Travel Books

What a wonderful little novel! If you love Italy as I do, you will love this story as it leads you through the day to day life of this interesting and colorful heroine throughout the city of Venice. Diplaced, lonely, living in this city that couldnt be further away from Saint Louis, Missouri in every way, she builds a new life for herself. The story is full of cooking, eating and enjoying the food of Venice as well as the people who live there.

The main character of this book Marlena, a chef from St Louis, is visiting Venice for one of the many times she goes there. This time , a Venitian ,as she comes to call him, notices her and her life changes forever. This memoir tells of her life setting up house with the Venitian, her forays into the markets and her recipes and meals. De Blasi has lovely words to describe the scenes and the smells and the tastes as she explores Venice with her new husband. Some of the description may be over the top but Melena lives life that way.

I love Marlena's Book, all of them! Please write more.... I'm waiting! This book, A Thousand Days in Venice, is another one of her magnifico writings, which is also a true memoir of her life. I like to read a book that is "real life" happenings! I've been taking two tour groups to Italy twice a year now for seven years. I also travel to Italy and France to the markets for my store. I love the markets, especially in Italy. And, Marlena describes them well. My extended Dad, is born and raised in Sicily, and now lives in Tuscany, which is wonderful! I am in Italy as much as the United States. Marlena describes Venice, as well as the many other places in Italy, so well. Reading her books, puts you right there with her, and that's a wonderful thing when reading! I also like the balance in her books; she doesn't talk too much about food, but keeps a balance. Lately, I've read too many books about Italy, that are so boring and too much like the others out there. Not Marlena's books, true stories of her life in Italy! They really entice me to keep reading and reading until the end! Thank you so much Marlena for sharing your life with others, especially those who are in love with Italy! You have probably seen me around Orvieto, Venice, and many other places, especially my big sign that reads, Decorate Ornate.com! That sign has been North to South many times. Keep up the writing, I have enjoyed your books so much! I highly recommended "all" of your books to my customers, especially those of them that go on my tours and love Italy! They have the same compliments too, wondeful book, and when is the next one?

Stephani Chance
Decorate Ornate
Gladewater, TX

This is a fabulous - - fiction or non-fiction - I am not sure which - book. Almost a fairy tale type book. It which makes those of us who have never visited Venice - yearn to do so. I wanted to walk where she walked and especially eat all the delicious foods she describes. A fantasic risk she takes in moving there to be with "the stranger" and the story winds through their getting to know each other in a daring yet believable manner. The romance of it all brought tears to my eyes many times. I loved it. Can't wait to read the next in the series.

This is the sort of romantic story you expect in the movies, not real life. To find your great love, almost by accident, in Venice, while walking through Piazza San Marco, seems impossible and yet that's exactly what happened to the author. Sharing this lovely story gives us all a chance to dream. And it isn't just ordinary sharing, but beautifully crafted description of a place that boasts an extraordinary amount of beauty. Not all is wine and roses for this implausible couple--eHarmony would never have matched them up--and yet it works on many levels and thanks to Ms. DeBlasi, we readers are allowed a glimpse into an inner life in Venice which leaves us wanting more--and luckily, following stories by Ms. DeBlasi provide that.

This is a dead on compilation of the most misunderstood segment of our population. Photos are honest and terrific. I have shared the book with many people and they are all capitivated.

Although my teenagers are in their 30's now-I read this with much interest. The photography was beautiful and captured the spirit of these people. You could see that they really trusted Robin and her camera. A wonderful idea. A wonderful book for me to share with my children-who have children and for friends who are wondering who their teens really are! Thanks to Robin and Robert and to Umbrage who let them tell and show their story!

I sat down with this book with the intent to peruse, but found myself totally absorbed for the entire evening. The photographs are amazing on their own, but the coupling with interviews opens up the experience - I found myself wishing I had been in that car with Robin as she explored the teen world. Robin has left me with wanting more... I'll be sharing this book with my teenage daughter to offer perspective on her life in this day and age.

