1491, New Revelations of Americas Before Columbus  •  Charles C. Mann HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 560 PAGES A thought-provoking, speculative history of the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans. Mann portrays the successes and failures of the complex societies of the Mississippi River, Central Mexico, the Andes and the Amazon. (WLD61, $15.95)
Across a Hundred Mountains, A Novel  •  Reyna Grande LITERATURE •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 208 PAGES (MEX161, $23.00)
Amphibians and Reptiles of Northern Guatemala, the Yucatan, and Belize  •  Jonathan A. Campbell FIELD GUIDE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES This field guide to 160 Central American reptiles and amphibians features 176 color photographs, along with illustrations, maps and detailed descriptions of each species. Author Jonathan Campbell provides his own observations and anecdotes. (CAM106, $39.95)
The Ancient Maya  •  Robert Sharer ARCHAEOLOGY •  1994 •  PAPER  • 892 PAGES In its fifth edition, this scholarly tome is a standard reference on everything Maya, an up-to-date descendent of the original by the pioneering archaeologist Sylvanus Morley. It includes individual site descriptions, maps -- and much else of interest to the general reader. We recommend it for the serious student. (MYA07, $35.95)
Ancient Maya, New Perspectives  •  Heather McKillop HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 460 PAGES (MYA46, $22.95)
An Archaeological Guide to Northern Central America  •  Joyce Kelly ARCHAEOLOGY •  1996 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES The clear descriptions, site plans, maps and photographs of 38 archeological sites and 25 museums throughout Central America make this book an ideal travel companion. While the book includes general information and road directions, its real value is the detailed site information, background on ancient history and recent archeological activity. (MYA04, $24.95)
Archaeological Mexico: A Traveler's Guide to Ancient Cities and Sacred Sites  •  Andrew Coe GUIDEBOOK •  2001 •  PAPER  • 450 PAGES A guide to 52 of the largest and best-known sites throughout Mexico, including an extensive section on the Yucatan peninsula. With history, travel information, site diagram and suggestions for touring each site. It's a useful overview of the archaeology of Mexico, which would have been much enhanced by more detailed site diagrams and additional photographs. The author is the son of mayaologist Michael Coe. (MEX63, $21.95)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Cancun, Cozumel & the Riviera Maya Alive!  •  Bruce & June Conord GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER The practical lowdown on the coast and islands of the Yucatan. (MEX147, $16.99)
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)
Collapse, How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed  •  Jared Diamond HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 575 PAGES Big, wildly ambitious, provocative, this is Jared Diamond at his best. He tackles nothing less than the history and fate of civilization in this compelling book in which he offers case studies, present and past, of societies that work and societies that do not. He devotes 100 carefully reasoned pages, for example, to the fate of the Norse settlements in Greenland (climatic change, Inuit) and another big section on Easter Island (deforestation, hubris). It's a fitting follow-up to his Pulitzer-Prize winning Guns, Germs and Steel. (GEN324, $18.00)
The Columbian Exchange, Biological and Cultural Consequences  •  Alfred W. Crosby NATURAL HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 268 PAGES Crosby, a historian with an ecological perspective, explores the impact of Columbus' voyage on the ecosystems -- and people -- of the New World in this lively and provocative study. He looks not only at the disease and devastation wrought (much of it unintentional) by the Spaniards but also at the exchange and impact on crops, drugs and domesticated animals. 30th anniversary edition. (GEN21, $33.95)
A Concise History of Mexico  •  Brian Hamnett HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES (MEX162, $24.99)
Crafts of Mexico  •  Margarita de Orellana  •  Albert Ruy Sanchez ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 360 PAGES An abundantly illustrated guide to Mexico's crafts, including textiles, jewelry, ceramics, furniture and more. With 400 color photographs and illustrations. (MEX144, $45.00)
Discovery and Conquest of Mexico  •  Bernal Diaz del Castillo  •  A.P. Maudslay  •  Hugh Thomas HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 478 PAGES A vivid eyewitness account from a soldier's perspective. Diaz attempts to set the story straight and his classic first-person account is a richly detailed, well written and essential narrative of the Spanish conquest of Mexico. (MEX32, $24.00)
Distant Neighbors, A Portrait of the Mexicans  •  Alan Riding CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1989 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES A best-selling profile of the contemporary Mexico and its people covering politics, culture and economics, by the long-time New York Times bureau chief in Mexico. With includes insightful portraits of Mexico's recent presidents and leaders. (MEX28, $15.00)
