OAXACA'S ARTS AND CRAFTS More Books Across a Hundred Mountains, A Novel  •  Reyna Grande LITERATURE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 266 PAGES This novel set in a small town in Mexico, California and a jail in Tijuana addresses issues of poverty, loss, family and immigration. (MEX161, $14.00)   Ancient Maya, New Perspectives  •  Heather McKillop HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 460 PAGES An overview for the general reader. (MYA46, $22.95)   The Art of Mesoamerica, from Olmec to Aztec  •  Mary Ellen Miller ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES Miller, a professor at Yale, introduces the range of art produced in Central America and Mexico from 1500 BC to the Spanish conquest in this excellent survey in the popular World of Art series. It's an excellent survey of hundreds of objects and sites of the pre-Columbian world, compact and profusely illustrated. With drawings, black-and-white photographs and site plans. Fourth edition. (MYA09, $21.95)   The Aztecs  •  Richard F. Townsend HISTORY •  2009 •  PAPER  • 248 PAGES This entry in the "Ancient Peoples and Places" series follows the Aztec civilization from its origins in the 12th century to its defeat at the hands of Cortes. It is a clear, well researched survey of the Aztecs' history and culture from a curator at the Art Institute of Chicago. Illustrated with maps, site plans and hundreds of photographs, it opens with a vivid account of the Spanish conquest. (MEX54, $24.95)   Birder's Mexico  •  Roland H. Wauer NATURAL HISTORY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES A personal, informative account of travels in Mexico. It's a wonderful introduction to the natural history of this diverse country, including the northern deserts, Baja California, Oaxaca, Palenque and the Yucatan. Wauer was for many years chief naturalist of Big Bend National Park. (MEX14, $18.95)   Blue Guide Mexico  •  John Collins  •  David Jones GUIDEBOOK •  1996 •  PAPER This latest edition of the Blue Guide provides the most thorough coverage available of the ancient history and culture of Mexico. Featuring good maps and site plans of major archaeological sites. Serious-minded travelers will not want to be without it. (MEX55, $25.00)   Bordering on Chaos, Mexico's Roller-Coaster Journey to Prosperity  •  Andres Oppenheimer CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1998 •  PAPER  • 379 PAGES The author, a reporter with the Miami Herald, brings excellent journalism, insight and historical background to this outstanding analysis of modern Mexico. It focuses on events since the Chiapas uprising and political upheavals of 1994, including an analysis of NAFTA. (MEX50, $19.99)   Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish  •  Joseph Keenan LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  1994 •  PAPER  • 215 PAGES Idioms, common mistakes in word usage, and other helpful advice on tackling spoken Spanish. You'll need some foundation to take full advantage of this book -- but even a complete novice will appreciate the author's playful sense of humor and willingness to humiliate himself in order to master the language. It will encourage you to do the same. Beware, he includes a lengthy list of obscene words as well as horrendous examples of English words adopted in Spanish. (CAM06, $19.95)   The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico  •  Miguel Leon Portilla HISTORY •  1992 •  PAPER  • 196 PAGES The account of those vanquished by Cortes's invasion of Mexico, translated from Nauhuatl accounts. An essential complement/antidote to Diaz del Castillo's more extensive and romantic history. (MEX57, $18.00)   The Buried Mirror  •  Carlos Fuentes CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1999 •  PAPER  • 399 PAGES A fascinating, illustrated survey of Latin American culture and history by the great Mexican author Carlos Fuentes. With hundreds of color illustrations. Fuentes hosted a television series by the same name. (SPN71, $29.95)   Chasing Monarchs, A Migration with the Butterflies of Passage  •  Robert Michael Pyle NATURAL HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 307 PAGES A memoir of Lepidoptery, combing the entomologist-author's considerable knowledge of butterflies and their biology with a rambling road trip from British Columbia through the Southwest to Mexico. (MEX62, $14.00)   The Cloud People, Divergent Evolution of the Zapotec and Mixtec Civilizations  •  Kent V. Flannery HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 391 PAGES The original 1983 edition of this collection has become an essential resource on divergent evolution of the two pre-Columbian civilizations, both native to the Oaxaca Valley. Now updated to include recent research. (MEX233, $43.50)   The Code of Kings, The Language of Seven Sacred Maya Temples and Tombs  •  Linda Schele  •  Peter Mathews ARCHAEOLOGY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 432 PAGES A vivid guided survey of seven Maya sites, including Palenque, Tikal and Chichen