This is such an extraordinary collection. The kind to be viewed over and over again in different moods and for different insights. In particular I recommend this collection for libraries and other resource rooms where teenagers roam - my own high school students have been glued to it since it arrived and I love hearing them reflect on what they see. Thank you Ms. Bowman for providing us with this entry into our past, present, and future, and for those young people who are young right now - for giving them insight into their peers - near and far.

My 15 year old received this book as a Christmas present. It has remained out and open since then. All of her friends have picked it up and found entries that they found interesting and compelling. The book truly represents the cross-section of the teen experience in America. The author's compassion and concern for the teens as individuals is evident throughout the profiles, allowing it to speak to the universal truth about making it through those teen years. "It's Complicated" indeed.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher when I was teaching a university course on cartography. The textbook for the semester had already been selected, so I used this book originally as a second resource while preparing lectures. By the end of the semester, I found myself using this book as the primary source for topics and explanations and suggested it be used in future semesters.

This book explains concepts such as projections and coordinate systems in ways that are easy to understand, particularly for new students. The explanations are thorough without bogging down in details. The figures are large, many take up a full page. They are helpful, relevant, and excellently reproduced. The chapters on terrain representation, contours, and topographic features are exceptionally good (there are almost 40 examples of terrain representation) The remote sensing and GIS chapters are brief and introductory, but those are topics best left for other books.

I was a little skeptical when I first saw this book, since it appeared to be a somewhat thin, and we were using Robinson's book, which is basically a standard. But, I would recommend this to any map student, teacher, or user. It packs a lot of information in its pages. I still use it as a reference (...).

When you've been working in a field for 30 years it's really difficult to drag yourself backwards and review data you already know, so when I signed up for a GPS (Global Positioning Sattelite) software course I looked at "Map Use & Analysis" by John Campbell as something I could just skip over, but since it was required reading I finally got it out. I was really pleased with the depth of material and the extremely clear explanations of all those mystifying cartography words. Anyone who has no idea about mapping or is a begining student will be able to use this book. The format is excellent with terms higligted and the index and dictionary are well coordinated. I feel that this book is such an excellent reference that I am buying a copy for myself. The only negative thing I have to say is that the illustrations, which are plentiful seem to wander several pages ahead of text, but they are carefully numbered and correspond exactly to the descriptions. Well done! Les L. Johnson

If I were stuck on a deserted Island like Tom Hanks in Cast Away, and I could only have one book, it would be this one. It would help me to get off the island and determine my global positioning! Lots of help.

I was first inteding to purchase Lonely Planet on Japan (as on several previous trips). Then I borrowed the previous edition of Rough Guides from a friend. I instantly realized that Rough Guides is far more superior than Lonely Planet. The best thing about it is the introduction of the whole country with 32 must-see places. Each section also has a highlights page with some 8 must-see spots in the particular region. This makes the planning of the trip very easy. Moreover, the information provided in the Rough Guides is much more detailed than in LP. I will definitely choose RG for my next trips.

I have been dissapointed with Lonely Planet over the last few years.

So I again bought both Lonely Planet and Rough Guide. This is my last time, from now on Rough Guide it is.

The best thing about the guide is that it organizes information in a way that makes planning very easy. Overview of country, overview of region, overview of town. I planned my two week trip in a matter of hours.

Lonely Planet, in contrast, essentially lists places, one after the other. Unless you follow one of their 5-8 itineraries, the only way you plan your trip is reading the book cover-to-cover.

Also, a friend of mine lived in Japan for 10 years. All the tips he gave me were in the Rough Guide.

Pat Battaglia has a gift for challenging the reader with his verbal and numeric teasers. With each page skillfully crafted to whet your appetite for his next challenge, he offers an array of puzzles that make it difficult to put the book down. Many of the mind benders are so cleverly done, with a nice balance between difficult and easy, he almost compels you to turn the page to find out what lies ahead. When you miss the obvious, the frustration mounts and yet you push on, desperately wanting to decide for yourself, "Am I smart, or WHAT?" The book is excellent fun !

