501 Spanish Verbs  •  Christopher Kendris LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2003 •  PAPER  • 600 PAGES The perennial favorite among students of Spanish, revised with a bonus CD-ROM. Organized alphabetically, each of the often irregular verbs gets its own page -- complete with all the verb tenses, examples and common idioms. The book is both a reference for Spanish speakers and a tool for beginners. Por que no hay como hablar Espanol sin verbos. O algo asi. (GEN134, $16.99)
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 Mexico and Central America: Archaeology and Culture History  •  Susan Toby Evans HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 608 PAGES Evans presents the diversity of peoples and cultures of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica in this beautifully illustrated, authoritative cultural history. With 460 illustrations, 70 in color, maps and site diagrams. (MEX202, $69.50)
Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya, A Guide  •  Victoria Schlesinger FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES A comprehensive guide to the natural and cultural history of 100 plants and animals of the Maya world, primarily those from the lowland tropical forest of Central America but also including savanna, mangrove and coral reef habitats. With handsome black-and-white line drawings throughout, key features for identification and good information about the habitat, natural history and cultural significance of each species. (MYA29, $29.95)
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)
Beka Lamb  •  Zee Edgell LITERATURE •  1987 •  PAPER  • 171 PAGES This award-winning novel is the story of Beka, a young girl from Belize -- a habitual liar who would like to reform her ways. Edgell, who grew up in Belize City, writes a convincing portrayal of family and small town life. (BLZ01, $10.95)
Belize Field Guide, Butterflies  •  Rainforest Publications FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PLASTIC CARD A handy, double-sided laminated card depicting 60 species of spectacular butterflies. With scientific, English and Spanish names. (BLZ19, $6.95)
Belize in Focus, A Guide to the People, Politics, and Culture  •  Ian Peedle GUIDEBOOK •  1999 •  PAPER  • 100 PAGES A brief, authoritative guide to the history, cultural heritage, politics and economy of Belize. With maps, photographs and some travel information, it's an excellent synopsis from an unabashedly left-leaning perspective, strong on facts. (BLZ13, $12.95)
Belize Map  •  ITMB 2001 •  MAP A travel map of Belize at a scale of 1:350,000 with good topographic relief. (CAM21, $10.95)
Belize, Ecotourism in Action  •  Meb Cutlack GUIDEBOOK •  2002 •  PAPER  • 112 PAGES A brief, illustrated guide by an expatriate Australian journalist and publisher of Belize Review. 2nd edition. (BLZ17, $12.95)
Belize, Travellers' Wildlife Guides  •  Les Beletsky FIELD GUIDE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 492 PAGES An all-around field guide intended for the curious traveler, this book features color illustrations of 200 commonly encountered birds, 50 mammals, 150 coral reef creatures and 80 species of reptiles and amphibians. It also includes a good introduction to Belize, its natural history and conservation. (BLZ04, $27.95)
Berlitz Latin American Spanish Phrase Book  •  Inc. Berlitz International LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2008 •  AUDIO CD  • 224 PAGES (SAM126, $14.95)
The Birds of Tikal, An Annotated Checklist  •  Randall Beavers FIELD GUIDE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 153 PAGES The serious birder will find this annotated list of birds found at Tikal a useful adjunct to a field guide. With a 40-page introduction to the region, a few black-and-white photographs, checklist and notes. (GML08, $12.95)
Bitter Fruit, The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala  •  Stephen Schlesinger  •  Stephen Kinzer HISTORY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 331 PAGES A foreign policy classic first published in 1982, brilliantly written and devastating in its implications. Schlesinger and Kinzer provide a dramatic account of the CIA-backed overthrow of Guatemala's democratically elected government of Jacobo Arbenz in 1954. With additional essays for this new edition. (CAM82, $22.95)
Breaking the Maya Code  •  Michael Coe ARCHAEOLOGY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES A broadly considered history. Michael Coe chronicles the centuries-long search for the "rosetta stone" of the Mayan language, a search which received an enormous boost in 1952 when Yuri Knorosov successfully translated the Dresden Codex, a Mayan bark-paper text. The book also includes an extensive discussion of Maya studies and political activism in the wake of Knorosov's discovery. (MYA30, $19.95)
Brewing Justice: Fair Trade Coffee, Sustainability, And Survival  •  Daniel Jaffee EXPLORATION •  2007 •  PAPER  • 331 PAGES Fair trade is a fast-growing alternative market intended to bring better prices and greater social justice to small farmers around the world. But is it working? This vivid study of coffee farmers in Mexico explores the social, economic, and environmental benefits of fair trade. (GEN464, $22.95)
A Brief History of Central America  •  Lynn V. Foster HISTORY •  2007 •  PAPER  • 338 PAGES Written for a general audience, A Brief History of Central America focuses on the political events and cultural patterns that have shaped the region. Special themes, such as the causes of unity and disunity on the isthmus and the economic pressures on the rain forest from farming and tourism, are developed throughout the book. Coverage of the history of the region is up to date with new developments, including the continued struggle in the aftermath of the civil wars, the impact of the free trade agreement signed with the United States, and recent elections. (CAM132, $19.95)
