200 Conspicuous, Unusual, or Economically Important Tropical Plants of the Caribbean  •  John Kingsbury FIELD GUIDE •  1988 •  PAPER  • 220 PAGES A general purpose plant identification guide to Caribbean shores, also useful for subtropical Florida. Written for a popular audience, it features color photographs and short descriptions. (CRB01, $20.00)
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)
Amazon: Floods of Fortune  •  Michael Goulding NATURAL HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 184 PAGES A masterful survey of the people, culture, ecology and economy of a threatened wetland. Most international attention has focused on the Amazon's upland forest. This excellent book looks instead at the Amazon flood plain, an immense region, partially settled and of commercial importance. The region is a mosaic of seasonally flooded ecosystems with unique rain forest, savannah and diverse wildlife. This book offers an illustrated, up-to-date analysis of the forest, its ecology, history of exploitation and environmental pressures. (AMZ06, $29.00)
Amazonia: Man and Culture in a Counterfeit Paradise  •  Betty Meggers CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1995 •  PAPER A groundbreaking study of cultural adaptation in the Amazon, first published in 1971. The book looks at common patterns and ways of life among independent aboriginal groups along the river and in the forest. It gives a brief account of each society, focusing on common adaptations to an impoverished environment that limit social complexity and population density. Revised and updated for this new edition, the book makes a strong argument that any plans for the region that fail to take into account the ecological realities of the Amazon are doomed to fail. (AMZ47, $17.95)
Birds of Tropical America  •  Steven Hilty NATURAL HISTORY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 312 PAGES An ornithologist and veteran leader of birding expeditions, Hilty serves up short essays on how to find and better appreciate the dizzying variety of neotropical birds, their habits and habitats, diversity and distribution in this favorite book. This is not a field guide, but rather a natural history and an introduction to antbirds, flycatchers, manikins and other typical bird families. With 11 lovely pencil illustrations by Mimi Hoppe Wolfe. Originally published in 1994, this new edition is updated with new references. (CAM39, $19.95)
The Burning Season:The Murder of Chico Mendes and the Fight for the Amazon Rain Forest  •  Andrew Revkin CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2004 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES A non-fiction murder mystery set in the Brazilian Amazon. The book tells the true story of the life and death of Chico Mendes, a rubber tapper and union organizer who was killed in the sleepy river town of Xapuri in 1988. Revkin puts the murder in context, giving a history of the rubber industry and the inevitable conflicts with ranchers and settlers. It's a riveting story of conservation and politics in Brazil, rich in natural history. Originally published in 1990. (AMZ08, $25.00)
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)
The Enchanted Amazon Rain Forest, Stories from a Vanishing World  •  Nigel J.H. Smith CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1996 •  HARD COVER  • 208 PAGES A wonderfully presented collection of observations from the Amazon, this is a good introduction to the people, culture and geography of the rain forest. Written by a professor of geography, it incorporates anthropology, biology and photographs. (AMZ26, $29.95)
Explorers of the Amazon  •  Anthony Smith EXPLORATION •  1994 •  PAPER  • 344 PAGES In this well told overview of the region, Anthony Smith presents a history of exploration of the Amazon, scientific and otherwise. His tales of adventure, discovery, exploitation, murder and mayhem feature Francisco de Orellana, Baron von Humboldt and seven other European colonizers and scientists. (AMZ31, $32.50)
A Field Guide to Medicinal and Useful Plants of the Upper Amazon  •  James L. Castner  •  Stephen L. Timme  •  James A. Duke FIELD GUIDE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 154 PAGES This photographic guide to identification focuses on the practical uses of common plants of the tropical forest. Many of the 120 species illustrated and described grow along the Medicinal Plant Trail at ACEER outside Iquitos. (AMZ39, $38.00)
Four Neotropical Rainforests  •  Alwyn Gentry NATURAL HISTORY •  1993 •  PAPER  • 627 PAGES The results of a symposium on tropical ecology held in 1987 at Ohio State, this book is a good reference to the flora, fauna and ecology of four representative tropical forests: Manaus (Brazil), Park Manu (Peru), Barro Colorado Island (Panama) and La Selva (Costa Rica). (AMZ33, $55.00)
High Jungles and Low  •  Archie Carr BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1992 •  PAPER  • 226 PAGES • FAVORITE In this absorbing memoir, Carr tells of life in the Honduran highlands, where "the volcano-set Pacific shore is 60 miles to the south and the hot, lush, banana coast a hundred miles to the north." His account of slogging through the forest as a gun-toting tagalong on a commercial expedition in search of mahogany is classic. Though it takes place in Honduras, it's just as appropriate for a trip to any Central American jungle. (CAM01, $19.95)