Field Guide to Mexican Birds  •  Roger Tory Peterson  •  Edward Chalif FIELD GUIDE •  1973 •  PAPER  • 298 PAGES This easy-to-carry field guide covers 1,000 birds that have been reported in Mexico, Belize and El Salvador but only illustrates those species not already included in one of the Peterson North American bird guides, which you may also want to carry. The guide also covers northwest Costa Rica. (FG12, $22.00)
A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of the Maya World  •  Julian C. Lee FIELD GUIDE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 416 PAGES A field guide to the lizards, snakes, crocodiles, turtles, toads, frogs, salamanders and other amphibians and reptiles of the Yucatan, Belize and Northern Guatemala. With 350 photographs and drawings, detailed descriptions and glossary of herpetological terms, it's a comprehensive guide. (CAM104, $36.95)
Footprint Mexico & Central America Handbook  •  Sarah Cameron  •  Ben Box GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 1364 PAGES The classic, comprehensive guide to the region, over 1,200 pages of densely printed information on excursions, food and accommodation throughout the region. Updated annually. An excellent planning guide, it includes maps and an overview of each country. (MEX64, $24.95)
Frommer's Cancun, Cozumel & the Yucatan  •  David Baird GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES A practical travel guide featuring excellent annotated listings of what to do and where to eat and sleep. With one-color maps and suggested excursions. (MEX208, $18.99)
Frommer's Day by Day Cancun & the Yucatan  •  Irene Sunley GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES A slim travel guide featuring excellent annotated listings of what to do and where to eat and sleep. With one-color maps and suggested excursions. (MEX209, $12.99)
Genesis (Memory of Fire Trilogy, Part 1)  •  Cedric Belfrage  •  Eduardo Galeano HISTORY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 306 PAGES Part one of a three-volume history of the Americas composed entirely of short vignettes, this volume extends from the pre-columbian creation myths through the chronicles of conquest and early colonial period. Lyrical, emminently readable and easy to skim for the geographic areas of particular interest. (MYA18, $16.95)
A Guide to Ancient Maya Ruins  •  C. Bruce Hunter GUIDEBOOK •  1986 •  PAPER  • 342 PAGES A well organized guide to archaeological sites throughout the Maya world with good site diagrams and black-and-white photographs, originally published in 1974 and revised in 1986 for this second edition. While not up-to-date on recent developments, this book is nonetheless a compact, accessible survey of important archaeological sites for the traveler by an experienced study trip leader. (MYA23, $19.95)
An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya  •  Karl Taube  •  Mary Miller ARCHAEOLOGY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 216 PAGES A comprehensive guide to the mythology of ancient Mesoamerican civilizations, including the Maya, Aztecs, Zapotecs and Olmecs. With almost 300 entries and 260 illustrations, it covers all the major gods, stories, rituals, and beliefs, and includes introductory chapters on the history of the region. (CAM109, $19.95)
Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan: Volume Two  •  John Lloyd Stephens ARCHAEOLOGY •  1969 •  PAPER  • 474 PAGES Volume Two of Stephen's classic account of archeological discovery, originally published in 1843 -- and called by Edgar Allan Poe "perhaps the most interesting travel book ever published." This second volume covers Stephens and Catherwood's further adventures, including the Yucatan (to which they returned) and Palenque. (MYA05, $14.95)
Insight Guide Guatemala, Belize & the Yucatan  •  Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 380 PAGES This handsome guide gives a profusely illustrated overview of Guatemala, Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula, featuring concise essays by well regarded authors on natural history, politics and culture. With hundreds of photos, excellent maps and some limited practical information. (CAM113, $23.95)
Insight Guide Mexico  •  Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  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, $22.95)
Jungle of the Maya  •  Douglas Goodell  •  Jerry Barrack  •  Jim Wright  •  Archie Carr NATURAL HISTORY •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 152 PAGES A handsome survey of the wildlife and habitats of the Selva Maya, the tropical forest that spreads through Belize, Guatemala and the Yucatan. (MYA51, $34.95)
Karen Brown's Mexico: Exceptional Places to Stay & Itineraries  •  Karen Brown GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 411 PAGES A survey of inns and other lodging of character, along with suggested itineraries and highlights of the region. (MEX116, $19.95)
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, $14.00)
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, $22.95)
