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RIVER JOURNEY TO THE AMAZON BASIN & NATURAL WONDERS OF GALAPAGOS
More Books

About This Life, Journeys on the Threshold of Memory • Barry Lopez ANTHOLOGY • 1999 • PAPER • 273 PAGES A collection of essays on far-flung travels -- both actual and internal -- by the wonderful writer and traveler. Lopez includes Galapagos, Hokkaido, Bonaire and Antarctica among the thoughtful essays. As in all his work, the book is a rare combination of fine writing, adventure, insight and personal reflection. (GEN42, $15.00)
Amazon Stranger, A Rainforest Chief Battles Big Oil • Mike Tidwell CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 2000 • PAPER • 224 PAGES • COMING IN 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)
Andes • Mario Vargas Llosa • Pablo Corral Vega CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 2001 • HARD COVER • 160 PAGES • COMING IN Published by National Geographic, this oversize book is a photographic celebration of the Andes, and especially its people, featuring 90 full-page color photographs by the Ecuadorian photographer Pablo Corral Vega and accompanying essays (Llosa calls them fantasies) by novelist Mario Vargas-Llosa. Vega traversed the entire 5,000-mile spine of the mountains from the Caribbean to Patagonia, documenting the land and people of South America in beautiful, crisp photographs. (AND29, $50.00)
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, $19.95)
Billy Budd, Sailor and Other Stories • Herman Melville LITERATURE • 1989 • PAPER • 385 PAGES A collection of short fiction including "Las Encantadas," ten sketches firmly set in a highly stylized Galapagos Islands (which Melville visited during his whaling days). In his vision, the islands are a kind of hell, a wasteland. (GPS37, $10.00)
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, $89.95)
The Birds of Ecuador, Vol. I and II • Robert Ridgely • Paul Greenfield FIELD GUIDE • 2001 • PAPER • 1632 PAGES The two-volume set with slipcase. (EDR14, $130.00)
Birds, Mammals and Reptiles of the Galapagos Islands • Andy Swash • Robert Stills FIELD GUIDE • 2006 • FLEXI-BOUND • 168 PAGES A photographic identification guide featuring 53 color plates, 78 distribution maps and information on the status, habitat and behavior for practically all of the birds, mammals and reptiles that have ever been found in the archipelago. The photographs have been digitally enhanced to focus on key features for identification. The maps, text and 500 color photographs are on facing pages for ease of use in the field. With a checklist of regularly occurring species. (GPS49, $28.00)
Charles Darwin: Voyaging, A Biography • Janet Browne BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1996 • PAPER • 605 PAGES This first volume of the acclaimed biography of Darwin covers the first part of his life as he develops the earth-shattering ideas that culminate in the publication of On the Origin of Species. (GPS29, $27.95)
Insight Guide Ecuador and Galapagos • Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK • 2011 • PAPER • 368 PAGES Profusely illustrated, this compact guide introduces the natural history, politics and culture and wildlife of Ecuador. Contributors to this edition include Tui de Roy (Galapagos photography), Lynn Meisch (arts, crafts and customs) and Rob Rachoweicki (Oriente). (EDR01, $22.99)
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, $27.95)
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)
Darwin and the Science of Evolution • Patrick Tort BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 2001 • PAPER • 144 PAGES • FAMILY A pocket biography and social history of Darwin in the excellent "Discoveries" series featuring hundreds of archival photographs and a synopsis of his life and ideas by the French editor of the three-volume, 5,000 page dictionary of Darwin and evolution. It includes chapters on Darwin's early life, his five-year voyage aboard the Beagkle, and the developemnt of the theory of natural selection. (GPS54, $12.95)
Darwin, The Life of a Tormented Evolutionist • Adrian Desmond • James Moore BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1994 • PAPER • 808 PAGES An influential, vividly written biography of Darwin. (GEN13, $23.95)
The Diversity of Life • E.O. Wilson NATURAL HISTORY • 2010 • PAPER • 432 PAGES This world tour by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning biologist and author E.O. Wilson is wonderfully readable: an insightful, candid and elegant story of the evolution of life on our planet. With a focus on ecosystems, the book chronicles the rich diversity of species and how they came about. It catalogs the history of mass extinctions -- and presents a forceful argument that, unless we take care, our species may precipitate the greatest single episode of extinctions. Beautifully illustrated, this lyrical book is a celebration of life. Ed Wilson is a member of WWF's Board of Directors. (CON02, $21.95)
