Amazon Sweet Sea, Land, Life, and Water at the River's Mouth  •  Nigel J.H. Smith NATURAL HISTORY •  2002 •  HARD COVER  • 248 PAGES • COMING IN A lively, well informed and illustrated portrait of the natural resources, nature, history, and conservation of the Amazon delta. With 138 color photos by the author, who has conducted research in the region for decades. It's the world's biggest estuary. (AMZ78, $39.95)
Birds of Southern South America & Antarctica  •  Martin D. la Pena  •  Maurice Rumboll FIELD GUIDE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES A handsome, compact guide to all 1,140 bird species of Southern South America and Antarctica, including Patagonia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and much of Brazil. With brief description, range map, identification features and habitat for each species. It's the best guide for the Pantanal. With 97 color plates. (SAM12, $29.95)
Bossa Nova, The Story of the Brazilian Music That Seduced the World  •  Ruy Castro HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 372 PAGES Wildly popular in Brazil, journalist Ruy Castro interviewed everyone who had anything to do with Boss Nova for this animated history. Castro captures not only the personality, import and flavor of pioneers like Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joao Gilberto but also the spirit of Rio de Janeiro in the 1960s. (BZL47, $17.95)
Brazil Bolivia Paraguay Uruguay Map  •  Reise & Verkehrsverlag MAP A colorful, folded map of Atlantic South America stretching from the northern border of Brazil to Buenos Aires, at a scale of 1:4,000,000. (SAM39, $15.95)
Brazil Map  •  Borch Maps 2006 •  MAP A handy folded, laminated map of Brazil at a scale of 1:4,000,000. (BZL17, $11.95)
Brazil: Amazon & Pantanal, Travellers' Wildlife Guides  •  Les Beletsky  •  David Pearson FIELD GUIDE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 500 PAGES A comprehensive guide and handbook to the flora, fauna and habitats of Brazil, with a focus on the Amazon and Pantanal. An Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guide, the book features color illustrations of commonly encountered birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects. The 100 color plates feature 90 species of amphibians and reptiles, 310 birds, 70 mammals, 30 insects and 50 common trees and plants. Second Edition. (BZL30, $27.95)
Brazilian Adventure  •  Peter Fleming EXPLORATION •  1999 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES A journalist and adventurer, Peter Fleming sets off for Brazil on a 3,000-mile quest through the Amazon in a celebrated search for a missing English colonel in this classic and very entertaining account, first published in 1933. Only a British explorer, albeit unintentionally, could be as ill-prepared and deadpan about such an adventure. He never did find Fawcett. (AMZ55, $16.95)
The Brazilian People, The Formation and Meaning of Brazil  •  Darcy Ribeiro  •  Gregory Rabassa  •  Elizabeth Lowe CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2000 •  HARD COVER  • 376 PAGES A scholarly, influential overview of Brazilian culture and society as shaped by its ethnic, racial and social influences. It's the first English-language edition of the Brazilian author and anthropologist Darcy Ribeiro's (1922-97) scathing bestseller, "O Povo Brasileiro," translated by the Gregory Rabassa. Ribeiro was a Minister of Education, vice-governor of the State of Rio and Secretary of Culture and Education. He was also instrumental in getting Oscar Neimeyer's Sambodromo built in Rio. (BZL21, $34.95)
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)
Cruising Guide to the Leeward Islands  •  Chris Doyle  •  Nancy Scott GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 448 PAGES A convenient, spiral-bound guide to anchorages, harbors and navigation from Anguilla to Dominica, including GPS coordinates and sketch maps. (CRB132, $29.95)
Culture Smart! Brazil  •  Sandra Branco GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 168 PAGES A concise, well-illustrated and practical guide to local customs, etiquette and culture. (BZL54, $9.95)
Darkness in El Dorado, How Scientists and Journalists Devastated the Amazon  •  Patrick Tierney CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2001 •  PAPER  • 416 PAGES A controversial indictment of the anthropologists, government officials and others who sought to cash in on the study of the Yanomami. Tierney's targets especially French anthropologist and filmmaker Napoleon Chagnon and his colleagues at the University of Southern California at Santa Barbara in this highly charged attack. (AMZ64, $14.95)