Lonely Planet Mexico  •  John Noble GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 1039 PAGES • COMING IN SEPTEMBER A comprehensive, practical guide with 161 regional and local sketch maps throughout. (MEX107, $26.99)
Many Mexicos  •  Lesley Byrd Simpson HISTORY •  1983 •  PAPER  • 389 PAGES This widely known popular history of Mexico, first published in 1941, stands as an enjoyable, well-written introduction to the country and its history. Fourth edition. (MEX38, $25.95)
Maya Cosmos, Three Thousand Years on the Shaman's Path  •  Joy Parker  •  Linda Schele  •  David Freidel ARCHAEOLOGY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 543 PAGES A provocative, speculative history of Central American religious practices since the dawn of the Maya kingdoms. The authors -- an archaeologist, an epigrapher and a popular historian -- suggest that modern shamanistic practices may be continuous with the religious rituals of the ancient Maya. (MYA32, $23.95)
Maya Glyphs  •  S.D. Houston HISTORY •  1989 •  PAPER  • 64 PAGES A concise survey of ancient Maya language and writing for the interested traveler. It includes an excellent chapter which introduces Maudslay, Morley, Thompson, Proskouriakoff and other key figures in Maya archaeology. While linguists will better appreciate the chapters on the spelling, structure and grammar of Maya writing, serious study of this book will help anyone better appreciate the Maya world. (MYA24, $15.95)
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, $22.95)
Moon Handbook Cabo  •  Joe Cummings GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES An informative guide in the popular series. (MEX143, $16.95)
National Audubon Society Field Guide to Tropical Marine Fishes: Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas and Bermu  •  C. Lavett Smith FIELD GUIDE •  1997 •  FLEXI-BOUND  • 720 PAGES A photographic guide to coral reef fishes found in the Caribbean, Florida, the Bahamas and Bermuda. This portable, pocket-size book features 417 excellent color photographs, each with a range map and description. Species are grouped according to taxonomy and shape. (FG24, $19.95)
Nothing to Declare, Memoirs of a Woman Traveling Alone  •  Mary Morris TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 250 PAGES • FAVORITE An absorbing memoir of a woman traveling alone through Mexico and Central America. Morris, a favorite writer, evokes the people and places she visits on her travels in gritty immediate detail. Her travels include San Miguel de Allende, the Guatemalan Highlands, Bay Islands, and Nicaragua. (CAM08, $14.00)
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)
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)
Scribes, Warriors and Kings: The City of Copan and the Ancient Maya  •  William L Fash ARCHAEOLOGY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES A revised edition of the comprehensive, illustrated overview of the great city of Copan, its rise to power, history and mysterious collapse in the ninth century. Fash pays particular attention to the role of recently deciphered inscriptions in our changing understanding of the Maya. (MYA11, $24.95)
Secrets of the Maya  •  Archaeology Magazine  •  Peter Young ANTHOLOGY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 228 PAGES An anthology of articles on the Maya, originally published in Archaeology. With photographs, a timeline, and a key to Maya hieroglyphs. (MYA48, $15.95)
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, $16.95)
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, $16.95)
A Short History of Progress  •  Ronald Wright HISTORY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 132 PAGES These succint essays, originally presented as a radio broadcast, analyze the rise and fall of great societies, including Maya, Roman, Sumerian, Ancient Chinese and Easter Island. Wright focuses on the perils of marierialism and the warning signs of overconsumption, unwieldy social hierarchies and environmental collapse. (WLD62, $14.95)
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. (MEX65, $10.95)
T. Rex and the Crater of Doom  •  Walter Alvarez NATURAL HISTORY •  2008 •  PAPER  • 208 PAGES An accessible scientific study of the famous impact crater found in the Yucatan Peninsula. Using geologic evidence, Alvarez forms a fascinating account of the fate of the dinosaurs and other animal species after a enormous meteor slammed into the earth some 65 million years ago. (CAM68, $16.95)
Three Weeks With My Brother  •  Micah Sparks  •  Nicholas Sparks TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES This remarkable account of family, friendship and travel takes as its point of departure a three-week around the world odyssey by private jet. The brothers (Nicholas a popular novelist) reconnect and ruminate on a jaunt that takes in Machu Picchu, Easter Island, Maya temples, the Taj Mahjal; and remote stone cathedrals in Ethiopia. (TVL34, $13.99)
The World of the Ancient Maya  •  George S. Henderson HISTORY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 327 PAGES A comprehensive survey of the Maya from early settlement to the Spanish invasion. With descriptions of Maya rulers, architecture, art, language, and daily life, photographs and maps. Originally published in 1981. (MYA21, $29.95)