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)
Amazon Stranger, A Rainforest Chief Battles Big Oil  •  Mike Tidwell CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2000 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES Here's an unlikely story, well told. Journalist Tidwell journeyed to the Ecuadorian Amazon, where the local people have successfully battled against Big Oil. The integrity of the Cuyabeno forest and the way of life of the Cofan people have been preserved -- mostly thanks to the savvy of their leader Randy Borman, a white man raised in the jungle by missionaries. Although he ventured to college in the United States, Borman returned to his roots, married a local woman and has raised a family as the chief of this small band of indigenous people. More or less against his better judgement, Tidwell has immersed himself in customs and traditions of the Cofan. His book is a detailed, entertaining portrait of them, the Ecuadorian Amazon, and the Cofan way of life. (AMZ01, $16.95)
Art of the Andes, from Chavin to Inca  •  Rebecca Stone-Miller ARCHAEOLOGY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES This authoritative and concise illustrated survey of Andean art and architecture covers not only Machu Picchu and additional Inca monuments, but also Chan Chan, Nasca and other archaeological sites and cultures. With 183 illustrations, maps and site diagrams. Revised edition. (PRU05, $18.95)
Birds of Ecuador, Vol. 1: Status, Distribution and Taxonomy  •  Paul Greenfield  •  Robert Ridgely FIELD GUIDE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 848 PAGES An exhaustively researched, comprehensive reference with detailed species accounts covering distribution and abundance, conservation, taxonomy, and range. Interesting or important species often get a full page. While intended as a reference, serious birders will devour the detailed information on individual species, along with the introductory chapters on habitats and centers of endemism in Ecuador. The 30-page gazetteer covers localities, geographic areas and towns mentioned in the text serves as a guide to where to see birds in Ecuador. Also available as a two-volume set (EDR14) with the gorgeously illustrated Field Guide (EDR08). (EDR07, $85.00)
Cloud Forest, A Chronicle of the South American Wilderness  •  Peter Matthiessen TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1987 •  PAPER  • 280 PAGES • FAVORITE Matthiessen recounts with wit and insight a 20,000-mile journey through South America, including a marvelous wild goose chase in the Amazon, an obligatory visit to Machu Picchu and his travels in Tierra del Fuego. A deceptively straightforward travelogue, this book displays Matthiessen's unflagging sense of humor, great style and unbounded curiosity. (SAM02, $16.00)
Conquistadors  •  Michael Wood HISTORY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES A lively, illustrated account of the Spanish conquest of the New World by the intrepid writer-filmmaker Michael Wood, who traveled in the footsteps of Hernan Cortes, Pizarro and others, often by horse, raft or other original means. It's an excellent introduction to the overwhelming impact of the Spanish in the Americas, wonderfully illustrated with maps, drawings and full color paintings. (SAM48, $22.95)
Darwin and the Barnacle, the Story of One Tiny Creature and History's Most Spectacular Scientific Breakthrough  •  Rebecca Stott NATURAL HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES In this surprisingly wonderful book, Rebecca Stott tackles Darwin's early and important interest in -- barnacles! Returning from his mind-altering, five-year voyage around the world, Darwin devoted eight years to a systematic study of the perplexing pedunculated cirripedes (showing definitively that they were highly modified custaceans), both winning the respect of fellow researchers and setting the groundwork for his ideas about evolution through natural selection. Stott pleasurably interweaves biography and science, capturing Darwin's love of nature. (NAT65, $14.95)
Edge of the Jungle  •  William Beebe EXPLORATION •  2001 •  PAPER  • 303 PAGES A collection of 12 essays on the Amazon and its ecology and wildlife. A scientist-explorer with the soul of a poet, Beebe wrote dozens of books about his adventures in tropical America. This book, originally published in 1921, dates from his time as director of the New York Zoological Society's research center in Guyana. (AMZ75, $17.95)
The Enchanted Amazon Rain Forest, Stories from a Vanishing World  •  Nigel J.H. Smith CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1996 •  HARD COVER  • 208 PAGES A wonderfully presented collection of observations from the Amazon, this is a good introduction to the people, culture and geography of the rain forest. Written by a professor of geography, it incorporates anthropology, biology and photographs. (AMZ26, $29.95)
Evolution, The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory  •  Edward Larson NATURAL HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and historian Edward Larson examines the multifaceted history of the scientific theory which has had such an impact on twentieth century thought. Larson begins his study before Darwin, with the scientific breakthroughs of the French Revolution, and then examines Darwin's work and its effects, from the age of Social Darwinism up to present day genetics and evolutionary studies. He focuses on the social and political controversies that have surrounded evolutionary theory, particularly in the United States. (NAT64, $14.95)
Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon  •  William Herndon  •  Gary Kinder EXPLORATION •  2000 •  PAPER  • 343 PAGES An original account of 19th-century exploration of the Amazon by Captain William Lewis Herndon, who traveled from Lima to the Pacific coast of Brazil for the United States government in 1851-1852. A best seller in its day. (AMZ67, $14.00)
Explorers of the Amazon  •  Anthony Smith EXPLORATION •  1994 •  PAPER  • 344 PAGES In this well told overview of the region, Anthony Smith presents a history of exploration of the Amazon, scientific and otherwise. His tales of adventure, discovery, exploitation, murder and mayhem feature Francisco de Orellana, Baron von Humboldt and seven other European colonizers and scientists. (AMZ31, $32.50)
A Field Guide to Medicinal and Useful Plants of the Upper Amazon  •  James L. Castner  •  Stephen L. Timme  •  James A. Duke FIELD GUIDE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 154 PAGES This photographic guide to identification focuses on the practical uses of common plants of the tropical forest. Many of the 120 species illustrated and described grow along the Medicinal Plant Trail at ACEER outside Iquitos. (AMZ39, $38.00)
A Field Guide to the Birds of Peru  •  James Clements  •  Noam Shany  •  Dana Gardner  •  Eustace Barnes FIELD GUIDE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 283 PAGES A comprehensive field guide to the birds of Peru with color plates by Eustace Barnes and Dana Gardner illustrating almost 1,800 species. It covers the diversity of birds and habitats from the Amazon to Andes and Pacific coast. Admirably compact, short descriptions of each species focus on identification, habitat and distribution. With a gazetteer of localities and both English and Spanish names. You can preview (and buy) examples of the color plates at the artist's website: gardnerbirds.com. (PRU21, $60.00)
Fire from the Andes, Short Fiction by Women from Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru  •  Susan E. Benner ANTHOLOGY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 208 PAGES An anthology of contemporary stories from the Andes, this book includes contributions by 24 women from Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Mostly personal, many of the stories revolve around peasants, the urban poor and other marginalized members of society. With a biography of each contributor. (AND17, $24.95)
Flowers of the Amazon Forest, The Botanical Art of Margaret Mee  •  Margaret Mee NATURAL HISTORY •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 160 PAGES Featuring 60 of explorer and artist Mee's splendidly detailed, gorgeous botanical illustrations, along with field sketches and diary excerpts. (AMZ104, $39.50)
Galápagos Islands Coloring Book  •  Jan Sovak NATURAL HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 32 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) Featuring 32 illustrations of the plants and animals of the Galápagos, Charles Darwin and a map of the archipelago, all ready to color. (GPS74, $3.95)
The Green Pharmacy  •  James A. Duke NATURAL HISTORY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 507 PAGES An A to Z catalog of ailments and the herbal remedies that heal them. Full of facts on the ecology and traditional uses of medicinal plants by a leading ethnobotanist who has conducted much of his research in the Upper Amazon of Peru. Each chapter begins with an anecdote of an encounter with a patient and leads to easy "how-to" instructions for treating the health condition. The chapters cover minor and serious complaints, ranging from bad breath to depression, high cholesterol to wrinkles, morning sickness to viral infections. (AMZ40, $19.95)
A Guide to the Birds of Colombia  •  Steven Hilty  •  William Brown FIELD GUIDE •  1986 •  PAPER  • 836 PAGES A classic South American bird guide with good coverage of the Amazon basin. It features 56 color plates by Guy Tudor, illustrating 1,700 species -- nearly half of all the species of South America. With a short description on the facings edge along with extensive notes and range maps. It may weigh in at almost three pounds but serious birders won't leave home without it -- and you can always have the color plates bound separately for use in the field. (FG14, $67.50)
In Search of the Golden Frog  •  Marty Crump BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2000 •  HARD COVER  • 312 PAGES Crump, a herpetologist, conservationist and mother, tells of her 30 years of field work in Costa Rica, Brazil, Ecuador and Argentina. An entertaining memoir, written with a light touch, it combines the personal with the scientific. (CON18, $27.00)
Jungle Travel and Survival  •  John Walden, M.D. GUIDEBOOK •  2001 •  PAPER  • 198 PAGES Not just for the paranoid traveler or wild adventurer, medical doctor and frequent Amazon-traveler Walden provides useful advice on avoiding malaria, parasites (internal and external), poisonous and otherwise dangerous animals, getting along with the locals, dehydration and much more in this compact guide. (AMZ73, $18.95)