A Death in Brazil  •  Peter Robb TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 329 PAGES Peter Robb (Midnight in Sicily) flourishes his masterly combination of travel, politics, culture and history on the subject of Brazil in all its complexity. He's a favorite writer and this book is impressive for its prose, insight and the author's sheer bravura. He includes portraits of Recife, Sao Paulo and Rio (where Robb narrowly escaped a violent burglar). (BZL43, $15.00)
Divided Soul, A Journey Through the Secular and Religious in Hispanic Life  •  David Alan Harvey CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2003 •  HARD COVER  • 176 PAGES A culmination of a photographer's two decade quest to capture the Hispanic spirit on film from its Spanish roots to its diaspora in the New World. (SPN191, $49.95)
Eastern Caribbean Cruise Tour Guide  •  Coastal Cruise Tour Guides 2000 •  MAP A handy guide and booklet that unfolds to a six-foot-long full color map. Designed for the ship-based traveler, it features historical background, visitor attractions and maps of all the islands from Puerto Rico to Trinidad. (CRB135, $15.95)
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)
Einstein and the Total Eclipse  •  Peter Coles SCIENCE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 80 PAGES An account of the solar eclipse expedition that vindicated Einstein's theory of relativity. In May of 1919, Sir Arthur Eddington led a team to the Gulf of Guinea and Sobral, Brazil to observe the bending of starlight by the sun during the eclipse -- as predicted by Einstein's theory. The success of the experiment immediately propelled Einstein onto the front pages of newspapers around the world. (SCI28, $7.95)
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)
The Far Side of the World  •  Patrick O'Brian LITERATURE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 366 PAGES This tale, set in 1812, features a trip around Cape Horn, as Stephen Maturin, Patrick O'Brian's wonderful opium-addicted naturalist, explores the New World with his pal Jack Aubrey. If you haven't yet been introduced to O'Brian's vivid portraits of Nelson's British Navy, here's your chance to dip into this fine series, with a book featuring evocative descriptions of Patagonian wildlife and features of the natural environment. A great read (and a great reread for O'Brian fans). (SAM01, $13.95)
Footprint Brazil  •  Ben Box GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 780 PAGES By the venerable British publishers of the "South American Handbook," this guide is built for the road with sturdy covers and a sewn binding. It's nicely divided between a general overview of Brazil and practical travel detail on where to go and what to do. (BZL22, $24.95)
Fossils, Finches, and Fuegians  •  Richard Darwin Keynes NATURAL HISTORY •  2003 •  HARD COVER  • 448 PAGES An account of the Voyage of the Beagle, Darwin's adventures and scientific discoveries. With maps and handsome black-and-white illustrations. (SAM51, $52.00)
Gilead  •  Marilynne Robinson LITERATURE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES This long-awaited second novel by the author of Marilynne Robinson follows the fate of an Iowa minister. She weaves a fictional history of Kansas during the years of abolition. Winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. (USW441, $14.00)
Green Mansions  •  W.H. Hudson LITERATURE •  1989 •  PAPER  • 315 PAGES Better known for his ornithological memoirs, this novel by Hudson is a classic tale of "travels and adventures among the savages." Read it for its absurdly lush prose, excellent natural history and the much romanticized meeting of an educated European and Rima, a birdlike local girl from the jungle. Very much a product of its time (it was first published in 1904), this is probably the best known work of fiction set in the Amazon. (AMZ19, $12.95)
A Guide to the Birds of Venezuela  •  Steven Hilty  •  Guy Tudor  •  J.A. Gwynne FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 929 PAGES A thoroughly overhauled, revised edition of the classic South American bird guide, with an entirely new and expanded text by Steve Hilty (who also wrote Birds of Colombia). This hefty book (more than a field guide) features many of the same excellent color plates by Guy Tudor as the 1978 classic with new detailed information on habitats and distribution. Too bad it weighs four pounds, two ounces because it is terrific. John Gwynne provided most of the additional plates, 67 in all. 1,400 species have been recorded in the diverse habitats of Venezuela, almost half of the birds found throughout the mountains, forests and plains of all South America. (FG13, $59.50)