Ecology and Evolution of Darwin's Finches • Peter R. Grant • Jonathan Weiner NATURAL HISTORY • 1999 • PAPER • 492 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE A scholarly, readable account of Grant's comprehensive study of Darwin's finches, including a forward by Jonathan Weiner (who wrote "Beak of the Finch") and an update by Peter Grant -- who has devoted his life's work to the evolution and ecology of these curious Galapagos birds. For those not put off by charts and tables and the language of population ecology, it's a fascinating book and an excellent example of a long-term ecological study. A volume in "Princeton Science Library" and modern classic of evolution first published in 1986. With 20 color illustrations. (GPS44, $41.00)
Eight Feet in the Andes • Dervla Murphy EXPLORATION • 2003 • PAPER • 274 PAGES This Irish grandmother has made travel writing something of an industry. She's a gutsy, insightful observer who writes like the wind. In this book, first published in 1983, she and her then-nine-year-old daughter travel 1,300 miles by mule through the Andes on the trail of the conquistadors. (AND07, $15.95)
Ever Since Darwin, Reflections in Natural History • Stephen Jay Gould NATURAL HISTORY • 2007 • PAPER • 288 PAGES In these delightful essays, enormously well infomed, thoughtful and a joy to read, Gould effortlessly explicates the wonders of evolution. His essay on Darwin's theory of evolution is utterly dead-on. (NAT15, $15.95)
The Evolution of Jane • Cathleen Schine LITERATURE • 2011 • PAPER • 256 PAGES Out and about in Galapagos, this is the novel of a recently divorced young woman and her discoveries on Darwin's Islands. Set in the Galapagos, the author has done her homework well. The book mixes psychological insights with straightforward travelogue and some heady commentary on modern evolutionary theory. Under the cover of Darwin's theory of evolution, it's really about the nature of friendship. Put it on the shelf next to Vonnegut's fanciful "Galapagos, a Novel" (Item no. GPS10) a perennial bestseller. (GPS30, $14.95)
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)
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)
Evolution, The Triumph of an Idea • Carl Zimmer SCIENCE • 2006 • PAPER • 487 PAGES The companion book to the PBS series of the same name. It's an excellent, concise overview of the history and concepts of evolution, clearly written and well illustrated. (SCI155, $15.99)
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, $14.95)
Feeding a Yen, Savoring Local Specialties from Kansas City to Cuzco • Calvin Trillin FOOD • 2004 • PAPER • 197 PAGES Boy, Trillin can really write -- and he drags the reader along in his enthusiasm for food and travel (not to mention his neighborhood in the West Village). This slim book, with many of the essays originally published elsewhere, includes Trillin's priceless riff on bagels as bait to lure his daughters home from the West Coast, his quest for the best ceviche with none other than Douglas Rodriguez, as well as 11 other ramblings, many in search of local foods. Trillin casually interweaves stories of his many friends, strong-minded daughters and beloved wife Alice, in whose memory the book is dedicated. (WLD40, $15.00)
A Field Guide to Sea Stars and Other Echinoderms of the Galapagos • Cleveland P. Hickman FIELD GUIDE • 1998 • PAPER • 83 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE A spiral-bound field guide illustrating 62 species of sea stars, urchins and sea cucumbers, including endemic species. With 100 color photographs and information on distribution and natural history. (GPS31, $18.95)
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, $29.95)
The Fishes of the Galapagos Islands • Jack Grove • Robert Lavenberg FIELD GUIDE • 1997 • HARD COVER • 936 PAGES An essential reference with hundreds of color photographs and detailed information on range, distribution and natural history for 437 species. (GPS32, $145.00)
The Flight of the Iguana: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature • David Quammen NATURAL HISTORY • 1998 • PAPER • 320 PAGES A marvelous, witty collection of essays. Even keen naturalists will be thrilled that Quammen gets his facts straight. His essay on a visit to the Galapagos is terrific, and the whole book sheds light on how evolution works. (NAT16, $16.00)
Flora of the Galapagos Islands • Ira Wiggins • Duncan Porter FIELD GUIDE • 1971 • HARD COVER • 988 PAGES The standard reference for the flora of the Galapagos, compiled in the 1960s by Ira Wiggins and Duncan Porter. (GPS43, $150.00)
Footprint Ecuador & Galapagos Handbook • Robert & Daisy Kunstaetter GUIDEBOOK • 2009 • HARD COVER • 500 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 Ecuador, and exhaustive detail on where to go and what to do. Essential for the independent traveler or anyone interested in getting off the beaten track. (EDR05, $25.95)
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)