I just adored this book and enjoyed every single puzzle in it. As one reviewer points out, this is a book for word puzzle enthusiasts. It might be compared to Will Shortz's "Puzzlemaster Presents" series. What I love about this book is that it can be done without the aid of a dictionary, as it uses a vocabulary from common cultural literacy (e.g. types of candy bars, etc.). I also appreciate the fact that the references aren't dated like some game books are, which can lead to frustration when I am asked to rely on my knowledge of stars from the eighties. Overall, I simply loved this book for the accessible but challenging fun it provided. I hope that Mr. Battaglia will be gracing us with another book of this type soon!

I am a huge fan of brain teaser books. I have a huge collection of these types of book. BUT after reading this book I say that this book is not as good as it seems in the review. If you think that you will find many Logical and mathematical riddles, this isn't the book for you, but on the other hand if you are into word games this might be a great book for you .

The item was shipped as promised, on time and looked like knew. I would definitely buy products from this seller anytime.

This extrordinary book takes you deeper than a basic quiz book. It challenges your way of thinking and seeks the reader to apply diverse and lateral thinking in order to come up with what turns out to be, the most obvious answer. It challenges the mind far more that you may think and even challenges you to think. An excelent book to improve spatal orrientation, visual ques and logical thinking. Want to improve your cognition and perception? This would have to be the way. Further more, it is great to use to encourage family members to do the same and simply - THINK. A must try to anyone wanting to indulge the brain in lateral thinking.

How can you go wrong with Rick Steve's? It's just my kind of travel guide

Not a bad book all round. Disappointed there is nothing much about Cornwall though. This is one of the areas we plan to focus on.

Excellent resource for anyone planning a first trip or their 10th trip to the UK. Price wise it's a steal for the wealth of information it contains. In addition to places to see, how to get there, where to stay, eating and entertainment, Rick also includes historical and cultural information to enrich your travel experience.

I really like this travel guide for the parts of Great Britain it actually covers. But Rick Steve is a bit too opinionated and therefore completely omits parts of the country that aren't his favorites. For example, there is no mention of Oxford, Brighton, Dover, or Canterbury in this book. No offense, Ricky dear, but since Tolkien and Lewis lived in Oxford, I sure as heck am not going to settle for visiting Cambridge!

This is the most helpful book I have seen on Barcelona. I believe it should be combined with a more indepth guidebook wo one can look up the most interesting locales in more depth. It is very hard to get perspective on sites to take in when there are so many fascinating places to visit. This helps with the highlighting and the winnowing. I got a total of five of these books and passed them out to all the other groups going with us.

I spent 7 days in Barcelona in Nov 2006 and though I did some research before I arrived, took only this book with me. As an independent traveler (no tour groups) I used it very heavily during my stay - not only as my primary map and metromap, but as my only reference for locations, hours, and priorities in determining my daily itineraries. I also occasionally used it for restaurant, tapas bar and shopping recommendations. It never led me astray.

It is very current - it even references that a few places will be closed for repair until month X to save you the effort of going there. And the way one large section of the guide is broken out by neighborhood makes it extremely easy to figure out the best way to spend your time in a given part of the city (it also suggests itineraries for each neighborhood if you don't want to plan them out yourself).

It's also a great size - easy to toss in a daypack, purse, or even jacket pocket.

I fully agree with the two previous reviews that the layout of the maps and color-coding of the sights makes it very easy to keep on track - even in a city as large as this one. And that Park Guell ought to be in the Top 10.

My only suggestion for how it could improve would be to give even more "tips" than it sometimes does on the sides of pages. For instance, visit the National Art Museum of Catalunya in the latter afternoon on a Fri/Sat/Sun and stay for the Magic Fountain display at dusk. Visit La Pedrera near sunset (unless midsummer does not allow it) and go up on the roof as the sun sets and the lights come on. It's magical.)

I've traveled pretty extensively and used a lot of different travel guides, others of which I can also recommend. But this is hands-down the very best I have ever used and I cannot recommend it highly enough if you are spending even one day in Barcelona.

