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, $13.95)
Amazon Stranger, A Rainforest Chief Battles Big Oil  •  Mike Tidwell CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2000 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES Here's an unlikely story, well told. Journalist Tidwell journeyed to the Ecuadorian Amazon, where the local people have successfully battled against Big Oil. The integrity of the Cuyabeno forest and the way of life of the Cofan people have been preserved -- mostly thanks to the savvy of their leader Randy Borman, a white man raised in the jungle by missionaries. Although he ventured to college in the United States, Borman returned to his roots, married a local woman and has raised a family as the chief of this small band of indigenous people. More or less against his better judgement, Tidwell has immersed himself in customs and traditions of the Cofan. His book is a detailed, entertaining portrait of them, the Ecuadorian Amazon, and the Cofan way of life. (AMZ01, $16.95)
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, $9.00)
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, $85.00)
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, $120.00)
Bradt Climbing and Hiking Guide Ecuador  •  Rob Rachowiecki  •  Mark Thurber  •  Betsy Wagenhauser GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES An indispensable guide to hiking in Ecuador, especially if you want to explore the off-trails. Fifth edition. (EDR09, $19.95)
Charles Darwin  •  David King BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2006 •  PAPER  • 128 PAGES • YOUNG ADULTS A new addition to DK's acclaimed Biography series, this is a detailed and accessible chronicle of Darwin's life, sure to grab the interest of young readers. With more than 100 full-color photographs and illustrations. (NAT109, $4.99)
Charles Darwin  •  Adrian Desmond BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2007 •  PAPER  • 136 PAGES A volume in the the Very Interesting People series by Oxford University Press. (NAT123, $9.99)
Charles Darwin's Beagle Diary  •  Richard Darwin Keynes SCIENCE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 494 PAGES Keynes provides commentary, a selection of watercolor illustratiosn and drawings and explanatory notes for this definitive edition of Darwin's Beagle Diary, 1831-1836. It is interesting not just for its role in showing the development of Darwin's ideas but also for its immediacy and down-to-earth humor. (SCI169, $39.99)
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, $25.95)
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)
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 for Beginners  •  Jonathan Miller HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 176 PAGES The man and his ideas, presented in graphic cartoon style by the multi-talented Jonathan Miller. (NAT21, $12.00)
Darwin Loves You, Natural Selection and the Re-enchantment of the World  •  George Levine SCIENCE •  2008 •  PAPER Levine, a philosopher at Rutgers, argues persuasively that a "rational scientific outlook" is anything but harsh and without meaning, but rather that it leads to a sense of enchantment and wonder (as reflected in Darwin's own ideas and writings). (NAT107, $18.95)
Darwin's Dangerous Idea  •  Daniel C. Dennett SCIENCE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 586 PAGES A consideration of evolution by natural selection and its impact on the history of science. (HSC31, $16.00)
Darwin, Discovering the Tree of Life  •  Niles Eldredge BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 288 PAGES A companion book to an exhibition organized by the American Museum of Natural History (November 19, 2005 - May 29, 2006), this richly illustrated celebration of Darwin, his life and ideas, brings together manuscripts, artifacts and materials collected by Darwin aboard the Beage with curator Eldredge's illuminating essays on natural selection. (NAT82, $35.00)
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)
Darwinism and Its Discontents  •  Michael Ruse SCIENCE •  2008 •  PAPER  • 326 PAGES A historian and philosopher, Ruse lays out the facts of evolution along with the mechanism, challenges, science and philosophy in this articulate appreciation and overview of " the single best idea anyone has ever had." This book, based in part on a lecture series, synthesizes many decades of work by Ruse. (SCI164, $19.99)
The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex  •  Charles Darwin SCIENCE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 864 PAGES Darwin's great work on human evolution, published to much controversy in 1871. This Penguin Classics edition includes an introduction by Adrian Desmond. (NAT87, $17.00)
The Diversity of Life  •  E.O. Wilson NATURAL HISTORY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 424 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, $17.95)
Diving Guide Galapagos Islands  •  Ellen Sarbone  •  Steve Rosenberg GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  FLEXI-BOUND  • 215 PAGES For this handy book, first-time author, diver and Galapagos veteran Steve Rosenberg has compiled a detailed descriptions of dives, snorkeling spots and land trips throughout the archipelago. With travel basics, maps, color photographs and an overview of conditions and practicalities for the diver. (GPS63, $34.95)
Ecuador Map  •  Borch Maps 2005 •  MAP A detailed laminated map of Ecuador at a scale of 1:1,000,000. This is a very clear, colorful double-sided map with detailed insets of Quito, Guayaquil, Galapagos and the Ecuadorian Amazon (Oriente) on the reverse. (EDR03, $10.95)