Galapagos at the Crossroads: Pirates, Biologists, Tourists, and Creationists Battle for Darwin's Cradle of Evolution • Carol Ann Bassett SCIENCE • 2009 • HARD COVER • 304 PAGES A journalist who lived in Puerto Ayrora, where she directs a summer program, Bassett focuses on not only the threats to the archipelago but also the often colorful biologists, conservationists and others working to protect the archipelago. (GPS86, $26.00)
Galapagos Diary, A Complete Guide to the Archipelago's Birdlife • Hermann Heinzel • Barnaby Hall NATURAL HISTORY • 2000 • PAPER • 272 PAGES The jumbled, endearing and profusely illustrated journal of a voyage to Galapagos by a bird illustrator and a teenage family friend and photographer. Heinzel and Hall sailed to many more islands than the usual, climbed Volcan Alcedo -- and recorded it all in hundreds of sketches, water color illustrations and photographs. With an astounding 24 pages devoted to Darwin's Finches alone. The 670 (!) drawings show behavior, variation and personality of each species. Oddly organized without a table of contents and miniscule type size, it's still a terrific book. Here's what a Longitude customer said about it: "While it's a 9 1/4" x 6 1/2" paperback, and not light, I for one would have wanted it along on my visit to the Galapagos; the combination of Heinzel's sketches and drawings and Hall's photos showing multiple images of birds in various plumages would have been very useful, and worth lugging around! The first half of the book, detailing their trip chronologically, makes for interesting reading, and the photos and sketches there, if anything, are even more artistically interesting than the second half, probably more valuable to birders, which gives photos, illustrations and details by species. Heinzel and Hall have, to my mind, finally come up with the solution to the vexing problem of whether to go with a bird guide illustrated with photos or drawings, each of which has advantages. These guys let us have it both ways!" (GPS48, $34.95)
Galapagos 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 Galapagos, Charles Darwin and a map of the archipelago, all ready to color. (GPS74, $3.95)
The Galapagos Islands: Exploring, Enjoying & Understanding Darwin's Enchanted Islands • Marylee Stephenson GUIDEBOOK • 2005 • PAPER • 159 PAGES A practical guide to the archipelago, featuring an extensive 70-page section on popular visitor sites, travel tips, maps and color illustrations. (GPS41, $16.95)
Galapagos, Discovery on Darwin's Islands • David Steadman NATURAL HISTORY • 1998 • PAPER • 208 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE All the birds, mammals, reptiles and other vertebrates of the Galapagos are beautifully illustrated in this insightful overview of natural history and evolution by a researcher who has worked throughout the islands. Steadman's brother Lee provides the full-color, full-page watercolor illustrations (GPS05, $24.95)
Galapagos, Discovery on Darwin's Islands • David Steadman NATURAL HISTORY • 1998 • PAPER • 208 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE All the birds, mammals, reptiles and other vertebrates of the Galapagos are beautifully illustrated in this insightful overview of natural history and evolution by a researcher who has worked throughout the islands. Steadman's brother Lee provides the full-color, full-page watercolor illustrations (GPS05, $24.95)
Galapagos, Discovery on Darwin's Islands • David Steadman NATURAL HISTORY • 1998 • PAPER • 208 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE All the birds, mammals, reptiles and other vertebrates of the Galapagos are beautifully illustrated in this insightful overview of natural history and evolution by a researcher who has worked throughout the islands. Steadman's brother Lee provides the full-color, full-page watercolor illustrations (GPS05, $24.95)
Geology • Frank Rhodes FIELD GUIDE • 2001 • PAPER A brief, authoritative overview of the geology of Earth, its relation to the universe, and a survey of rocks, minerals and formation. A Golden Guide. (GEO62, $6.95)
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 pre-history to the present. Includes illustrations, maps and a chronology. (SAM33, $29.95)
Latitude Zero, Tales of the Equator • Gianni Guadalupi EXPLORATION • 2002 • PAPER • 258 PAGES A digressive, entertaining series of essays on Equatorial adventures, real and imagined, combining history, tales of exploration, geography and intellectual inquiry. Guadaupi, an Italian historian who has also written about the Nile, zooms in on many of the big names in adventure: Darwin, Stanley and Livingston, Magellan and Sir Walter Raleigh. (EXP30, $13.00)
Living Poor • Moritz Thomsen BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1997 • PAPER • 280 PAGES Moritz's heartfelt account of small triumphs and tragedies as a Peace Corps volunteer in a small village on the coast of Ecuador. Moritz, who joined the Peace Corps at age 46, was an exquisitely talented writer and a complex and melancholy personality. He went on to write two more books. (EDR13, $26.95)