A Land of Ghosts, The Braided Lives of People and the Forest in Far Western Amazonia  •  David Campbell TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 260 PAGES This, the long-awaited sequel to Campbell's Crystal Desert, finds our scientist-hero not in the Antarctic but rather far up the Amazon not only with a paddle but also with an eccentric coterie of fellow biologists and locals. Campbell writes with flair and insight of the people, history and ecological discoveries in the far western reaches of the Amazon Basin, a place where he has focused much of his work. A tropical ecologist who has a way with words, Campbell has eight permanent study sites in the Brazilian Amazon. (AMZ90, $18.95)
Life in the Treetops, Adventures of a Woman in Field Biology  •  Margaret Lowman BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2000 •  PAPER  • 219 PAGES The sprightly memoir of a biologist who, with her feet planted firmly on the ground, took to the trees in 1979. A pioneer in the ecology of forest tree canopies, Meg Lowman climbs, studies and sleeps in trees for a living. She's also a popular lecturer on trips to the Amazon and Director of Research and Conservation at Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota. She's remarkably frank in this engaging memoir about balancing her multiple roles as as scientist, woman, wife and mom. (AMZ57, $13.95)
The Mapmaker's Wife  •  Robert Whitaker HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 353 PAGES A harrowing tale of the 18th-century European exploration of the Amazon and one woman's quest to reunite with her scientist husband deep in the uncharted jungle. Colonial politics, the travails of the cartographer, and good old-fashioned murder all add intrigue to the proceedings. (AMZ97, $13.00)
Margaret Mee's Amazon, Diaries of an Artist Explorer  •  Margaret Mee NATURAL HISTORY •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 300 PAGES A handsome edition of the diaries, paintings and sketchbooks of the remarkable British botanist and painter Margaret Mee (1909-1988). Not just a terrific botanical illustrator, Mee was an intrepid traveler and collector who made 15 expeditions into the Amazon. Orgnized by expedition, the book features 250 botanical and other illustrations, along with a selection of photographs. This new edition published by Antique Collectors' Club in cooperation with Kew Gardens. (AMZ86, $59.50)
The Naturalist on the River Amazons  •  Henry W. Bates EXPLORATION •  1987 •  PAPER  • 420 PAGES A spell-binding early account of the river and its environs, first published in 1863. A talented naturalist himself, Bates accompanied Alfred Russel Wallace on a collecting expedition for the British Museum in 1848. He stayed on for 11 years, traveling throughout the region. This classic chronicle of his adventures, part natural history and part travelogue, has inspired generations of tropical biologists. Darwin liked it too. (AMZ07, $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)
Plant Diversity of an Andean Cloud Forest, Inventory of the Vascular Flora of Maquipucuna Ecuador  •  Robert Rhode  •  Grady Webster REFERENCE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 228 PAGES A checklist of the flora of Maquipucana reserve with additional information on floristic communities, elevational ranges and distribution of epiphytes. With a map and a few black-and-white photographs. Beware, this is not a field guide but rather an annotated inventory of the 1,650 plant species identified in the reserve by the team. Volume 82, University of California Publications in Botany. (EDR11, $36.00)
Quito Map  •  ITMB 2000 •  MAP A full color map of Quito and surroundings for the traveler, at a scale of 1:12,500. (EDR10, $8.95)
Reptiles and Amphibians of the Amazon  •  R.D. Bartlett  •  Patricia Bartlett FIELD GUIDE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 448 PAGES A convenient guide to 250 colorful and commonly encountered snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs and salamanders of the Amazon Basin, each with clear color photographs and descriptive information. The Bartlett team, who lead trips to the Amazon, has written a series of book on the care of herps as well as a guide to the reptiles and amphibians of Florida. (AMZ84, $29.95)
Requiem for Nature  •  John Terborgh NATURAL HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 248 PAGES • FAVORITE A passionate and thoughtful plea for conservation of the rain forest from a noted biologist. John Terborgh's view of the fate of the rain forest, threatened by constant economic demands, can be quite dismal, but his informed arguments and his unwavering devotion to biodiversity are more than welcome. With a new preface by the author. (FST07, $29.50)
Rough Guide Ecuador  •  Harry Ades  •  Melissa Graham GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 583 PAGES A compact comprehensive guide to travel in Ecuador, including Quito, the Oriente and Galapagos with extensive listings, dozens of sketch maps, and a brief overview of culture, nature and history. Second edition. (EDR06, $21.99)
Running the Amazon  •  Joe Kane EXPLORATION •  1990 •  PAPER  • 278 PAGES A best-selling account of a 4,000-mile Amazon expedition from high in the Peruvian Andes to the Atlantic by foot, raft and kayak. It's a tale of high adventure, corrupt border guards, itinerant drug smugglers -- and the camaraderie that develops from a difficult job well done. Only four of the original ten participants finished the journey. Much of the story takes place in the little-explored narrow canyons and rapids high above Iquitos in Peru in the headwaters of the Amazon. (AMZ13, $14.00)
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)