Ecuador Traveler's Companion  •  Traveler's Companion GUIDEBOOK •  2001 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES A compact, practical guide to Ecuador. (EDR17, $25.95)
Ecuador, Galapagos Islands Map  •  Reise Know How 2006 •  MAP This excellent double-sided, waterproof map, a product of the World Mapping Project, covers Ecuador in splendid detail (1:650:00). It also includes an inset of the Galapagos at a scale of 1:1 million. (EDR22, $14.95)
Elsewhere in the Land of Parrots  •  Jim Paul LITERATURE •  2004 •  PAPER A novel of the literary life, love, science and Aratinga erythrogenys, the cherry-headed conure that holds together the plot in this witty love story. Much of the tale unspools in southwestern Ecuador, where a reclusive poet and adventurous scientist meet and entangle in their search for the red-masked parrot (near threatened in Ecuador) in its native habitat. (EDR20, $13.00)
Endless Forms Most Beautiful, The New Science of Evo Devo and The Making of the Animal Kingdom  •  Sean B. Carroll SCIENCE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES Evolutionary developmental biology explained by a leader in the field. (SCI177, $16.95)
Ever Since Darwin, Reflections in Natural History  •  Stephen Jay Gould NATURAL HISTORY •  1992 •  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)
Evolution for Everyone, Making Darwin's Theory the New Common Sense  •  David Sloan Wilson SCIENCE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES (NAT113, $15.00)
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. Stephen Jay Gould supplies the introduction. (SCI155, $15.95)
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)
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, $13.95)
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, $24.95)
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, $140.00)
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, $15.00)
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, $145.00)
Flowering Plants of the Neotropics  •  Nathan Smith  •  Scott Mori  •  Andrew Henderson  •  Dennis Stevenson  •  Scott Heald FIELD GUIDE •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 616 PAGES This beautifully illustrated, authoritative guide, with contributions by dozens of botanists, features 64 color plates and 250 detailed pen-and-ink drawings by Bobbi Angell. It's an excellent, oversize introduction to the showiest, most important and interesting flowering plants of Mexico, Central and South America edited by a team at the New York Botanical Garden. The cover is adorned with a magnificent passiflora. (CAM103, $95.00)
Footprint Diving the World, A Guide to the World's Coral Seas  •  Beth Tierney  •  Shaun Tierney GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 350 PAGES An inviting, beautifully illustrated guide to 220 dive sites in 19 countries with chapters on Australia and the Pacific, Mexico and Honduras, Egypt, East Africa and the Maldives, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Micronesia. Featuring the diving couple's favorite destinations, the book includes a planning guide, practical tips, and listing of dive centers, hotels, restaurants and live-aboards. (OCE102, $29.95)
Footprint Ecuador & Galapagos Handbook  •  Robert & Daisy Kunstaetter GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 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, $23.95)
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 Bedtime Stories  •  Paula Tagle Saad LITERATURE •  2003 •  HARD COVER  • 89 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) Delightful traditional children's stories about the people and fauna of the Galapagos, organized by island. Saad, an Ecuador native, serves as an expedition leader on the islands. Includes beautiful watercolor paintings. (GPS76, $28.00)
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, Islands Born of Fire  •  Tui De Roy NATURAL HISTORY •  2007 •  HARD COVER  • 168 PAGES • FAVORITE • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE Tui de Roy's stunning photographs and essays celebrate the landscapes, wildlife and habitats of the Galapagos. Raised in the archipelago, with a camera in hand, Tui knows the islands just about as well as anyone. Tenth anniversary edition. (GPS28, $65.00)
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. (GEO18, $6.95)
IMAX - Galapagos  •  Warner Home Video NATURAL HISTORY •  2004 •  DVD Smithsonian scientists take a submersible down 3,000 feet under the Pacific near the Galapagos archipelago. Narrated by Kenneth Branagh. (GPS75, $14.97)
Insight Pocket Guide Ecuador and Galapagos  •  Peter Frost GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 104 PAGES This handy guide features hundreds of color photographs, excellent local maps and a full-size pullout map of Ecuador. With suggested itineraries and a roundup of attractions by South America expert Peter Frost. The guide is skewed toward recommended activities in Quito and the highlands. (EDR19, $13.95)
Into Wild Galapagos  •  Jeff Corwin  •  Elaine Pascoe NATURAL HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 48 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) An illustrated natural history of the Galapagos in the gee-whiz Jeff Corwin style for ages 9-12. The book, like others in the series, is based on the Jeff Corwin Experience show on Animal Planet. (GPS67, $11.20)
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)