The Building of the Panama Canal in Historic Photographs  •  Ulrich Keller HISTORY •  1983 •  PAPER  • 111 PAGES These archival photographs tell the story of the people who built the Panama Canal, the engineers who designed it and the changes wrought on the landscape through its construction. (CAM41, $12.95)
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)
The Butterflies of Costa Rica and Their Natural History, Vol. 2  •  P. Devries FIELD GUIDE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES The second volume of Devries' comprehensive study of butterflies covers 250 species in the family Riodinidae. (CRC09, $55.00)
Cancun & Cozumel Directions  •  Zora O'Neill GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES • COMING IN SEPTEMBER This slim and colorful pocket guide includes public transportation maps, local maps, and a basic fold-out full city map, as well as annotyated highlights. (MEX231, $11.99)
The Captain and the Enemy  •  Graham Greene LITERATURE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 208 PAGES Graham Greene returns to classic themes of mystery, deceit and espionage in this accomplished short novel, his 23rd and last book. Taking the form of a memoir, the narrator (no longer a young boy) heads to Panama in chapter eight in search of the Captain. Available in a print on demand edition, essentially a facsimile of the paperback original. (CAM53, $14.00)
Central America Map  •  National Geographic MAP A nicely detailed political map of the isthmus published by National Geographic. The price of this rolled map includes separate mailing in a sturdy tube. (CAM102, $14.99)
Century of the Wind (Memory of Fire Trilogy, Part 3)  •  Cedric Belfrage  •  Eduardo Galeano HISTORY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 315 PAGES The last of a three-volume history of the Americas composed entirely of short vignettes, this one covers the 20th Century, chiefly the many U.S. incursions into Latin America, anecdotes from the lives of figures like Sandino, Pancho Villa, Che Guevara, Frida Kahlo, and Eva Peron, and meditations on the way events like Auschwitz and Hiroshima have resonated throughout the new world. Lyrical, emminently readable and easy to skim for geographic areas of particular interest. (CAM66, $15.95)
Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens, Deciphering the Dynasties of the Ancient Maya  •  Simon Martin  •  Nikolai Grube ARCHAEOLOGY •  2008 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES The history of the Maya dynasties, encompassing biographies of 152 kings and queens, as gleaned from recently deciphered hieroglyphs. It's an unusual, rewarding book, illustrated in color and black-and-white. (MYA31, $26.95)
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)
Confidence of the Heart  •  David Schweidel BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1995 •  PAPER  • 214 PAGES A well plotted yarn with plenty of suspense and local color. In it, a north american anthropologist (aka Spoon) is about to marry into a Guatemalan family. (GML12, $12.95)
Confronting the Coffee Crisis: Fair Trade, Sustainable Livelihoods and Ecosystems in Mexico and Central America  •  Chri Bacon EXPLORATION •  2008 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES Contributors review the historical, political, economic, and agroecological processes within today's coffee industry and analyze the depressed export market for small-scale growers in Mexico and Central America. (GEN462, $27.00)
The Control of Nature  •  John McPhee NATURAL HISTORY •  1989 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES A bestseller in the classic McPhee tradition, this book explores our generally feeble attempts to combat all-powerful nature. Interweaving solid science, interviews and observation, he chronicles the army corps of engineers and their efforts to control the Mississippi, Icelanders and their attempts to control the flow of a volcano, and Angelinos and how they cope with the ever-present threat of seismic destruction. A national treasure, no one explains geology and geologists like McPhee. Like most of his work, these vintage essays originally appeared in the "New Yorker." (NAT01, $16.00)
Coral Reef Fishes  •  Ewald Lieske  •  Robert Myers FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES A convenient handbook to shallow-water fishes associated with coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean, compact and comprehensive. With 2,500 illustrations covering 2,100 species worldwide. (DIV05, $24.95)
Costa Rica Adventure Guide  •  Bruce & June Conord GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 360 PAGES A detailed, comprehensive practical guide to nature, culture and travel in Costa Rica. Bruce and June Conord, inveterate travelers with a specialty in Latin America, have also written the Adventure Guide to the Yucatan, Cancun and Cozumel. (CRC33, $17.99)
Costa Rica Adventure Map  •  National Geographic 2008 •  MAP A double-sided full color map of Costa Rica at a scale of 1:500,000 with good shaded relief, topographic detail, roads and waterways, basic travel information, and an inset of San Jose. Built for the road (or raft or trail), it's printed on waterproof, tear-resistant paper. (CAM22, $11.95)
Costa Rica Highway and Road Map  •  Jimenez & Tanzi 2006 •  MAP A handsome and exceptionally clear map of Costa Rica at a scale of 1:500,000, with a locator map of protected areas, 10 city maps, distance chart and travel informartion (in Spanish and English). The maps also provides GPS coordinates. (CRC07, $11.95)
Costa Rica in Focus  •  Tjabel Daling GUIDEBOOK •  2002 •  PAPER  • 82 PAGES A concise guide to the people, politics, economy and culture of Costa Rica. The author explores the history of democracy since the abolition of the army in 1948, economic doldrums of the 1980s, and impact of tourism. With a selection of photographs and suggestions on where to go and what to do. (CRC28, $12.95)