A History of Brazil  •  E. Bradford Burns HISTORY •  1993 •  PAPER  • 579 PAGES • COMING IN A wide-ranging social, intellectual and cultural history of Brazil. (BZL02, $26.00)
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)
In Trouble Again  •  Redmond O'Hanlon EXPLORATION •  1990 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES • FAVORITE O'Hanlon starts this impossibly witty account of a four-month journey into the Venezuelan Amazon with a litany of the insects, protozoa, snakes and predators that can do you harm. A comic masterpiece, the book is also noteworthy for its excellent descriptions of the wildlife, environment and peoples of the Amazon. Imagine a PBS documentary hosted by the Monty Python troupe. (AMZ04, $13.95)
Insight Guide Amazon Wildlife  •  Huw Hennessy  •  Hans-Ulrich Bernard GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES An illustrated guide to the region, its wildlife and conservation by an international team of biologists and photographers. It covers biogeography, habitats, animal groups and conservation problems in a series of short essays. Several chapters are devoted to the people of the region and to a country-by-country survey of the river's features. It also includes some practical travel information and a short checklist of mammals and birds. (AMZ03, $22.95)
The Jungle and the Damned  •  Hassoldt Davis  •  Lawrence Millman EXPLORATION •  2000 •  PAPER  • 306 PAGES Hassoldt's tale of exploring French Guiana with his adventurous new wife, originally published in 1952. Quite a honeymoon! Their adventures include a visit to the penal colony at Devil's Island and an absorbing account of a exploratory canoe trip 300 miles up the Maroni River to the border with Brazil. An adventurer, storyteller and personality, Hassldt (1907-1959) wrote a series of tales, this classic returned to print thanks to the good efforts of Lawrence Millman, who provides the introduction. (SAM55, $16.95)
Knopf Mapguide Rio De Janeiro  •  Knopf Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 48 PAGES A handy set of full color, ingeniously folded maps, each indicating favorite sites, shops, restaurants and attractions. (BZL55, $9.95)
Latin American Art  •  John F. Scott ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES A popular survey for undergraduate art students, this general history of the arts in Latin America ranges from prehisory to the present. With illustrations, maps and a chronology. (SAM33, $29.95)
Lonely Planet Rio de Janeiro  •  Regis St. Louis GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES In its hallmark style, this practical guide to the Brazilian city by Lonely Planet features maps, a good overview of culture, history and nature, and much nuts-and-bolts information on excursions, accommodations and sightseeing. With color photographs and excellent travel information. (BZL19, $18.99)
Lonely Planet South America on a Shoestring  •  Lonely Planet GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 1148 PAGES A comprehensive, detailed practical guide to traveling in South America. With a brief general overview and country-by-country review in the Lonely Planet style of sites, attractions, and where to go and what to do. (SAM44, $33.99)
Mammals of the Neotropics, The Central Neotropics: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Vol. 3  •  John F. Eisenberg  •  Kent H. Redford REFERENCE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 610 PAGES A comprehensive survey of mammals of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil -- covering, in detail 650 species occurring in the region from Pacific coast to the Amazon. With introductory chapters on biogeography and habitat and authoritative information on each species, including natural history, description, range and habitat. The text is much enhanced by large scale range maps and superb color plates by Fiona Reid. Aimed at the professional, this sourcebook will also appeal to anyone with a serious interest in the mammals of the region. This completes a three-volume survey of the mammals of Central and South America. (SAM30, $55.00)
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)
Master and Commander, The Far Side of the World  •  Peter Weir LITERATURE •  2003 •  DVD Peter Weir's exciting adaptation of two of Patrick O'Brian's popular novels, "Master and Commander" and "The Far Side of the World," starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. Crowe is Captain Jack Aubrey, whose British ship, the HMS Surprise, is battling a mysterious French ship off the coast of Cape Horn during the Napoleonic Wars of 1805. An extended sequenced filmed on the Galapagos marks one of the first times the islands have been depicted in a feature film. (GPS66, $39.98)
