once more in globalization and sweatshops and slavery.
   
   Very good book to prepare for any trip to Nicaragua. This is a good book, believe me, and the photos are also great. PLEASE DO AN UPDATE SOON!

1 comments about Texas Atlas and Gazetteer: Detailed Maps of the Entire State (State Atlas & Gazetteer).

1. If you are considering purchasing this atlas, I would suggest The Roads of Texas instead. I have two copies of The Roads of Texas and use them extensively. My copy of the Delorme book has not seen much use.

2 comments about Fodor's The Thirteen Colonies, 1st Edition: Relive America's First Days---Explore Revolutionary War Sites, Colonial Homesteads, 18th-Century Seaports, and More (Travel Historic America).

1. This is an excellent guide for those wanting to visit places associated with the events of the American Revolution. It is divided into sections by state with a brief overview of the state. Each state is divided into sub-sections by city/town/village (depending on the size of the site). Under each sub-section is an overview of the area's history and the role it played in the revolution, plus a comprehensive listing of colonial era houses, museums, monuments, battle fields, etc. Each listing includes a description and some history (for the most important ones), plus contact information, hours of operation, etc. Most of the town/city sections have a listing of historic eateries and lodgings.
   We have used this book throughout this summer, and we have had one of the best vacations ever! We were thrilled to find many Revolutionary War sites throughout our state which we did not know about. We even visited some Dutch Colonial houses in the heart of New York City! We had no idea that such things could survive in New York. It was truly amazing to see these houses, and that alone would have made it worthwile to purchase this book. We recommend that anyone wanting to visit any of the sites listed, calls ahead to confirm the hours, etc. We run into several places that were being restored and were closed to the public. Not a fun thing to find out, after traveling any length of time to get there. Also, as some of these sites are quite small and run by very small staff, their hours of operation can be by appointment, again good reason to call ahead.



2. This is an excellent guide for those wanting to visit places associated with the events of the American Revolution. It is divided into sections by state with a brief overview of the state. Each state is divided into sub-sections by city/town/village (depending on the size of the site). Under each sub-section is an overview of the area's history and the role it played in the revolution, plus a comprehensive listing of colonial era houses, museums, monuments, battle fields, etc. Each listing includes a description and some history (for the most important ones), plus contact information, hours of operation, etc. Most of the town/city sections have a listing of historic eateries and lodgings.
   We have used this book throughout this summer, and we have had one of the best vacations ever! We were thrilled to find many Revolutionary War sites throughout our state which we did not know about. We even visited some Dutch Colonial houses in the heart of New York City! We had no idea that such things could survive in New York. It was truly amazing to see these houses, and that alone would have made it worthwile to purchase this book. We recommend that anyone wanting to visit any of the sites listed, calls ahead to confirm the hours, etc. We run into several places that were being restored and were closed to the public. Not a fun thing to find out, after traveling any length of time to get there. Also, as some of these sites are quite small and run by very small staff, their hours of operation can be by appointment, again good reason to call ahead.

No comments about Wanderings in South America.

No comments about Barron's Traveler's Language Guide -- Spanish (Barron's Traveler's Language Guides).

1 comments about Small Boat to Freedom: A Journey of Conscience to a New Life in America.

1. In 1987 the South African government was failing and the nation on the brink of a civil war. British born John Vigor emigrated to South Africa at the age of thirteen. By age fifty he had become a syndicated columnist for an anti-apartheid newspaper. Yet he realized when the revolution came people wouldn't care who he was or what he stood for. He and his family were in harm's way. When racist graffiti appeared on their garden wall and discussion turned to the possibility of buying a shotgun, John knew it was time to leave. Abandoning a comfortable life and a country they loved, John and his American wife, June, were forced to give up most of their life savings to the South African government. Risking everything, the Vigors purchased a 31-foot sloop and provisions for a trans-Atlantic voyage to America, where they hoped start over. Hidden on board was a small fortune in gold coins.