Costa Rica's National Parks and Reserves  •  Joseph Franke GUIDEBOOK •  1999 •  PAPER  • 237 PAGES A practical guide to the flora and fauna of Costa Rica focusing on its parks and preserves. It features profiles of Costa Rica's 40 protected areas, including sketch maps, practical directions and trail information. With introductory chapters on travel and natural history. (CAM04, $18.95)
Costa Rica, A Traveler's Literary Companion  •  Barbara Ras ANTHOLOGY •  1994 •  PAPER  • 238 PAGES This well chosen anthology brings together 26 mostly modern stories by Costa Rican writers. It's a wonderful introduction to the character of the people, culture and land. (CRC03, $14.95)
Costa Rica, Adventures in Nature  •  Ree Strange Sheck GUIDEBOOK •  2001 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES A comprehensive, practical guide to Costa Rica, second edition. The author, who lived and worked in Costa Rica in the 1990s, focuses on responsible, low-impact travel. With hotels, restaurants, excursions and dozens of local and regional maps. (CRC15, $17.95)
Costa Rican Natural History  •  Daniel Janzen NATURAL HISTORY •  1983 •  PAPER  • 832 PAGES A thorough, prize-winning source reader on all aspects of the natural history of Costa Rica as edited by the iconoclast ecologist Daniel Janzen. This hefty book contains review articles by 174 contributors on birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, geology, climate, ecology and vegetation. It's illustrated, remarkably well written -- and rewarding for the serious general reader. While its audience is tropical ecologists working in Costa Rica, many of the plants and animals described exist throughout Central America. The format of the book invites selective reading on areas of particular interest. The species-by-species accounts are especially recommended. (CAM05, $49.00)
Costa Rican Wildlife  •  Pocket Naturalist FIELD GUIDE •  2000 •  PLASTIC CARD A fold-up, laminated card featuring color drawings and short descriptions of commonly encountered birds, mammals and reptiles of Costa Rica. (CRC24, $5.95)
The Costa Ricans  •  Richard Biesanz CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1988 •  PAPER  • 254 PAGES The people and social history of Costa Rica based on interviews conducted by Richard, Karen and Mavis Biesanz in the 1970s. It's a a good comprehensive overview of the country, somewhat dated and intended for a scholarly audience. (CRC17, $13.50)
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)
Diving Bay Islands  •  Cindy Garoutte GUIDEBOOK •  1995 •  PAPER  • 127 PAGES A practical, illustrated guide to popular diving and snorkeling sites among the the Honduras Bay islands. With a short overview of marine flora and fauna and an introduction to the region. Recommended for underwater enthusiasts. (CAM91, $18.95)
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)
The Ecology of a Tropical Forest, Seasonal Rhythms and Long-term Changes  •  Egbert G. Leigh, Jr NATURAL HISTORY •  1996 •  PAPER  • 503 PAGES A summary of research at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute on Barro Colorado Island (which is right in the middle of the Panama Canal). This book, first published in 1982 and revised with a new forward in 1996, is a good overview of the flora, fauna and ecology of the region. (CAM52, $35.00)
Empires of Time: Calenders, Clocks and Cultures  •  Anthony Aveni ARCHAEOLOGY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES A popular account of the interplay of culture, time and timekeeping (with a particular focus on the Aztec and Maya) by a leading archaeo-astronomer. (GEN315, $23.95)
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)
A Field Guide to the Mammals of Central America & Southeast Mexico  •  Fiona Reid FIELD GUIDE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES A handsomely illustrated field guide to the mammals of the region from Tehuantepec to Panama. The author/illustrator, who lived and worked in Central America, painted most of the animals in the field -- a formidable challenge and -- given the quality of the large color plates -- well worth her while. With a dedication to one of our favorite wildlife artists, Guy Tudor, we knew this book had to be good. If you don't mind the heft, the focused geographic range and large color plates make this book the best resource for visitors to Central America with an interest in mammals. (CAM60, $59.95)
Field Guide to the Wildlife of Costa Rica  •  Carrol Henderson  •  Alexander Skutch FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 560 PAGES A comprehensive photographic guide to 300 commonly encountered and unusual species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies and moths, and other invertebrates. With a good overview of the geographic setting and natural history of the region, literature cited, descriptions and detailed distribution maps for each species, 345 color and 75 black-and-white photographs and 273 maps. Henderson, a wildlife biologist, is a popular tour leader in Costa Rica. An excellent (if hefty) resource for the traveler. (CRC27, $39.95)
Fishes of the Pacific Coast  •  Gar Goodson FIELD GUIDE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 267 PAGES Featuring 507 water color illustrations by Phillip Weisgerber, this pocket guide covers Pacific fishes from Alaska to Peru, including the Gulf of California and Galapagos. (PAC187, $13.95)
Fodor's Central America  •  Felice Aarons GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 640 PAGES An excellent all-around guide to the attractions, cultures and natural history of Central America. (CAM127, $22.95)
Fodor's Costa Rica  •  Fodor's GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES A practical, frequently revised guide in the popular series, especially useful for its extensive annotated listings of suggested places to stay and eat. (CRC12, $19.95)