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)
A Naturalist's Guide to the Tropics  •  Marco Lambertini  •  John Venerella NATURAL HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 338 PAGES A compact guide to the world's tropical zone, organized by biome. It's a good overview of the ecology of forests, mangroves, coral reefs, deserts, and grasslands found between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer. A useful companion for travelers to tropical latitudes. With color photographs and color plates illustrating a sampling of the most conspicuous birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, and fish. (CON17, $25.00)
A Neotropical Companion  •  J.C. Kricher  •  Mark Plotkin NATURAL HISTORY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 536 PAGES A tropical primer aimed at the motivated general reader. It's a systematic overview of the ecology, habitats, animals, plants and ecosystems of Central and South America. For those not put off by Latin names and concepts like Batesian mimicry, this handbook is a great introduction to the region. (GPS11, $29.95)
Neotropical Rainforest Mammals, A Field Guide  •  L.H. Emmons FIELD GUIDE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 298 PAGES An illustrated guide to the mammals of the New World tropics, compact enough to slip into your daypack, with 29 color plates illustrating more than 200 species. It covers most Central and South American mammals. Even the author concedes that it's difficult to see many of the more elusive rain forest mammals but keep a close watch for the sloths -- they're marvelous, and not likely to escape in a hurry. (GPS12, $32.50)
Northern South America Map  •  Reise & Verkehrsverlag MAP A map of the northern half of South America, at a scale of 1:4,000,000. (SAM31, $15.95)
The Pantanal: Understanding and Preserving the World's Largest Wetland  •  Frederick A. Swarts NATURAL HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 301 PAGES The proceedings of an international conference on conservation in the Pantanal, published by the Wetlands Research Institute. The 29 scholarly papers include presentations on the region's geology, economic development and outlook for the future. With tables, maps, charts, mostly black-and-white photographs. (BZL23, $19.95)
Photo Pantanal  •  Tom Ulrich NATURAL HISTORY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 112 PAGES A well-illustrated overview of the nature, habitats and history of the Pantanal by a wildlife photographer, trip leader and enthusiast. With 240 color photographs. (BZL41, $25.00)
Pimsleur Quick & Simple Portuguese (Brazilian)  •  Pimsleur Language Method LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2005 •  AUDIO CD Four audio CDs with eight 30-minute lessons in basic Brazilian Portuguese, 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." (BZL33, $19.95)
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)
Portuguese Dictionary, Portuguese-English/English-Portuguese  •  Jura D. Oliveira LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2005 •  PAPER  • 225 PAGES A handy pocket dictionary. (PGL35, $6.95)
Rebellion in the Backlands  •  Euclides da Cunha  •  Samuel Putnam LITERATURE •  1985 •  PAPER  • 556 PAGES This epic tale of the Canudos Rebellion in northeastern Brazil (and its brutal suppression), originally published in 1902 -- and a touchstone of Brazilian literature. It's a sprawling book, part military history, part meditation on the Brazilian national character and a hallucinatory portrait of Antonio Conselheiro, the charismatic leader of the 1893-1897 rebellion. Published in Portuguese as Os Sertoes (more literally the arid region). Da Cunha (1866-1909) was a journalist covering the war. (BZL44, $41.00)
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)
Rick Steves' Spanish Phrase Book & Dictionary  •  Rick Steves LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2003 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES A compact phrase book for travelers, organized thematically and with a brief dictionary. This is no dry litany of phrases but is instead peppered with humor and Rick Steves' insider insight into how to break the ice and make friends around the world. (SPN178, $7.95)
Rio de Janeiro  •  Ruy Castro TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 224 PAGES A marvelous, diverse portrait of Rio, its history, culture and challenges. Castro is a Brazilian journalist who has written widely on music, sports and contemporary affairs. The fifth book in Bloomsbury's Writer and the City series. (BZL42, $16.95)