It was the perfect guide for my independent trip to Barcelona. It is the most user friendly city guide I used (I've also used Rick Steves and Rough Guide). The guide first identifies the top 10 sites and then what I loved is that it marks them on a map with numbers making it really easy to spot. The map in the guide was great and in color. It made my trip so enjoyable because I knew what I wanted to do and where to get there. Also, becasue it showed all the locations of the sites on a map I could easily plan which sites to see all in one area and thus make the most out of my days. It also gives history behind each site and also lists the top 10 things to see at each attraction!
I loved this guide and wished they had one for more cities!

The one complaint I have is that I really think Park Guell should be listed in the top 10. I almost missed the park (where the tradmark colored frog is and Gaudi's home) but a hostelmate told me about it. It is listed in the top ten for parks but just be aware that that park is a must see.

I decided to check out the Top 10 guide for Barcelona given the excellent experience I had in London with a similar guide on a past trip to the UK. I noticed the same compelling points with this guide as I'd noticed with the London guide -- a concise list of things to do in city, a list of various neighborhoods, list of best cafes/bars and sample itineraries for spending an entire day in each neighborhood, the top 10 things to look for at each attraction, and the best feature: the compact size of the guide.

But I was looking for more than just the above -- I was traveling to a city where people don't talk in English after all. What I really liked about the guide was the main map that showed all the important street in an uncluttered fashion, and the mini-maps that were included in the assorted Top 10 lists, making it a breeze to locate the attraction or cafe/bar. I also loved the list of the Top 10 drinks you'll find only in Barcelona like the "Orxata", the "Granissat" and of course, the "Sangria" that is refereshingly different from what you might have had anywhere else. There are similar lists for food items (definitely try the "Pallela"), shops, etc. These are the things that make you blend in with the locals with confidence.

I also loved the section on Streetsmarts -- when you're in a country where English is not the first language, you sometimes need a helping hand with even the simplest of things -- like what is the best deal on the Barcelona Metro? Should I buy single tickets or a "T-10" for 10 tickets? How do I make a local phone call? What should I avoid? (Answer: touristy scams at La Rambla). The Top 10 guide's Streetsmart section covers many of these "small" things on your mind and also include a few pages with popular Spanish/Catalan phrases with translation in English, eliminating the need to carry a phrase book, if any.

With this guide, I was able to see Barcelona according to my schedule and tastes. I took in all the touristy attractions and spent time exploring specific neighborhoods like El Raval, Eixample and interesting detours. Not a day went by when I wasn't glad for having this guide by my side -- and at under 10 bucks a pop, I'm quickly acquiring a collection.

As much as I like the "revealed" series, this book had more detail (on snorkeling particularly), so it was money well spent.

We used this book every single day we were in Kaua'i. It has the best info of any guide book for Kaua'i if you are there to do any adventuring. A+.

Guess where my wife wants to take me on her summer vacation? Hint: she likes lush resorts with hiking opportunities.

I've been to the other islands of Hawaii several times, but never to Kauai. I don't need the usual 50 pages of cajoling to enjoy myself that most guidebooks feature, and in this era of goooogle, I certainly don't need out-of-date hotel listings. This is a book crammed with info that I may find useful when I get there, concerning the rugged activities that make flying all those hours worthwhile, written in a plain and honest prose. I'd venture to say that this is the most convincing guidebook I've ever encountered.

Another reviewer complains about the absence of maps. I'd agree that lack fo maps would be a problem, except that the maps one finds in other guidebooks are almost always next to useless. My advice: get a real full-sized map and correlate!

Have only made it partially through the book and am very impressed with the outline and the depth of knowledge of the subject. My wife and i are returning to PoiPou on the south shore at the end of April, 2008 and we are making daily plans from this book.

We returned this year with their new third edition for 2008 and found remarkable changes. Hiking the Kalalau Trail again.....was even better the second time around. When it comes to organization and finding ez access to all the cool trails, this one is the winner. The strategies for getting around this beautiful island were incredibly useful.

this is a great book, lots of detailed photos. i am reading this book for a chicano studies class and its a bit hard to read at times.