Footprint Belize, Guatemala, & Southern Mexico  •  Claire Boobbyer GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES A comprehensive practical guide to the Maya World in the estimable British series, strong on the nitty-gritty of travel and with a good overview of history and culture. It covers Guatemala, adjoining Belize and the whole of Southern Mexico, including Chiapas, Oaxaca and the Pacific Coast, and the Yucatan. With maps and a Spanish glossary for the traveler. (GML11, $19.95)
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 Panama  •  Kristina Schreck GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 340 PAGES A comprehensive travel guide featuring excellent annotated listings of what to do and where to eat and sleep. With one-color maps and suggested excursions. (CAM129, $21.99)
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)
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)
Green Phoenix, Restoring Tropical Forests of Guanacaste, Costa Rica  •  William Allen SCIENCE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES In a welcome contrast to most of the news about the destruction of tropical rainforests, William Allen tells the story of the successful re-forestation of some 463 square miles of land and 290 miles of marine area in northwest Costa Rica: the Guanacaste Conservation Area. A team of both Costa Rican and American scientists came together to accomplish this feat, documented in vivid, compelling prose. (CAM77, $42.00)
Guatemala in Focus, A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture  •  Trisha O'Kane GUIDEBOOK •  2000 •  PAPER  • 94 PAGES This slim guide focuses on the history of Guatemala, its cultural heritage and current political, environmental and economic challenges. With maps, photographs and some travel information. It's an excellent synopsis from an unabashedly left-leaning perspective, strong on facts. (GML04, $12.95)
Guatemala Map  •  ITMB 2008 •  MAP A detailed, double-sided travel map of Guatemala at the very good scale of 1:470,000. (CAM24, $12.95)
Guatemala: Never Again!  •  Thomas Quigley BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1999 •  PAPER  • 424 PAGES An abstract of eyewitness testimony presented in Guatemala in 1998, a heartwrenching report of atrocities committed by the military government the devastating civil war. Published by the Mary Knoll sisters with the Archdiocese of Guatemala. (CAM88, $30.00)
Guatemalan Journey  •  Stephen Connely Benz BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1996 •  PAPER  • 212 PAGES Benz, who was in Guatemala from 1988-1990 on a Fulbright scholarship, traveled widely throughout the country. Opening with a long chapter on life in Guatemala City (where he was based), he moves on to the remote highlands and other little-visited regions. The book is an excellent account of the country's political history, traditions, and indigenous cultures. (GML03, $19.95)
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)
A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica  •  F. Gary Stiles  •  Alexander Skutch  •  Dana Gardner FIELD GUIDE •  1989 •  PAPER  • 511 PAGES A masterfully researched and comprehensive field guide to the birds of Costa Rica, including an overview of geography, habitats and avifauna. With 52 handsome color plates at the center of the book, all by Dana Gardner, covering 800 species, enhanced by crystal clear descriptions of the bird, habitat and behavior. No serious birder will want to be without it. (CRC05, $39.95)
A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America  •  Stephen Howell  •  Sophie Webb FIELD GUIDE •  1995 •  PAPER  • 849 PAGES Serious birders will want this definitive guide to the 1,070 bird species found in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and western Nicaragua. It may be awkward to carry but it covers, in detail, all the birds you will see in the region in a single volume. (FG15, $49.95)
A Guide to the Birds of Panama with Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras  •  Robert Ridgely  •  J.A. Gwynne FIELD GUIDE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 534 PAGES A comprehensive field guide, recently updated and masterfully researched. This sturdy edition covers additional species occurring in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Costa Rica -- and a handy checklist by country. We like the descriptions and color plates better than "Birds of Costa Rica" (which is also very good). (CAM07, $49.95)
Heliconia, An Identification Guide  •  Andrew Berry FIELD GUIDE •  1991 •  PAPER  • 344 PAGES A field guide identifying 200 species, varieties, and hybrids of Heliconia includes information on the botany and horticulture of the flowers. (CAM126, $27.95)
The History of Central America  •  Thomas L. Pearcy HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES A brief history. (CAM112, $15.95)
Honduras Map  •  ITMB 2006 •  MAP A travel map of Honduras at a scale of 1:750,000 with good topographic relief. (CAM23, $10.95)
I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala  •  Rigoberta Menchu  •  Elisabeth Burgos-Debray BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2007 •  PAPER  • 252 PAGES Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992, this Guatemalan woman speaks eloquently of her struggles against the military for a decent way of life. A compelling testimony to the power of a strong-minded, ordinary person and her love for her land. Although some of the book's events have been called into question, no one disputes that everything in the book happened, although not necessarily to the author. Menchu asserts that, in the Maya tradition, she is telling the collective story of her people. Beware, it includes some graphic scenes of brutal violence. (GML01, $30.00)