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)
In Trouble Again  •  Redmond O'Hanlon EXPLORATION •  1990 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES • FAVORITE O'Hanlon starts this impossibly witty account of a four-month journey into the Venezuelan Amazon with a litany of the insects, protozoa, snakes and predators that can do you harm. A comic masterpiece, the book is also noteworthy for its excellent descriptions of the wildlife, environment and peoples of the Amazon. Imagine a PBS documentary hosted by the Monty Python troupe. (AMZ04, $13.95)
Insight Guide Amazon Wildlife  •  Huw Hennessy  •  Hans-Ulrich Bernard GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES An illustrated guide to the region, its wildlife and conservation by an international team of biologists and photographers. It covers biogeography, habitats, animal groups and conservation problems in a series of short essays. Several chapters are devoted to the people of the region and to a country-by-country survey of the river's features. It also includes some practical travel information and a short checklist of mammals and birds. (AMZ03, $22.95)
Into the Heart of Borneo  •  Redmond O'Hanlon EXPLORATION •  1987 •  PAPER  • 190 PAGES This wonderful writer combines the talents of Alfred Wallace and the Monty Python Troupe. Irreverent and with a highly developed sense of the absurd, O'Hanlon also has a fine eye for the details of natural history; he even gives Latin names and includes an extensive bibliography on the region. This was his first travel book, the entertaining and informative story of a journey into the mountains of Sarawak with poet and friend James Fenton. (BRN03, $12.95)
Keep the River on Your Right  •  Tobias Schneebaum BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1982 •  PAPER  • 184 PAGES This is an amazing book, the strange tale of a young man on a Fulbright fellowship who wandered alone and defenseless into the Peruvian forest in 1955 in search of remote peoples. This is the haunting, lyrical diary of his experiences among the Akarama including -- in its most disturbing section -- a description of a raid on a neighboring tribe by Schneebaum and his warrior friends. He writes "I am a cannibal." Whether or not he really ate human flesh we cannot judge but, regardless, this is an extraordinary book. Schneebaum went on to live four years with the headhunting Asmat of New Guinea. (AMZ11, $12.50)
Mammals of the Neotropics: The Southern Cone, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay  •  John F. Eisenberg  •  Kent H. Redford REFERENCE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 460 PAGES Organized taxonomically, this thorough volume of species accounts includes external measurements, physical descriptions, geographical distribution, and information on their habitats. (SAM14, $65.00)
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)
My Island and I, The Nature of the Caribbean  •  Alfonso Silva Lee  •  Alexis Lago NATURAL HISTORY •  2002 •  HARD COVER  • 32 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) A colorful book for young children (ages 4 to 8) about the environment and biodiversity of the Caribbean islands. A pleasant look at the interaction of living things within their natural environment, accompanied by 36 watercolor illustrations. (CRB171, $15.95)
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 Neotropical Companion  •  J.C. Kricher  •  Mark Plotkin NATURAL HISTORY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 536 PAGES A tropical primer aimed at the motivated general reader. It's a systematic overview of the ecology, habitats, animals, plants and ecosystems of Central and South America. For those not put off by Latin names and concepts like Batesian mimicry, this handbook is a great introduction to the region. (GPS11, $29.95)
Neotropical Rainforest Mammals, A Field Guide  •  L.H. Emmons FIELD GUIDE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 298 PAGES An illustrated guide to the mammals of the New World tropics, compact enough to slip into your daypack, with 29 color plates illustrating more than 200 species. It covers most Central and South American mammals. Even the author concedes that it's difficult to see many of the more elusive rain forest mammals but keep a close watch for the sloths -- they're marvelous, and not likely to escape in a hurry. (GPS12, $32.50)
One River, Explorations and Discoveries in the Amazon  •  Wade Davis TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 537 PAGES Wade Davis has written a lyrical, meticulously researched book of discovery. One River is both a biography of his mentor, the director of the Harvard botanical museum Richard Schultes, and the story of his own botanical adventures throughout South America with colleague Tim Plowman. It's a sprawling tale of explorers, botanical secrets, and larger-than-life personalities. This unconventional book is, in part, a testimonial to Schultes, a legendary teacher and explorer who single-handedly created the discipline of ethnobotany. More than that, it's a magnificently written chronicle of five decades of botanical exploration (including some pretty wild experiments with native hallucinogens). (AMZ22, $17.00)