   Small Boat to Freedom narrates the dramatic story of this voyage across some of the most dangerous seas in the world-past the Cape of Storms, around the Cape of Good Hope, north along the Skeleton Coast, and into the vast South Atlantic. John with his wife and their youngest son braved these dangers along with hurricane winds, rogue waves, failed equipment, and other perils as they made their way towards America. It is chock full of sailing details and the history of famous captains, hidden islands, record breaking voyages, and the legacy of ocean travel. It is a poetic look at nature, being out of reach of land powered only by the wind and sea-and being at its mercy:

   "We had been lucky so far. The storm waves had grown with the howling wind as the hours passed, but, as fate would have it, the real monster waves, the widely spaced graybeards with their fiercely plunging crests, had laid down their acres of seething white foam on either side of us.... Now for the first time, we were in the direct line of one, and there was nothing I could do about it. ... What I remember now is not so much the fear-though, heaven knows, I was paralyzed with fear-as the helplessness of it, the feeling of inevitability, of not being able to do anything about it. That was somehow more frightening than the raw fear... just before the wave struck, I closed my eyes, crouched down in the cockpit, and wondered if fish would gobble up the precious gold coins we were trying to smuggle out of South Africa, as they swallow the shiny lures of fishermen..."

   Most importantly, however, is the message the author writes for Americans in a time of war and government reaction. John watched in dismay following the attacks of September 11, 2001 as the American government cracked down on civil liberties. Raised in a society divided by apartheid, and witness to the destructive affects of tyranny, John wrote his story of sacrifice and survival as a reminder to us what lengths others will go to live in a free society. He cautioned Americans of relinquishing their hard won civil rights to a federal government, and to the dangers of ignoring the voices of other peoples and cultures, even if they are among our enemies. It is a poignant story of surprising depth, and relative to the American situation in 2004 as we face war against terrorism at home and abroad.

3 comments about Carnival in Rio.

1. Here I am living in New Orleans, the home of Mardi Gras with a passion for Carnival and happy feet that move uncontrollably when I hear a samba beat! As a photographer and ethnomusicologist, I am most appreciative of a job well done. This book with its vibrant stop action YOU ARE THERE photos of beautiful dancers in colorful feathers and minuscule sequins and beads, wild frenzied crowds, happy musicians and Rio de Janeiro excitement really takes you there! The text is fascinating too and gives insight into the people, preparation and parades that make this legendary event happen each year. Plus wait there's more, folks! This package goes beyond what most books of its kind offer-it brings you the SOUNDS of Carnival music in a rockin CD. Corny as it may sound, this IS the next best thing to being there! It's always a party here in The Big Easy and I can enjoy this book and CD during Jazz Fest as well as Mardi Gras, it is timeless. Austrian author and photographer, Helmut Teissl is an artist and I'd sure like to see what he could do with Mardi Gras! Come on down, Helmut, I'll throw ya some beads from my French Quarter balcony!



2. This book and CD are the next best thing to going to Carnival in Rio. Carnival is the Brazilian equivalent of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Except the scale and intensity of Carnaval dwarf Mardi Gras. Few of us will ever get to Brazil to enjoy the spectacle, but we can enjoy it from afar thanks to Helmut Teissl and his experience over 12 Carnivals.

   Before praising this work further, let me put out a caution. This book contains images of bare breasts and barely covered buttocks and private parts that will offend some. If those images are troubling to you, I suggest you avoid this book. For those who are neutral on the subject, I found the displays of female anatomy to be consistent with portraying the event, rather than being present for inappropriate reasons.

   One of the great strengths of this book is that it explains about the competition among the Samba clubs that is the key feature of Carnival. I learned that there are many requirements for how these are conducted. For example, there must be a group of at least 70 women over the age of 45 wearing skirts. The costumes of these women can weigh as much of 33 pounds each. That's a lot for a small woman to bear. There is also a large group of male pushers, who roll the floats ahead with hand labor. The music section that produces the Samba beat will often exceed 300, and each Samba club has its own unique Samba sound, which you can hear on the CD.