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 the Rainforest, Report from a Strange, Beautiful, Imperiled World  •  Catherine Caufield NATURAL HISTORY •  1984 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES This investigative journalist deftly combines good basic information on the ecology of the world's rain forests, a report on thorny conservation issues and a sympathetic treatment of indigenous inhabitants through masterly prose. In this fact-filled book, we travel with Caufield to some of the most spectacular and endangered places on earth: the rain forests of Africa, Central and South America, India, the Philippines and Indonesia. Originally published in 1984, this is still an excellent survey of rainforest ecology and issues worldwide. (FST01, $16.00)
The Incas  •  Terrence D'Altroy HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 408 PAGES An authoritative chronicle of the rise and fall of the Incan empire. D'Altroy, a professor of anthropology, examines society, culture, geography, economy, religion and archeology. With maps and photographs. (CAM98, $26.95)
The Inhabited Woman  •  Giaconda Belli LITERATURE •  1995 •  PAPER  • 412 PAGES In this powerful novel, a young woman living in a contemporary Central American country becomes "inhabited" by the soul of a woman who lived there hundreds of years earlier, under the oppression of the Spanish rule. This novel, by a Nicaraguan poet, is a modern tale of magical realism and political activism. Available in a facsimile print-on-demand edition only. (CAM33, $22.95)
Inside Belize  •  Tom Barry GUIDEBOOK •  1995 •  PAPER  • 180 PAGES An introduction to the history, culture and economics of Belize. Published by a U.S. based non-profit organization with a left-leaning perspective, it is a concise and authoritative portrait. Don't expect color photographs and fancy prose -- but if you'd like a straightforward, fact-filled report, this book is essential. (CAM10, $11.95)
Inside Costa Rica  •  Tom Barry GUIDEBOOK •  1995 •  PAPER  • 176 PAGES These guides are an introduction to the history, culture and economics of the Central American republics. Each of the country guides is available separately. Published by a U.S. based non-profit organization with a left-leaning perspective, these books are concise, authoritative and up-to-date portraits. Don't expect color photographs and fancy prose -- but if you'd like a straightforward, fact-filled report, these books are essential. (CAM11, $11.95)
Insight Guide Belize  •  Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 341 PAGES A profusely illustrated overview of Belize, featuring concise essays by well regarded authors on natural history and culture, hundreds of photos and maps, and some limited practical information. (BLZ02, $23.95)
Insight Guide Costa Rica  •  Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 295 PAGES A comprehensive, illustrated survey of the country, this guide features essays by well regarded authors, hundreds of color photographs and excellent local maps. Much of the book is devoted to a survey of attractions. (CRC08, $22.95)
The Jaguar Smile, A Nicaraguan Journey  •  Salman Rushdie TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2008 •  PAPER  • 160 PAGES Rushdie's account of visit to the country at the height of the Contra war goes underneath the headlines. It's a cultural portrait -- simple, straightforward and "Written with a novelist's eye for irony," wrote the "New York Times." (CAM43, $14.00)
Jaguar, One Man's Struggle to Establish the World's First Jaguar Preserve  •  Alan Rabinowitz NATURAL HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 378 PAGES A vivid portrait of conservation in Central America, interweaving tales of research and adventure with an excellent chronicle of the author's successful efforts to establish the Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve in Belize. A classic, originally published in 1986, this edition includes a new epilogue by the author on the human cost of relocating the Maya who had been living in the region. (BLZ11, $29.95)
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)
Jungles  •  Frans Lanting  •  Christine Eckstrom NATURAL HISTORY •  2005 •  FLEXI-BOUND  • 260 PAGES An oversize, well produced portfolio of the creatures of the world's equatorial forests by the outstanding wildlife photographer and adventurer Frans Lanting. He presents the birds, insects, reptiles, mammals and plants of the jungles in 120 extraordinary color photographs. Ecologist Christine Eckstrom provides the introduction and brief accompanying text. (AMZ65, $19.99)
Latin American Art in the Twentieth Century  •  Edward J. Sullivan ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1996 •  HARD COVER  • 352 PAGES A comprehensive and scholarly survey of modern Latin American art, from a Latin American viewpoint. 17 scholars, critics and curators each write on their country of expertise. Organized geographically, including a chapter on Chicano art. 300 color illustrations. (ART31, $69.95)
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)
Lonely Planet Central America on a Shoestring  •  Lonely Planet Publications GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 806 PAGES A practical guide in the popular series. (CAM99, $24.99)
Lonely Planet Costa Rica  •  Mara Vorhees GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 608 PAGES A practical guide in the popular series, featuring a wildlife guide, adventure travel section and 32 pages of full-color photographs. (CRC19, $21.99)
Lonely Planet Costa Rican Spanish  •  Lonely Planet LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2006 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES A pocket guide to understanding idioms, slang and Spanish as it is spoken in Costa Rica. (CRC25, $8.99)
Lonely Planet Diving & Snorkeling Belize  •  Tim Rock GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 128 PAGES A guide to diving and dive sites throughout Belize, this book contains maps, driving directions and safety information, along with descriptions of marine wildlife, diving techniques and nearby attractions. (BLZ12, $24.99)