Lonely Planet Ecuador & Galapagos Islands • Lonely Planet GUIDEBOOK • 2009 • PAPER • 432 PAGES If you're an independent traveler, there's no better guidebook for Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. It's packed with maps, short essays on diverse topics and basic information for the traveler. A separate section at the end provides an overview of the natural history of Galapagos. (GPS04, $23.99)
Lonely Planet South America on a Shoestring • Lonely Planet GUIDEBOOK • 2010 • 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, $34.99)
Mammals of the Neotropics, The Central Neotropics: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Vol. 3 • John F. Eisenberg • Kent H. Redford NATURAL HISTORY • 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, $62.50)
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, $14.98)
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, $30.00)
Odyssey Guide Galapagos • Pierre Constant GUIDEBOOK • 2010 • PAPER • 316 PAGES Subtitled "A Natural History Guide," this compact book is an illustrated overview of the islands -- and especially the wildlife -- with 70 sketch maps, 180 color photographs and island-by-island descriptions. (GPS20, $24.95)
On the Origin of Species • Charles Darwin • Mayr Ernst NATURAL HISTORY • 1975 • PAPER • 528 PAGES Here it is: a facsimile of the original, best-selling 1859 edition of "On the Origin of Species"-- the book that Darwin sweated over for decades and that changed our view of the world. Even to the modern mind it is an outstanding introduction to the subject. It's one of the great works of science -- and surprisingly readable. Darwin tinkered with later editions, mostly in response to his critics, but you may as well read the original. With an introduction by Ernst Mayr. (NAT19, $23.00)
Penguin Planet: Their World, Our World • Kevin Schafer NATURAL HISTORY • 2000 • HARD COVER • 144 PAGES A collection of 112 stunning color photographs of penguins around the world. Schafer, a veteran naturalist and expedition leader, has photographed these much-loved birds on voyages to the Antarctic, Sub-Antarctic islands, Galapagos, and South Africa. Schafer also wrote the accompanying text. Winner of the 2000 National Outdoor Book Award. (ANT131, $49.95)
Personal Narrative of a Journey to the Equinoctial Regions of the New Continent • Alexander von Humboldt EXPLORATION • 1996 • PAPER • 310 PAGES This is the book that Darwin took on his voyage around the world -- a classic account of naturalist and explorer Humboldt's 18th-century discoveries in South America. (SAM08, $17.00)
Piazza Tales • Herman Melville LITERATURE • 1996 • PAPER • 275 PAGES Melville's experiences as a whaler informed not only his great novel, Moby Dick, but "The Encantadas," one of the outstanding tales found in this collection. These short stories on the Galapagos Islands capture the volcanic nature of this bewitched paradise. (GPS36, $18.00)
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)
Plundering Paradise, The Hand of Man on the Galapagos Islands • Michael D'Orso HISTORY • 2003 • PAPER • 345 PAGES • COMING IN Not subtle but eye-opening nevertheless, Michael D'Orso's book focuses on the damage and challenges of people in the Galapagos as seen though the knowledgeable eyes of, mostly, long-term expat residents like Jack Nelson and Godfrey Merlen. Galapagos needs a book about pressures on the marine reserve and social problems in the islands; too bad this one is so sensational and narrow in its outlook. It's sure to cause a storm among the Ecuadorians who care about the Galapagos (and do some damage to the fragile relations in Puerto Ayora). (GPS60, $13.95)
Quito and Northern Ecuador • ITMB 2009 • MAP A full color map of Quito and surroundings for the traveler, at a scale of 1:12,500. With a regional map goes from the northern border with Colombia to Guayaquil and from the ocean to the vast Yasuni National Park on the Peruvian border on the reverse at 1:650,000. One Side. 27x39 inches. (EDR10, $10.95)
Rough Guide Ecuador • Harry Ades • Melissa Graham GUIDEBOOK • 2010 • PAPER • 524 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, $24.99)
The Saddest Pleasure, A Journey on Two Rivers • Moritz Thomsen • Paul Theroux BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1990 • PAPER • 276 PAGES • COMING IN An introspective tale of travels on the Amazon in Ecuador and Brazil by the author of "Living Poor," "Farm on the River of Emeralds" and "Journey of Two Rivers." With an introduction by Paul Theroux. (EDR12, $12.95)
Seabirds, An Identification Guide • Peter Harrison FIELD GUIDE • 1985 • PAPER • 448 PAGES • COMING IN Much more than a field guide, this essential reference includes detailed descriptions of all the world's seabirds, full-color paintings of adult and juvenile birds and keys to identification. It's definitive, authoritative and weighs in at over a pound. The late Roger Tory Peterson called its publication "a red letter day for the field glass fraternity." Also recommended is Harrison's Field Guide to Seabirds of the World. (FG01, $32.00)