I have been reading books on pre-Columbian America for over 20 years, and Michael Coe's titles have always been amongst my favorites. He has not dissappointed me this time either. This book is a great summary of what is known, to date, about pre-hispanic Meso America. Good reading, good archeology.

This is a simple and easy to use reference to the archeological history of Mexico. Simply laid out with lots of examples. Good book.

Manuel's review of this book is excellent - I couldn't have written it any better! However, here's my two-cents worth:

This book is a must read for anyone who lacks basic knowledge of the ancient Mexican cultures. It provides the reader with brief (and in some cases, more than brief) summaries of several of the various cultural groups that existed, covering geographic, cultural, agricultural, religious, architectural and political backgrounds. It has timelines and drawn maps to aid the reader's temporal and geographical orientation. It contains many illustrations and photographs of artifacts found, temples, statues...etc. excavated. It even includes a brief section and tips on visiting Mexico.

The only gripe I have with this book is that it provides you with a lot of information on some cultures, such as the Aztecs and Toltecs and leaves you with insufficient info on other cultures mentioned, such as the Totonacs. However, this is probably because what archeologists have unearthed of Mesoamerica is only a tiny fraction of what actually existed, i.e. the less than brief information on some of the cultural groups mentioned in this book is probably due to archeologists not having unearthed enough remnants of the existence of these cultures/not being able to fully interpret or place what they have found to date. I'm sure Coe would have provided more info if there was more in-depth info, though in the case of the Maya, there is simply too much information to be made known and hence, rather than trying to simplify everything into one chapter, a whole, separate book has been dedicated to that group.

To make up for this lack of info on some groups, Coe provides us with pictures of artifacts found, as in the section on the Olmecs, and illustrations and descriptions of their distinctive artistic/architectural style and states the likelihood of the origination of these styles and what they probably signified. I must admit that I found the more than just brief descriptions/concentrations on the artistic styles/pottery work/architectural preferences...etc. of some of the lesser-known groups a little annoying, for I am not an art/archeology student and was looking for info more on the way of life, beliefs...etc. than on their pottery and carving skills and architectural styles. Nonetheless, I am grateful that these were brought to the reader's attention rather than nothing at all mentioned.

I enjoyed this book as a kick-start to my growing interest in ancient Mexican and Andean cultures and think that it makes a good quick-reference book. At least now I have an idea/starting point of some of the ancient Mexican groups. One should read this book keeping in mind that a lot about ancient Mexico has yet to be discovered and will never be discovered (afterall, a majority of the remnants of these cultures were destroyed by conquering forces) and thus, should be thankful for whatever is divulged in this book.

This book makes it clear that the bulk of Mexican history (and Central America) has NOTHING at all to do with Europeans or anything "Latin American."

In fact, only 5 centuries of Mexico's archeological history has any European trace, vs. 28,000 years of indigenous Mexican occupation.
Michael Coe tells the story of Mexico through it's common denominator: the indigenous people, the "Indians. "

Dr. Coe shows that Mexico is more than just the Aztecs with whom we are most familiar. He presents a breath-taking parade of pyramid-civilizations going back 4,000 YEARS:
Olmec, Tlatilco, Cuicuilco, Izapan, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Mixtec, Tarasco, Toltec, Huaxtec, El Tajin, Pipil, Western Mexico, Zacatecas, Chalchihuites, Cacaxtla, Xochicalco, Chichen Itza, Nicarao and the multi-layered "Maya".
He even includes the Casas Grandes civilization near the Texas border.

Prof. Coe presents recent archeology showing that Mexico had developed the elements of a true civilization between 2300 B.C. - 1800 B.C. This Olmec Civilization predates the Jewish presence in Israel and occurred before there was a single town or city in all of Western Europe.

(By the time Solomon built the First Temple in Isreal in 960 B.C., the Olmec capital at San Lorenzo was already over 400 years old.)