Lonely Planet Guatemala  •  Lonely Planet GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 328 PAGES A comprehensive, practical guide to Guatemala with 35 local and city maps, color photographs and extensive information on where to go and what to do. (CAM85, $19.99)
Lonely Planet Panama  •  Scott Doggett GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 348 PAGES The usual comprehensive Lonely Planet treatment, with a good overview of the history, culture and nature of Panama, along with regional maps and excellent detail on where to go, sleep and eat. Adapted from "Central America on a Shoestring" with original research by Scott Doggett, who is the primary author on a number of Latin American guides. (PNM12, $21.99)
The Long Night of White Chickens  •  Francisco Goldman LITERATURE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 472 PAGES By turns a love story, murder mystery and political fiction, this vivid novel follows the narrator from Boston to Guatemala to New York as he searches for his roots. With a conversational but stunningly evocative and sensual prose, Goldman is just as comfortable discoursing on high school romance as he is with the tortured political history of Central America. His greatest trick, though, is making the reader as empathetic and moved by the complexly portrayed characters as he is. One of the finest young writers working today. (CAM90, $14.00)
Looking for a Ship  •  John McPhee HISTORY •  1991 •  PAPER In his signature style of exploring important but ignored subjects, John McPhee explores the dying industry of the Merchant Marine. Following a friend's voyage through the Panama Canal, McPhee tackles the subject with humor and clear prose, showing the forces which have forced the merchant marine into near-extinction. (GEN133, $16.00)
The Lost Cities of the Mayas, The Life, Art, and Discoveries of Frederick Catherwood  •  Fabio Bourbon BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2000 •  HARD COVER  • 208 PAGES (MYA55, $35.00)
A Magic Web, The Tropical Forest of Barro Colorado Island  •  Egbert G. Leigh, Jr  •  Christian Ziegler NATURAL HISTORY •  2002 •  HARD COVER  • 292 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE A generously illustrated overview of the nature and ecology of Barro Colorado Island, home to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. With chapters on plants, herbivorory and predatation, animals and the ecology of tropical forests. The book concludes with a chapter on conservation. With hundreds of color photographs. Barro Colorado, created with the Panama Canal, may be the most intensively studied piece of tropical forest on Earth. Leigh, a biologist at STRI, is also the author of Tropical Forest Ecology, (CAM100, $40.00)
Mammals of Belize  •  Fiona Reid FIELD GUIDE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 28 PAGES A palm-sized guide to 64 of the larger and most commonly encountered mammals of Belize, each with a full color illustration, paw print and description. With a map, viewing tips and a checklist. A talented illustrator, Reid also provided the color plates for the wonderful Mammals of Central America (CAM60). (BLZ14, $6.00)
The Massacre at El Mozote: A Parable of the Cold War  •  Mark Danner HISTORY •  1994 •  PAPER A brilliant piece of investigative journalism, this book reconstructs the 1981 massacre of 800 men, women and children in a remote Salvadoran village by an elite American trained army battalion. It shows how the Reagan administration made the problem go away -- and how the press was complicit in the cover-up. In the end one is left with what the historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. called "A powerful indictment of our national capacity to betray our own noblest ideals when we claim the right to decide the destiny of other countries." The "New Yorker" magazine devoted an entire issue to it. (CAM67, $14.95)
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)
Mesoamerica's Classic Heritage, From Teotihuacan to the Aztecs  •  David Carrasco  •  Lindsay Jones  •  Scott Sessions ARCHAEOLOGY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 584 PAGES This collection of scholarly essays combines the latest scholarship and archaeological discoveries to present a clearer picture of the origins and fates of Mesoamerican societies. With chapters by Anthony Aveni and William Fash. (CAM108, $34.95)
Moon Handbook Belize  •  Chicki Mallan  •  Josh Berman GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 350 PAGES A traveler's guide to the culture, history and nature of Belize. With a section on Tikal, black-and-white photographs, 45 sketch maps, and good recommendations on where to go and what to do. (BLZ05, $17.95)
Moon Handbook Costa Rica  •  Christopher P. Baker GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 820 PAGES A great resource for the independent traveler, this guide features a thorough introduction to the land, history and culture Costa Rica, as well as astonishing practical detail on getting around, where to go, and where to stay. It has a few unobtrusive color plates, as well as a small fold-out map on the inside back cover. (CRC06, $21.95)
Moon Handbook Honduras  •  Chris Humphrey GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 402 PAGES A great resource for the independent traveler, this guidebook features a good introduction to the land, history and culture of Honduras, as well as practical detail on getting around, where to go, and where to stay. With 35 detailed maps, a Spanish glossary to Honduran slang, and articles on the Copan ruins, the Bay Islands and the Rio Plantano Biosphere Reserve. (CAM73, $19.95)
The Mosquito Coast  •  Paul Theroux LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES A taught psychological tale of a man who abandons civilization for the wilds of Honduras (much better than the movie!). Allie Fox defeats the mosquitoes, tames the river and swamp, and sets out to build an iceberg -- mostly as a monument to himself. (CAM34, $14.95)