Rain Forest Revealed  •  DK Publishing EXPLORATION •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 48 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) A colorful illustrated children's guide to the plant and animal life of tropical rainforests, featuring transparent pages that allow young readers to explore the subject from many angles. (NAT66, $12.99)
The Rain Forests of Home, Profile of a North American Bioregion  •  Peter Schoonmaker  •  Bettina von Hagen  •  Edward Wolf NATURAL HISTORY •  1996 •  PAPER  • 480 PAGES A detailed biological, cultural and historical portrait of the coastal rain forest. The result of a multidisciplinary conference, it's a gold mine of facts, figures and descriptive information on the region by a diverse group of experts. The short chapters on geology, climate and vegetation are particularly good. Written primarily for environmental planners, this book offers much to the seriously interested general reader. (PNW08, $50.00)
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)
Requiem for Nature  •  John Terborgh NATURAL HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 248 PAGES A passionate and thoughtful plea for conservation of the rain forest from a noted biologist. John Terborgh's view of the fate of the rain forest, threatened by constant economic demands, can be quite dismal, but his informed arguments and his unwavering devotion to biodiversity are more than welcome. With a new preface by the author. (FST07, $29.50)
Savages  •  Joe Kane BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1996 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES A first-hand account of a naive journalist among the Huaraoni of the Ecuadorian Amazon. In the struggle for the control of their homeland, it is certainly not the local people who behave as savages. Kane is an engaging, humorous guide to development issues in the Oriente of Ecuador. (AMZ20, $14.95)
The Sea and the Jungle  •  H.M. Tomlinson EXPLORATION •  1995 •  PAPER  • 258 PAGES First published in 1912, this is a thoroughly unromanticized, absorbing account of a 2,000-mile journey by steamship deep into the Amazon. The tale, understated and often hilarious, meanders like a great river. Here's a sample: "We were then a thousand miles from the sea, well within South America. But that meeting place of the Amazon and its chief tributary was an expanse of water surprising in its immensity." A classic. (AMZ10, $18.00)
The Shaman's Apprentice  •  Lynne Cherry  •  Mark Plotkin LITERATURE •  1998 •  HARD COVER  • 40 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) A tale of the Amazon rain forest for young readers, this book by the outstanding team of illustrator Cherry and ethnobotanist Plotkin tells of a young boy's fascination with the magical world of the shaman and the foreign scientist who helps him find a cure for a mysterious illness that besets the tribe. With lush full-page watercolor paintings by Cherry and well meaning text. (AMZ24, $16.00)
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)
Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice  •  Mark Plotkin TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1994 •  PAPER  • 328 PAGES • FAVORITE This is the stuff of adventure movies. Like Russ Mittermeir and Wade Davis, Mark Plotkin is the student of the extraordinary Richard Schultes at Harvard University, a pioneer in the field of ethnobotany. In this marvelous book Plotkin recounts his work documenting the use of medicinal plants among remote tribes in the Northwest Amazon of Suriname, Venezuela, Guyana and French Guiana. The book is a portrait of people and their environment, a tale of adventure and -- most of all -- a moving example of science in the service of preservation. He reminds us, "every time a shaman dies, it is as if a library burned down." (AMZ15, $16.00)
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)
Tristes Tropiques  •  Claude Levi-Strauss  •  John Weightman  •  Doreen Weightman CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1992 •  PAPER  • 424 PAGES A classic account of the peoples of the Amazon first published in the 1930s. This is the most personal of the many books by Levi-Strauss, the inventor of structural anthropology and an intellectual powerhouse. He begins: "I hate travelling and explorers. Yet here I am proposing to tell the story of my expeditions and experiences." After pondering the worthlessness of most accounts, he goes on to present his own tale, full of humor and insight. Demanding, but worth it. (AMZ14, $20.00)
Tropical Classical, Essays from Several Directions  •  Pico Iyer NATURAL HISTORY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 314 PAGES A bumper crop of essays and articles written over the last decade by the ever-insightful, entertaining Pico Iyer. The collection is divided thematically into Places, People, Books, Themes and Squibs. (TRV03, $14.95)
Tropical Nature  •  Adrian Forsyth  •  Ken Miyata NATURAL HISTORY •  1984 •  PAPER  • 248 PAGES • FAVORITE A lively, lucid portrait of the tropics as seen by two uncommonly observant and thoughtful field biologists. Its 17 marvelous essays introduce the habitats, ecology, plants and animals of the Central and South American rainforest. With a lengthy appendix of practical advice for the tropical traveler. (GPS13, $14.00)