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)
Smithsonian Handbook: Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises • Mark Carwardine FIELD GUIDE • 2002 • PAPER • 256 PAGES In the trademark, graphic Eyewitness style, this sturdy guidebook colorfully describes the world's cetaceans with numerous illustrations, range maps, fluke drawings and a few paragraphs on each species. (FG02, $20.00)
South America, The Andes Map • Nelles 2005 • MAP A double-sided map covering the full range of the Andes and Pacific coast of South America from the Panama Canal to Tierra del Fuego at a scale of 1:4,500,000. With good topographic detail, roads, a separate map of Cusco/Machu Picchu and city maps (from north to south) of Bogota, Quito, La Paz, Lima, Arica, Antofogasta, Iquique, la Serena, Santiago and the Santiago metropolitan area. Two Sides. 40x20 inches. (SAM47, $13.95)
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, $24.95)
The Spears of Twilight: Life and Death in the Amazon Jungle • Phillipe Descola CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1996 • PAPER • 458 PAGES Three years among the Jivaro (Achaur) of the Upper Amazon. A student of Claude Levi-Strauss, Descola proves himself to be an intelligent observer and born storyteller in this ethnographic account. (AMZ25, $24.95)
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, $24.95)
Sweat of the Sun, Tears of the Moon: A Chronicle of an Incan Treasure • Peter Lourie TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 1998 • PAPER • 307 PAGES In the remote Llanganati mountains of Ecuador, a horde of gold is rumored to have been hidden by the Inca general Ruminahui when the Spanish conquistadors invaded the region. Following in the footsteps of colorful treasure-hunter characters before him, Lourie documents his search for the lost treasure of the last Inca emperor Atahualpa, who was murdered by Francisco Pizarro in 1532. (EDR04, $20.00)
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)
Treasure Island • Robert Louis Stevenson LITERATURE • 2003 • HARD COVER • 298 PAGES The famous and fabulous adventure story of a boy who finds himself among pirates while searching for buried treasure. Inspired by the Isla de Coco. (PAC25, $19.99)
Trekking and Climbing in the Andes • Val Pitkethly • Kate Harper GUIDEBOOK • 2009 • PAPER • 192 PAGES A compact guide to 26 treks and 18 climbing peaks in Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. With 110 color photos and 60 maps. (AND34, $20.00)
Trekking in Ecuador • Robert & Daisy Kunstaetter GUIDEBOOK • 2002 • PAPER • 304 PAGES A compact guide to 30 hikes and treks in 30 treks in Ecuador's northern & southern Highlands, Amazon and Pacific Coast. The authors, mountaineers both, are based in Quito. (EDR18, $18.95)
Twentieth-Century Latin American Poetry, A Bilingual Anthology • Stephen Tapscott LITERATURE • 1996 • PAPER • 418 PAGES A scholarly anthology of 400 poems, presented in the original language (Spanish or Portuguese) and English. Selections include poems from Octavio Paz, Pablo Neruda, Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriela Mistral, Julio Cortazar and Carlos Drummond de Andrade. Eighty-five poets are represented in all. With an introduction to the many traditions of 20th-century poety in Latin America, and biographical notes on each poet. (SAM28, $29.95)
Ultimate Spanish, Advanced with Book • Daniel Holodyk LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS • 2003 • AUDIO CD A university-level Spanish course in a box, this set includes 20 lessons on eight, 60-minute CDs and a 400-page accompanying workbook. The focus is on dialogues and conversation with attention paid to vocabulary and grammar. Most of the course features Latin American speakers with some Castillian variations in the lessons on Spain. With sections on business, etiquette and culture. Published by Living Language. (SPN176, $79.95)
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, $19.00)
Volcanoes, Fire From the Earth • Maurice Krafft NATURAL HISTORY • 1993 • PAPER • 175 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE This lavishly illustrated pocket-size encyclopedia by the great French scientist (who died on the job on Mount Unzen in Japan in 1991) covers the formation and study of volcanoes along with dozens of famous examples. (GEO06, $15.95)
Vulcan's Fury, Man Against the Volcano • Alwyn Scarth NATURAL HISTORY • 2001 • PAPER • 299 PAGES In the contest of "Man against the Volcano," nature always wins. The author draws together eyewitness accounts, science, sociology and folklore in this page-turning account of 15 dramatic volcanic events from Vesuvius to Krakatau, Mt. St. Helens and Pinatubo. (GEO10, $29.00)
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, $30.95)
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, $14.95)
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, Leda Leitao Martins, John Peters, and Terence Turner. (SAM67, $25.95)

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