National Geographic Traveler Costa Rica  •  Christopher P. Baker GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES A guidebook to Costa Rica, published by National Geographic in their attractive, visual style. The guide features 200 photographs, 20 maps and good information history, nature, culture and travel in Costa Rica. By the indomitable Christopher Baker. (CRC26, $22.95)
A Naturalist in Costa Rica  •  Alexander Skutch NATURAL HISTORY •  1992 •  PAPER  • 382 PAGES Originally published in 1971, this book recounts Skutch's 35 years of living and studying ornithology in the Pacific hills of Costa Rica. Warm, nostalgic and extremely knowledgeable, Skutch was one of the greats in tropical ornithology. He thoughtfully includes an index by species -- along with a bird checklist, eight-page curriculum vitae and list of his awards. Rather rich to read in one sitting, we turn to this book for his portraits of individual bird species. For those who become addicted to his graceful, gentlemanly prose and detailed knowledge of the tropics, this is just one of his dozen popular books. (CAM09, $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)
The New Key to Costa Rica  •  Beatrice Blake  •  Anne Becher GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 560 PAGES A comprehensive, frequently revised guide to Costa Rica with excellent information on hotels, restaurants and excursions throughout the country. Welcome attention is paid to regard for the environment and local community. The best overall guide to Costa Rica for the nature-oriented independent traveler. Co-author Beatrice Blake also publishes keytocostarica.com. 18th Edition! (CAM36, $19.95)
Nicaragua in Focus, A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture  •  Hazel Plunkett GUIDEBOOK •  2002 •  PAPER  • 100 PAGES Essential reading for Nicaragua, this compact, illustrated travel guide focuses on politics, economy, history and culture. It's especially strong on the difficult history of relations with the U.S. but also includes a good short summary of traditional culture and history from colonial times to the present. It's an excellent overview, strong on facts and unabashedly left-of-center in outlook. (CAM71, $12.95)
Nicaragua Map  •  ITMB MAP A map of Nicaragua at a scale of 1:750,000 with good topographic relief. (CAM74, $11.95)
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)
The Panama Canal Map  •  Compass 2001 •  MAP A full color, double-sided map and historical guide to the Panama Canal. Brightly colored and rather schematic, it nonetheless features a good overview of the route of the canal, pictures and information. The map of the route is at a scale of 1:85,000. (CAM45, $9.95)
Panama Map  •  ITMB 2006 •  MAP A full-color, double-sided map of Panama for the traveler at the detailed scale of 1:480,000. Printed on water- and tear-resistant plastic paper. (CAM25, $10.95)
Pass the Butterworms, Remote Journeys Oddly Rendered  •  Tim Cahill TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1998 •  PAPER A collection of entertaining travel essays, many originally appearing in Outside Magazine. It includes Cahill's acerbic commentary on his adventures from the North Pole to Irian Jaya, Mongolia and Peru. (WLD01, $13.00)
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)
Plants and Animals in the Life of the Kuna  •  Valerio Nunez  •  Heraclio Herrera  •  Jorge Ventocilla  •  James Howe  •  Elisabeth King CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1995 •  PAPER  • 168 PAGES An ethnobiology and cultural portrait of the Kuna, their island home and relationship to the natural world, this book was produced by a diverse team of Kuna leaders, ecologists and scholars. (PNM15, $19.95)
Rainforest Remedies: One Hundred Healing Herbs of Belize  •  Michael J. Balick  •  Rosita Arvigo NATURAL HISTORY •  1993 •  PAPER  • 255 PAGES An ethnobotanist who has lived and worked in Central and South America, Balick and co-author Arvigo present 100 traditional herbs of Belize along with the culture and lore surrounding their use in traditional medicine. Each is accompanied by a black-and-white line drawing. Balick is also the author of Plants, People and Culture (AMZ37), an excellent overview of the science of ethnobotany. (BLZ10, $15.95)
Reading the Maya Glyphs  •  Mark Van Stone  •  Michael Coe ARCHAEOLOGY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 160 PAGES A compact, illustrated guide to commonly encountered Maya hieroglyphs. With clear drawings by the talented calligrapher Mark Van Stone and illuminating text by reigning Mayanist Michael Coe. It's an excellent introduction to Maya writing for the traveler. (MYA26, $19.95)
Reef Fish Identification  •  Paul Humann FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  FLEXI-BOUND  • 400 PAGES The serious underwater enthusiast will enjoy Paul Humann's Reef Fish Identification, a 400-page essential reference with 670 color photographs. It includes all the fishes associated with Atlantic Ocean reefs along with those of neighboring marine habitats and several first-ever photographs of elusive species. (DIV03, $39.95)
Reefcomber's Guide, Caribbean  •  Idaz Greenberg FIELD GUIDE •  1982 •  PLASTIC CARD A handy, double-sided laminated card with common fish, corals and other invertebrates of the Caribbean. (DIV46, $7.50)
Rigoberta Menchu and the Story of All Poor Guatemalans  •  David Stoll HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES In this controversial book, Stoll concludes that Rigoberta Menchu, winner of the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize, did not actually experience many of the events of her famous autobiography. Menchu herself has lately said that her account of peasant life and revolution in Guatemala articulates a collective --rather than a strictly personal -- experience, but here Stoll takes her to task for deluding the international community. It's an irritating, important book that will outrage fans of I, Rigoberta Menchu; detractors will feel vindicated. (GML09, $25.00)