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)
Lonely Planet Ecuador & Galapagos Islands  •  Rob Rachowiecki GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 416 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. Rachowiecki, who has lived and worked in Ecuador, is an excellent guide. (GPS04, $23.99)
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)
Lonesome George, The Life and Loves of the World's Most Famous Tortoise  •  Henry Nicholls SCIENCE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 231 PAGES In the tradition of Jonathan Weiner's Pulitzer-Prize Winning Beach of the Finch (GPS08, $14.95), Nicholls shows the marvels of evolution, the nature of the islands and the challenges of conservation through the tale of a single species, in this case the lone tortoise from the Island of Pinta, corralled at the Charles Darwin Station since 1971. (GPS70, $14.95)
The Making of the Fittest, DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution  •  Sean B. Carroll SCIENCE •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 288 PAGES Carroll shows, in elegant detail, how changes in DNA demonstrate evolution by natural selection. (SCI176, $25.95)
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)
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)
Measuring the World, A Novel  •  Daniel Kehlmann  •  Carol Brown Janeway LITERATURE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES Irreverant, playful and based, at least in part, on the lives and work of two great German scientists, this witty bestselling novel skips from Berlin in 1828, when Alexander von Humboldt and Carl Friedrich Gauss meet as old men at a scientific congress in Berlin, to youthful Humboldt's travels in the Orinoco and Ecuadorian Andes. (GER202, $14.95)
Minutes to Burn  •  Gregg Andrew Hurwitz LITERATURE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 414 PAGES A science fiction thriller, creditably set in some place like the Galapagos Islands in the year 2007. The team is stranded on Sangre de Dios (a new island west of Fernandina) in the midst of environmental disaster. Peppered with real geography and other details of Galapagos nature and history, Jack Nelson, who owns the Hotel Galapagos, gets a credit (along with several former Navy SEALS). Lonesome George even makes an appearance. (GPS55, $7.50)
Natives And Exotics  •  Jane Alison LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES (PGL52, $13.00)
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)
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)
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, $19.50)
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)
Peru, Ecuador Map  •  Nelles 2005 •  MAP This sturdy, double-sided travel map at a scale of 1: 2.5 million features detailed topography and insets of Quito and Lima, Cusco and Lake Titicaca. (AND69, $10.95)
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)
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists  •  Gideon Defoe LITERATURE •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 144 PAGES In this madcap novel, the Pirate Captain and his motley crew conspire to attack the Beagle, believing it to be a gold-laden ship belonging to the Bank of England. When they are confronted, instead, with Darwin and his collection of monkeys, they agree to help rescue Darwin's brother from the sinister Bishop of Oxford. Defoe's tale is more fantasy than fact, but it might entince you to learn more about Darwin's life. Both children (ages 12 and up) and adults will enjoy the book's Monty Pythonesque humor. (GBR585, $15.95)
The Plausibility of Life, Resolving Darwin's Dilemma  •  Marc W. Kirschner  •  John Gerhart SCIENCE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES A lucid explanation of the evolution of diversity of life on Earth and, in particular, the relation between natural selection and development. (NAT121, $18.00)
Quito Map  •  ITMB 2000 •  MAP A full color map of Quito and surroundings for the traveler, at a scale of 1:12,500. (EDR10, $8.95)
Reluctant Mr. Darwin, An Intimate Portrait of Charles Darwin and the Making of His Theory of Evolution  •  David Quammen NATURAL HISTORY •  2007 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES • NEW David Quammen hits just the right note in this sprightly tale of the man, his ideas and impact. Not just a marvelous and witty writer with a conversational style, Quammen (Flight of the Iguana, Song of the Dodo, etc.) also has an uncanny ability, in full display in this extended essay, to express complex ideas with clarity. (NAT94, $14.95)
The Remarkable Life of William Beebe, Explorer and Naturalist  •  Carol Grant Gould BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2006 •  PAPER  • 447 PAGES This engaging biography of the explorer, naturalist, bestselling writer and underwater pioneer draws, for the first time, on the letters and journals Will Beebe kept from 1887 until his death in 1962. A popular science writer, Carol Grant Gould captures the curiosity and energy of Beebe, following his adventures from the bathysphere to the Galapagos, British Guiana, and at the Bronx Zoo, where he was the first curator of birds. (NAT70, $25.00)
Rough Guide Ecuador  •  Harry Ades  •  Melissa Graham GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 583 PAGES A compact comprehensive guide to travel in Ecuador, including Quito, the Oriente and Galapagos with extensive listings, dozens of sketch maps, and a brief overview of culture, nature and history. Second edition. (EDR06, $21.99)