Itza. This outstanding book features photos and line drawings throughout, and introductory chapters with a succinct introduction to Maya history and culture. Mayanists Schele and Mathews draw on recently found hieroglyphic writing to reveal the life -- and individual personalities -- of the ancient cities. Although it's not a beautiful book, marred by small print and lack of color, this book is still an essential companion to visiting Tikal, Palenque, Copan, Seibal, Chich'en Itza, Uxmal or Iximche'. (MYA13, $22.00)   The Codex Nuttall, A Picture Manuscript from Ancient Mexico  •  Zelia Nuttall LITERATURE •  1975 •  PAPER  • 96 PAGES A reproduction of the Peabody Museum facsimile (first published in 1902), featuring 86 full-color plates depicting the life of the great Mixtec lord 8-Deer. One of the best-known pre-Conquest manuscripts, it covers the period from 992-1050 in the lives of the Teozacoalco and Tilantongo of western Oaxaca. The original (said to have been sent to King Charles V by Cortes in 1519) is on animal skin-folds painted on both sides. (MEX159, $22.95)   Colonial Mexico, A Guide to Historic Districts and Towns  •  Chicki Mallan  •  Oz Mallan GUIDEBOOK •  2001 •  PAPER  • 359 PAGES A practical guidebook to colonial sites throughout central Mexico, with a focus on the wonderful architectural heritage of places such as Acapulco, Guadalajara, Merida, Mexico City, Morelia, Patzcuaro, Queretaro, San Cristobal de las Casas, San Miguel de Allende, Taxco, Veracruz and Zacatecas. Chicki Mallan has written extensively on Mexico and is an informative guide to the architecture, art, archaeology, history and culture of the region. (MEX104, $21.95)   A Concise History of Mexico  •  Brian Hamnett HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES A chronological and thematic history of Mexico, including cultural developments and contemporary issues, through Vincente Fox's presidency. (MEX162, $28.99)   Conquest of the Sierra, Spaniards and Indians in Colonial Oaxaca  •  John Chance HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 252 PAGES A scholarly history of the Zapotecs, which focuses on the impact of Spanish colonization on local communities and culture. (MEX94, $24.95)   Cortes and Montezuma  •  Maurice Collis HISTORY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 254 PAGES A classic tale of the conquest of Mexico: vivid, scholarly -- and incorporating eyewitness reports, originally published in 1954. (MEX95, $15.95)   The Days of the Dead, Mexico's Festival Communion with the Departed  •  John Greenleigh  •  Rosalind Rosoff Beimler ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 110 PAGES A collection of color photographs and essays (in both English and Spanish) celebrating Mexico's Day of the Dead. (MEX149, $25.00)   Distant Neighbors, A Portrait of the Mexicans  •  Alan Riding CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1989 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES This best-selling profile of the contemporary Mexico by the long-time New York Times bureau chief in Mexico covers politics, culture and economics. It includes insightful portraits of Mexico's recent presidents and leaders. (MEX28, $19.95)   Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Adjacent Areas, Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador  •  Ernest Preston Edwards FIELD GUIDE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE This classic guide, in a third edition, illustrates all the regularly occurring birds of Mexico and neighboring areas. It gives details of distribution, abundance, habitat and identification features for 850 species. (MEX47, $22.95)   Frida Kahlo, The Brush of Anguish  •  Martha Zamora ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1993 •  PAPER  • 144 PAGES This nicely illustrated short biography illuminates the themes of Kahlo's art and life, her passions and spirit, ravaged health, lifelong pain, and romantic entanglements. With 75 color paintings, archival photographs, and accompanying text. (MEX121, $24.95)   Frida Kahlo, The Paintings  •  Hayden Herrera ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 255 PAGES Herrerra's survey of Kahlo's work, with 80 full color and many black-and-white illustrations, is as engaged, informative and vividly presented as her popular biography of the artist. (MEX120, $34.99)   Frida, A Biography of Frida Kahlo  •  Hayden Herrera BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2002 •  PAPER  • 528 PAGES An intelligent, vividly written biography of the artist. Herrera is the person most responsible for the "rediscovery" of Frida Kahlo (in the 1970s), and this book -- the first serious monograph about Kahlo -- remains the standard by which others are judged. (MEX119, $24.99)   Insight Guide Mexico  •  Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2010 •  PAPER  • 456 PAGES A profusely illustrated overview of Mexico, featuring concise essays by well regarded authors on history, politics and culture, hundreds of photos and maps, and some limited practical