The Rigoberta Menchu Controversy  •  arturo arias HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 416 PAGES A collection of scholarly essays and primary source documents which illumine the debate about the authenticity of Rigoberta Menchu's Nobel Prize-winning autobiography. (GML10, $22.50)
Rough Guide Belize  •  Peter Eltringham GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 415 PAGES This comprehensive guide includes an excellent historical and cultural overview of Belize, with special attention to its natural history. Eltringham, (who also wrote the excellent Rough Guide to Guatemala), knows the country well and region-by-region descriptions are excellent, especially for lesser-known destinations. With sections on Flores and Tikal in Guatemala and the Bay Islands of Honduras. (BLZ15, $18.99)
Rough Guide Costa Rica  •  Jean McNeil GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 448 PAGES This compact guide includes an excellent historical and cultural overview of Costa Rica, paying special attention to its natural history. It's otherwise an opinionated, thorough 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. (CRC13, $21.99)
Rough Guide Guatemala  •  Rough Guide GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 511 PAGES A comprehensive guide, our favorite for Guatemala, with good cultural information and the best overview of where to go and what to do throughout the country. It's got consistently more -- and more accurate -- information on markets, towns and excursions than the competition. The contexts section at the back of the book, with historical and cultural information, is equally as strong. With sections on Copan and the Honduran Bay Islands. (CAM89, $18.99)
Rough Guide Music Central America  •  Various Artists MUSIC •  2001 •  AUDIO CD A carefully chosen sampling of the diverse sounds of Central America, displaying a remarkable blending of African, European, and Amerasian influences. (CAM114, $14.95)
Rough Guides Mexico & Central America 25 Ultimate Experiences  •  Rough Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 80 PAGES Subtitled Make the Most of Your Time on Earth, these colorful pocket guides, 25 in all, published in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Rough Guides, celebrate remarkable, not-to-be-missed things to do and places to go, certain to inspire. With an appendix including, for example, excellent reading and some practicalities, these teasers might just help you choose the next trip. As a celebration of Rough Guides, their scope and personality, they can't be beat. (CAM124, $5.99)
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)
Snakes, The Evolution of Mystery in Nature  •  Harry W. Greene NATURAL HISTORY •  1997 •  HARD COVER  • 288 PAGES Published to wildly enthusiastic reviews in 1997, this illustrated volume documents the ecology and diversity of snakes worldwide. Anecdotal, informative and entertaining, snakes couldn't have asked for a better advocate than herpetologist Harry Greene -- and the photographs are stunning. (BST33, $60.00)
Spanish, A Language Map  •  Kristine K. Kershul LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  1999 •  PLASTIC CARD This durable, foldout card, featuring 1,000 words and phrases, works as a quick reference for travelers. (SPN259, $7.95)
Spanish, Start Speaking Today!  •  Language/30 LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  AUDIO CD A 90-minute crash course in Spanish featured on audio CD and a phrasebook packaged in a vinyl sleeve. Geared for travelers, the course follows the foreign service method -- which focuses on dialogues and useful sentences instead of individual words. In each case, an English phrase is spoken once, and repeated in Spanish twice. Topics include introductions, transportation, business and health. Teaches Latin American Spanish with tips for European usage. A cassette tape version is also available (SPN140). (SPN219, $21.95)
Spanish, Start Speaking Today! (Cassette Tapes)  •  Educational Services Corporation LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  CASETTE TAPE A 90-minute crash course in Spanish featured in two audio tapes and a phrasebook packaged in a vinyl sleeve. Geared for travelers, the course follows the foreign service method -- which focuses on dialogues and useful sentences instead of individual words. In each case, an English phrase is spoken once, and repeated in Spanish twice. Topics include introductions, transportation, business and health. A version with compact discs is also available (SPN219). (SPN140, $21.95)
Stairways to the Stars, Skywatching in Three Great Ancient Cultures  •  Anthony Aveni ARCHAEOLOGY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 230 PAGES An overview of the influence of astronomy on the design of ancient monuments and cities, focusing on Stonehenge, the Incas and the Maya. (GEN314, $16.95)
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)
The Tailor of Panama  •  John Le Carre LITERATURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 512 PAGES Set in Panama, this thriller by master storyteller John Le Carre includes spymasters, corrupt officials, arms manufacturers and other unsavory types. (CAM51, $7.99)
The Tapir's Morning Bath  •  Elizabeth Royte SCIENCE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES Subtitled "Mysteries of the Tropical Rain Forest and the Scientists Who Are Trying to Solve Them," this books is an engaging account of ecological research and ecologists at Barro Colorado Island, the Smithsonian Institution's Tropical Research Station in Panama. Royte, a journalist and research-assistant-at-large, is an entertaining and insightful guide to flora, fauna and science. (AMZ74, $14.00)