The Smithsonian Atlas of the Amazon  •  Michael Goulding  •  Ronaldo Barthem  •  Efrem Ferreira NATURAL HISTORY •  2003 •  HARD COVER  • 254 PAGES An illustrated atlas of the 4000-mile-long river, including its major tributaries, with 150 full color maps and 300 photographs. Michael Goulding (Floods of Fortune) and Brazilian biologists Ronaldo Barthem and Efrem Ferreira provide the accompanying text. Organized geographically, with chapters on major tributaries and drainage basins in Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. (AMZ82, $39.95)
Stolen Continents, 500 Years of Conquest and Resistance in the Americas  •  Ronald Wright HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 464 PAGES A powerful history of imperialism and resistance in the Americas, with a focus on the Aztec, Maya, Inca, Cherokee and Iroquois. Wright's illuminating account, told largely from the point of view of the losers, details the rapid collapse of cultures and societies in the Americas following the arrival of the Europeans in 1492. Wright draws on an impressive range of archival material in reconstructing this classic account, originally published in 1993. Wright is also the author of Time Among the Maya. (NAM20, $17.00)
Traveling with Che Guevara, The Making of a Revolutionary  •  Alberto Granado  •  Lucia Alvarez de Toledo TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES This is Alberto Granado's companion book to Che Guevara's well-known Motorcycle Diaries (and one of the sources for the movie). It's Granado's own account of travels with Che via motorbike through Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela. (SAM68, $14.95)
Valverde's Gold, In Search of the Last Great Inca Treasure  •  Mark Honigsbaum EXPLORATION •  2005 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES The spellbinding account of a tough journey into Ecuador's Llanganati mountains in search of buried Spanish gold -- the legendary lost ransom of Atahualpa. Honigsbaum, his curiosity piqued, searched archives, meets up with modern treasure hunters and has a look for himself. The mission may be quixotic but it's a fine tale full of suspense. This is Mark Honigsbaum's second book set in the Andes, the first on the trail of the Victorian botanist Richard Spruce and the Cinchona (The Fever Trail). (AND51, $16.00)
Vine of the Soul, Medicine Men, Their Plants, and Rituals in the Colombian Amazon  •  Richard Evans Schultes  •  Robert F. Raffauf CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2004 •  PAPER  • 282 PAGES Written by Schultes, the father of ethnobotany, with a colleague, this book features 150 photographs along with a detailed and authoritative text describing the many uses of plant substances. (AMZ59, $29.95)
Walking the Jungle, An Adventurer's Guide to the Amazon  •  John Coningham GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 246 PAGES Coningham, an experienced outdoorsman who lives in the Brazilian Amazon, offer down-to-earth advice in this companionable guide. He covers, without braggadocio, all the usual perils, offering common sense advice on avoiding trouble, especially useful for anyone contemplating an extended visit. (AMZ83, $16.95)
Where to Watch Birds in South America  •  Nigel Wheatley NATURAL HISTORY •  1995 •  PAPER  • 431 PAGES A compact practical guide to 206 recommended birdwatching sites throughout South America. Organized by country, each site guide includes an introduction, noteworthy species, maps, and directions, checklists. An invaluable handbook for birders. (SAM40, $24.95)
White Waters and Black  •  Gordon McCreagh  •  George Schaller EXPLORATION •  2001 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES A classic account of a two-year-long scientific expedition to the Bolivian Amazon, funny, sweet and thrilling. Originally published in 1923. George Schaller provides the appreciative introduction to this new edition. (AMZ70, $16.00)
The World as You Dream It, Shamanistic Teachings from the Amazon and Andes  •  John M. Perkins RELIGION •  1994 •  PAPER  • 139 PAGES An activist on behalf of indigenous cultures and founder of the "Earth Dream Alliance", the author provides a personal account of his sometimes hard-to-believe experiences with curanderos (or shamans) in the highlands and Amazon of Ecuador. Whatever your thoughts on the concept a vision quest, the book includes an fascinating account of the author's time with the Shuar people, their rituals and religious ideas. (AMZ46, $12.95)
Yanomami, The Fierce Controversy and What We Might Learn from It  •  Robert Borofsky CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2005 •  PAPER  • 397 PAGES A scholarly reader and study of the controversy surrounding anthropological studies of the Yanomami of northern Brazil and neighboring Venezuela. It follows in the wake of Patrick Tierney's best-selling book, Darkness in El Dorado. With Bruce Albert, Ray Hames, Kim Hill, Lêda Leitão Martins, John Peters, and Terence Turner. (SAM67, $22.95)
Yanomami, The Fierce Controversy and What We Might Learn from It  •  Robert Borofsky CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2005 •  PAPER  • 397 PAGES A scholarly reader and study of the controversy surrounding anthropological studies of the Yanomami of northern Brazil and neighboring Venezuela. It follows in the wake of Patrick Tierney's best-selling book, Darkness in El Dorado. With Bruce Albert, Ray Hames, Kim Hill, Lêda Leitão Martins, John Peters, and Terence Turner. (SAM67, $22.95)