Rio de Janeiro Map  •  Borch Maps 2006 •  MAP A laminated road map of Rio de Janeiro at a scale of 1:13,000. (BZL25, $8.95)
Rio de Janiero Destination Map  •  National Geographic 2000 •  MAP A laminated, folded map of Rio by National Geographic. This handy, full-color map at a scale of 1:15,000 folds out to 18 x 25 inches. The reverse side includes regional maps, attractions, and travel information. (BZL24, $8.99)
Rough Guide Brazil  •  David Cleary GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 736 PAGES This comprehensive guide includes an excellent historical and cultural overview of Brazil, with special attention to its natural history. It's a detailed travel guide with region-by-region descriptions. The outstanding British Rough Guide series provides a keen sense of life for the locals -- and isn't so "rough" after all. (BZL09, $24.95)
Rough Guide to the Music of Brazil  •  Rough Guide World Music MUSIC •  2007 •  AUDIO CD This authoritative anthology samples diverse styles of he music of Brazil, including contemporary singers. With information onBrazil and Brazilian music from the Rough Guide books. (BZL72, $14.95)
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)
Sailor's Guide to the Windward Islands  •  Chris Doyle GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES A convenient, spiral-bound guide to anchorages, harbors and navigation from Granada north to Martinique. With GPS coordinates, color sketch maps, and a directory of services. (CRB134, $26.95)
Saudades Do Brasil, A Photographic Memoir  •  Claude Levi-Strauss CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1995 •  HARD COVER  • 224 PAGES These photographs by the great structural anthropologist, dating from the 1930s, are not just beautiful but an invaluable record of life in Sao Palo and the Amazon. (BZL04, $60.00)
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, $16.95)
Slave Rebellion in Brazil, The Muslim Uprising of 1835 in Bahia  •  Joao Jose Reis  •  Arthur Brakel HISTORY •  1995 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES An excellent scholarly history of the largest urban slave revolt in the Americas. This academic book is thematic and analytical, but there is also great background on Bahian history, the physical layout of Salvador in 1835, and the fascinating layers of slave society and culture in Brazil. Reis, an important Brazilian historian, writes in concise, jargon-free prose. Translated by Arthur Brakel. (BZL49, $20.95)
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)
Tropical Nature  •  Adrian Forsyth  •  Ken Miyata NATURAL HISTORY •  1984 •  PAPER  • 248 PAGES • FAVORITE A lively, lucid portrait of the tropics as seen by two uncommonly observant and thoughtful field biologists. Its 17 marvelous essays introduce the habitats, ecology, plants and animals of the Central and South American rainforest. With a lengthy appendix of practical advice for the tropical traveler. (GPS13, $14.00)
The War of the End of the World  •  Mario Vargas Llosa  •  Helen Lane LITERATURE •  2008 •  PAPER  • 576 PAGES Written by one of South America's foremost authors, this story depicts the violent clash between leaders and neglected citizens of a newly formed republic set in Canudos, Brazil, in the late 19th century. (BZL18, $16.00)
The War of the Saints  •  Jorge Amado LITERATURE •  1995 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES A mesmerizing tale set during carnival in Bahia. The storyteller Amado wrote a great many wonderful novels including Dona Flor and her Two Husbands. (BZL48, $15.95)
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)
With Broadax and Firebrand, The Destruction of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest  •  Warren Dean HISTORY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 504 PAGES A vivid, scholarly environmental history of Brazil from early settlement through the 1990s. Once extending along the coast of much of Brazil, the coastal forest has been burned, cleared and cut down to make way for Brazil's largest cities, mining, farming and industrialization. (BZL31, $29.95)
With Broadax and Firebrand, The Destruction of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest  •  Warren Dean HISTORY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 504 PAGES A vivid, scholarly environmental history of Brazil from early settlement through the 1990s. Once extending along the coast of much of Brazil, the coastal forest has been burned, cleared and cut down to make way for Brazil's largest cities, mining, farming and industrialization. (BZL31, $29.95)
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)