   The photographs cover preparations throughout the year, as well as Carnival itself. Some of the images are of people standing, and others use a long exposure to capture the astonishing motion of the dancing. These latter images are like abstract art. In each case, the images are in vibrant color, like plumage of exotic animals in the Amazon jungle.

   There is also a lot of social commentary in the photographs. In several cases, performers are wearing very expensive costumes and display smiles featuring the rotting and missing teeth of the poor. In other cases, you see expensive orthodontia in the smiles among the featured women of the Samba clubs. The costumes and the gaity seem to be pushing back against the blackness of night, the darkness of death, and the risk of damnation. In some ways, you will feel like you are watching a voodoo rite in a James Bond movie, rather than a fun parade.

   After experiencing Carnival, I suggest that you think about the key rituals of our own society. What positive and not-so-positive qualities are represented? As a starting point, you might begin with Halloween and then move on to Thanksgiving. Then consider your town's Memorial Day parade. I leave it to you to choose your rituals after that. How can you and your family develop and nurture rituals that will be good for each of you and the whole family?

   Feel the beat!




3. This is one of the most beautiful photographic essays I have ever seen. It is so intense, it is almost too much (like the movie Moulin Rouge); but because it is a book rather than a movie, you can take it in at your own pace. The colors, excitement, and sensuality of Carnival are captured in a way that makes you glad you, too, are a member of the human race. The CD which comes with the book is a nice addition, but doesn't come close in vividness and stimulation to the photos.

No comments about National Parks of Washington D.C.: The Story Behind the Scenery.

4 comments about Guatemala : Adventures in Nature.

1. The investigation of Richard Mahler in Guatemala is above excellent, and I really love all the details of adventure in it. I recommend this book to every tourist and local people, is amazing all the beauty that we have down here. Is very complete, including hotels, restaurants, what to see, what to do in each part of the country. A list of volcanoes, rivers, caves and recommendations of fishing, cycling, kayaking, etc etc. with a list of tourist operators on each issue. Great book!



2. This book is based on an earlier book by Mr. Mahler, which I used frequently during my 1994-97 posting to Guatemala. I had several guide books, but found that Mr. Mahler's was the one I turned to most frequently. I eventually got to many of the places mentioned in his book, and found that the information he had provided was accurate and useful. I spoke with Mr. Mahler just before leaving Guatemala, and am delighted that he included some of my suggestions in this book, including Los Viejitos Restaurant in Nebaj (look for the green door)--the owner told me she used to cook for Nancy Sinatra!



3. As the author of this book, I am predictably biased in its favor. However, I feel it's important to say that I spent several months in late 1998 and early 1999 poring over every word, photo, and map to make sure that it was correct, helpful, and informative. Readers will find everything from restaurant and hotel reviews to reports on Spanish schools, craft markets, and Maya ruins. I find Guatemala a fascinating and rewarding country to visit and it remains one of the world's greatest travel bargains. However, since the Peace Accords were signed in 1996 and the guerrilla war ended, more and more people are discovering this place. Therefore, prices will only go up. I'm convinced that there is no better time to see the unspoiled treasures of Guatemala than right now, before the crowds descend. My specialties are the contemporary and ancient cultures of the Maya as well as the national parks of the country. In the latest edition of my book, I've gone to great lengths to include every possible useful tidbit of information on these subjects, from the best place to explore the rainforest to the best way to tour Tikal. As always, I am eager to receive reports from readers, who supply me with some of the best insider information available. Enjoy!



4. (From Planeta.com Journal) - Reading Richard Mahler is like opening a letter from a well-traveled friend. This is the second edition of a regional classic. Its coverage of environmental issues and travel options is first-rate. This is a must read for any eco traveler.

No comments about Fort Lauderdale, FL (Images of America (Arcadia Publishing)).