information. (MEX35, $22.99)   Insurgent Mexico  •  John Reed TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1990 •  PAPER  • 292 PAGES The young man who gave us Ten Days That Shook the World made his reputation with dispatches from the Mexican revolution for Metropolitan Magazine. This is a book length account of his travels through Northern Mexico with Pancho Villa and his men. A passionate, vivid travelogue written with Reed's customary revolutionary zeal. (MEX59, $7.95)   The Lawless Roads  •  Graham Greene  •  David Rieff TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES A riveting account of Graham's journeys through Tabasco and Chiapas in the 1930s, including his time in San Cristobal de Las Casas and Palenque. Greene was in Mexico investigating the impact of the anti-Church policies of President Calles. He draws on the same expenses for his masterpiece The Power and the Glory. (MEX164, $15.00)   Legends of the Plumed Serpent, Biography of a Mexican God  •  Neil Baldwin HISTORY •  1998 •  HARD COVER  • 240 PAGES Structured loosely on the myth of the feathered god Quetzalcoatl, this magnificently illustrated book mingles history, travelogue and social commentary. Among its many merits, the book includes an excellent account of the Spanish conquest and a nuanced discussion of how the federal government has treated indigenous populations. (MEX56, $37.50)   Life in Mexico  •  Frances Calderon De La Barca BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1982 •  PAPER  • 548 PAGES A wonderfully insightful, celebrated series of letters written by the Scottish wife of the Spanish Ambassador from Mexico, 1839-1842. (MEX36, $28.95)   Like Water for Chocolate  •  Laura Esquivel LITERATURE •  1994 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES Perhaps one of the most famous works of Mexican literature, this story is set in turn-of-the-century Mexico. This great novel uses elements of magical realism to portray themes of family, duty, sacrifice, love and freedom. (MEX37, $15.00)   Lonely Planet Mexico  •  John Noble GUIDEBOOK •  2010 •  PAPER  • 1039 PAGES A comprehensive, practical guide with 161 regional and local sketch maps throughout. (MEX107, $26.99)   Mexican Folk Art from Oaxacan Artist Families  •  Anya Leah Rothstein  •  Arden Aibel Rothstein ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2002 •  HARD COVER  • 192 PAGES Spotlighting 87 artists from 45 Oaxacan families, this compendium covers the range of Oaxacan folk arts, from ceramics to carving, textiles and dried flowers. A handy resource for the traveler, it includes 500 color photographs, listings of shops and galleries, maps with artists' studios marked and family trees. (MEX110, $39.95)   Mexico Map  •  National Geographic 2011 •  MAP Printed on tear- and water-resistant paper, this colorful map shows topography, sites, cities and roads from at a scale of 1:2,425,000. Published in conjunction with Reise Know-How and the World Mapping Project, this is one of a growing series of National Geographic Adventure Maps. Two Sides. 28x36 inches. (MEX20, $11.95)   Mexico, Biography of Power, A History of Modern Mexico, 1810-1996  •  Enrique Krauze HISTORY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 896 PAGES A widely praised, sweeping history of Mexico. Translated from the Spanish, this book is a beautifully written political and social history of the last two centuries. (MEX52, $22.99)   Mexico, From the Olmecs to the Aztecs  •  Michael Coe ARCHAEOLOGY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 248 PAGES • COMING IN A classic survey of Mexico's ancient civilizations by a leading archaeologist, Coe covers in concise, illustrated detail the Olmec, Zapotec, Toltec and Aztec civilizations. He does not include the Maya (presented in a companion volume).With 74 illustrations, 19 in color. Fifth edition. (MEX53, $22.50)   Millions of Monarchs, Bunches of Beetles: How Bugs Find Strength in Numbers  •  Gilbert Waldbauer SCIENCE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES A fascinating collection of essays by a spirited entomologist on the occasional gathering of monarchs, ladybugs, locusts and other not-so-social insects. Delightful and instructive. (BUG10, $16.95)   Moon Handbook Cabo  •  Nikki Goth Itoi GUIDEBOOK •  2009 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES A great resource for the independent traveler, this guidebook features a good introduction to land, history and culture, as well as practical detail on getting around, where to go, and where to stay. With personality, detailed local maps, glossary and suggested itineraries. (MEX143, $17.95)   Moon Handbook Pacific Mexico  •  Bruce Whipperman GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 811 PAGES This compact guideb covers areas along Mexico's Pacific coast from Mazatlan south to Oaxaca. It combines text on history, culture and nature with practical information for travelers, and it features plenty of photographs, maps and illustrations. (MEX76, $23.95)   National Parks of Northern Mexico  •  Richard D. Fisher NATURAL HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 129 PAGES Veteran travel guide and photographer Richard Fisher has put together a stunning selection of color photographs for this slim, oversize paperback -- along with descriptions of the natural features, some history, and a few legends. Including Copper Canyon, the Sea of Cortez, and Baja. (MEX15, $16.95)   The People's Guide to Mexico, Wherever You Go, There You Are!  •  Carl Franz  •  Lorena Havens GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 573 PAGES Sans restaurant or hotel recommendations -- but with plenty of anecdotes and tips -- this is an informative, tell-all book on everything from Mexican slang to dealing with officialdom to buying a hammock. It's an imaginative alternative to the standard guidebook, aimed at low- or mid-budget travelers eager to explore Mexico on their own. Now in its 30th anniversary edition, this famous guide has legions of followers. (MEX71, $24.95)   Pimsleur Quick & Simple Spanish  •  Pimsleur Language Method LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2005 •  AUDIO CD Four audio CDs with eight 30-minute lessons in basic Spanish, covering elementary vocabulary and phrases used in travel and everyday situations. The Pimsleur method emphasizes the use of listening skills without reading materials (so there isn't a book to follow along). It's advertised as "Totally audio: hear it, learn it, speak it." (SPN257, $19.95)   The Power and the Glory  •  Graham Greene LITERATURE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 221 PAGES A 20th-century classic. The now-celebrated tale of a degenerate whiskey priest on the lam "struggling to overcome physical and moral cowardice and find redemption." John Ford made it into a movie. Redolent with vultures, the blazing sun, corruption and other Mexican cliches, the novel is set in Villahermosa -- and based on Greene's own travels by mule throughout the state of Tabasco. (MEX05, $15.00)   Rain of Gold  •  Victor Villasenor LITERATURE •  1994 •  PAPER  • 562 PAGES This novel is the epic tale of three generations of a Mexican family taking in the revolution at home, their immigration to California and ongoing struggles. (MEX29, $18.00)   The Rarest of the Rare, Vanishing Animals, Timeless Worlds  •  Diane Ackerman NATURAL HISTORY •  1996 •  PAPER  • 208 PAGES This collection of six essays includes Ackerman's insightful commentary on the migrations of the monarch butterfly, as well as wonderfully written chapters on the Golden Tamarin, Hawaiian monk seal and other animals. The second collection by this wonderful writer and reporter, Ackerman once again artfully interweaves travel and natural history to capture the spirit of endangered places and animals and those who would preserve them. (BST26, $12.95)   Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest  •  Matthew Restall HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES In this provocative book, Restall tackles Columbus, Cortes, Pizarro and the misconceptions surrounding them. The conquisadores most certainly did not conquer the Americas with a handful of men, nor were they received as gods. (SAM52, $19.99)   Shadows of Tender Fury  •  Subcomandante Marcos  •  Leslie Lopez BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1995 •  PAPER • COMING IN The collected letters and communiques of Subcomandante Marcos, the leader of the Zapatista rebels. Marcos is by turns witty, severe, playful, discreet and uncompromising. Throughout, though, "El Sup" maintains an eloquent and resolute voice in speaking out on behalf of the indigenous peoples of Chiapas, and always has the larger world stage in mind. (MEX93, $15.00)   South Mexico Map  •  ITMB MAP A traveler's map in the Mexico regional series, this double-sided map covers the Yucatan, Chiapas, Vera Cruz, Oaxaca and other areas of the country north almost to Guadelajara, at a scale of 1:1,350,000. Two Sides. 26x39 inches. (MEX65, $10.95)   Travelers' Tales Mexico  •  James O'Reilly  •  Larry Habegger ANTHOLOGY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 404 PAGES • COMING IN A diverse collection of excellent stories and essays, mostly modern. Organized by topic, the selection includes the Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes, essayist Octavio Paz, New York writer Kate Simon along with excerpts from dozens of travelogues. It's a highly readable introduction to the cultural heritage, politics and people of Mexico. (MEX03, $17.95)   The Treasure of the Sierra Madre  •  B. Traven LITERATURE •  2010 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES First published in 1927, this atmospheric novel of three desperate men searching for gold in the mountains of Mexico was the basis for the classic American movie. A great storyteller, Traven wrote a series of compelling novels set in Mexico. The true identity of this author, who contributed so much to the pop mythology of the Wild West, is still unknown. (MEX18, $16.00)
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