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)
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. (SAM47, $10.95)
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)
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, $17.00)
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 Rumińahui 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, $14.00)
Tigerland, and Other Unintended Destinations  •  Eric Dinerstein NATURAL HISTORY •  2007 •  PAPER  • 296 PAGES Dinerstein, chief scientist with WWF, chronicles his globe-trotting adventures in this series of seven enjoyably engaging essays. Our reluctant hero lucks into the Peace Corps in Nepal, has a grand time with some of the greats in tropical ecology in Costa Rica, heads out to Ladakh to study snow leopards, finds himself in New Caledonia, East Africa, Galapagos, the plains of Montana and then back in Nepal. Dinerstein is a wise and witty writer, combining stories of his own transformation into a conservation biologist with deft portraits of key researchers and some fine observations about place. (CON30, $16.95)
To the Edge of the World  •  Harry Thompson LITERATURE •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 789 PAGES An epic novel of seafaring adventure in the spirit of Patrick O'Brien, this novel brings to life not just the five-year-long Voyage of the Beagle, with all its adventure, mishaps and high drama, but also the intellectual sparring between the religious, emotionally unstable Fitzroy and Charles Darwin. Published as This Thing of Darkness in Britain, where it was short-listed for the Booker Prize. (WLD85, $26.00)
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 •  1995 •  PAPER  • 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, $8.95)
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)
Trekking in the Central Andes: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia  •  Rob Rachowiecki GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES A compact overview of suggested hikes and treks in the Andes of Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia by the good folks at Lonely Planet. With day-by-day trail descriptions, two-color maps, and a guide to archaeological sites. (AND50, $19.99)
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)
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, $27.95)
Valverde's Gold, In Search of the Last Great Inca Treasure  •  Mark Honigsbaum EXPLORATION •  2005 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES The spellbinding account of a tough journey into Ecuador's Llanganati mountains in search of buried Spanish gold -- the legendary lost ransom of Atahualpa. Honigsbaum, his curiosity piqued, searched archives, meets up with modern treasure hunters and has a look for himself. The mission may be quixotic but it's a fine tale full of suspense. This is Mark Honigsbaum's second book set in the Andes, the first on the trail of the Victorian botanist Richard Spruce and the Cinchona (The Fever Trail). (AND51, $16.00)
Vulcan's Fury, Man against the Volcano  •  Alwyn Scarth NATURAL HISTORY •  1999 •  HARD COVER  • 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, $48.00)
Watching Wildlife Galapagos Islands  •  David Andrew GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 150 PAGES A book in the Watching Wildlife series by Lonely Planet, this slim guide features color photographs, maps and succint information on travel and sites in the aslands. Unfortunately, much of the information appears to be modified from more typical destinatations and it lacks the focus and practicality of more specialized guides (like Galapagos, A Vistiors Guide or, better yet, Galapagos, A Natural History). (GPS73, $24.99)
What Evolution Is  •  Ernst W. Mayr SCIENCE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES An overview of evolution by natural selection by a key figure in the development of the modern synthesis. (SCI86, $16.95)
Where to Watch Birds in South America  •  Nigel Wheatley NATURAL HISTORY •  1995 •  PAPER  • 431 PAGES A compact practical guide to 206 recommended birdwatching sites throughout South America. Organized by country, each site guide includes an introduction, noteworthy species, maps, and directions, checklists. An invaluable handbook for birders. (SAM40, $24.95)
Why Darwin Matters, The Case Against Intelligent Design  •  Michael Shermer SCIENCE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES A primer on evolution by natural selection. (SCI178, $14.00)
William Dampier's Voyages  •  Gerald Norris BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2008 •  PAPER  • 268 PAGES This nicely edited collection of writing by buccaneer, explorer and gentleman William Dampier includes selections from "A New Voyage Around the World" and "A Voyage New Holland." A master navigator and map-maker, Dampier circumnavigated the globe three times, wrote the series of best-selling books presented in this volume, and reached Australia 80 years before Captain Cook. (WLD53, $29.95)
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, $12.95)
Yanomami, The Fierce Controversy and What We Might Learn from It  •  Robert Borofsky CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2005 •  PAPER  • 397 PAGES A scholarly reader and study of the controversy surrounding anthropological studies of the Yanomami of northern Brazil and neighboring Venezuela. It follows in the wake of Patrick Tierney's best-selling book, Darkness in El Dorado. With Bruce Albert, Ray Hames, Kim Hill, Lęda Leităo Martins, John Peters, and Terence Turner. (SAM67, $22.95)