Coe's book is unique in that it presents Mexico's history through an objective long view, and not merely through the ethnocentric cultural lens of Europeans. He presents a refreshing analysis of Mexico that does not use the Spanish Invasion as the starting point (he hardly mentions the Spanish all until the very end). European divisions are not the way to understand Mexico's history, just as British imperial definitions do not do justice to the understanding of the Irish people.

Coe delves deeply into the incredible creation of corn domestication 9,000 years ago in Mexico. The corn plant requires human intervention, and the ingenuity of ancient Mexican farmers gave rise to one of the world's most unique and vigorous civilizations, just as wheat did for Iraq, and rice did for China.

Coe demonstrates, that unlike Europe, Mexico did not "borrow" new technologies and ideas from established foreign cultures (i.e. writing, agriculture, mathematics, religion, gunpowder, architecture, political structures, etc). This isolation makes Mexico's achievements all the more impressive, Dr. Coe asserts, making it one of the 3 or 4 "pristine civilizations" in the world (i.e. Iraq & China)

Modern Mexico is really an artificial political concept, historically speaking. The modern boundaries have only existed for 150 years and as late as 1823, Central America was part of Mexican territory. And until 1848, Mexico included everything from Texas to California.

This book shows that this history is not confined to the Rio Grande nor to Mexico's border with Guatemala. He includes "The Turquoise Road" trade relations with the U.S. Southwest and discusses the "transmission of Mesoamerican traits" into that area, using the Hopi as an example.

Coe does a great job of presenting several satellite states of these great civilizations as well, such as the incredible influence of Mexico's mightiest civilization: Teotihuacan, whose pyramid city (larger than the city of Rome at its height) is today Mexico's #1 tourist attraction.

Considering that Mexico lacked metallurgy until after 800 AD, it is astonishing to behold the thousands of temple-pyramids, hundreds of ceremonial centers, and hundreds of towns and cities that indigenous Mexicans created across the land-- WITHOUT METAL TOOLS or draft animals. Europeans had animals like oxen and horses to do work for them, but Mexicans had only human muscle and no oxen, hence the lack of use for the wheel.


Our indigenous people call the land Anáhuac, meaning "the land between the waters" in the still-living Nahuatl language. Just as there is something historically known as "Christendom" or "Western Civilization"
(oddly enough, both are based upon non-Western achievements in Sumeria and Egypt).

As the reader of both of the recent editions of "Mexico" and "The Maya" will also learn, there was a unitary and common cultural matrix which connected and sustained all the cultures of Mexico and Central America down to Costa Rica. The divisions were far more political than cultural, just as in "Christendom" or the the modern European world.

I wish that Dr Coe would have addressed the similarities of the "Moundbuilder" civilization across the Eastern United States which built flat-topped pyramid structures with a temple at the top, astronomically aligned. These "Pyramids of the Mississippi" are so similar to Mexican pyramids that it warrants an investigation into cross-cultural contact.

(In fact, the Natchez people of Mississippi to this day maintain the story of ancient Mexicans passing through their lands, and is recorded by a French explorer a few centuries ago.)


Another small gripe I have with this the book is Coe's insistence on the "gods" school of thought, when we know from Spanish and Nahuatl records that there existed the Toltec concept of One Single God, Ometeotl, of which all the other "gods" are really manifestations/emanations. I thought a little more time could have been spent connecting those theological dots.

Coe acknowledges the existence of their Supreme Duality named OMETEOTL. But he continues to use the Spanish interpretation of "deities" instead of the notion of Manifestions of OMETEOTL, according to the High Priest tradition of the Aztec/Texcoco state alliance.
(and for the Maya this One God who is the Many is called HUNAB-KU.)

Christians are able to accept the concept of a Three-In-One God (Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit), along with deified Saints, a multitude of demons, Mary the Mother, and Satan the Lord of Hell...and yet Christians still consider themselves to be Monotheists who don't believe in different gods.

But hey, the "gods angle" sells a lot more books to a Western audience who seems to delight in the notion of "Aztec polytheism" while ignoring blatant Christian polytheism (The Trinity, the Saints, demons, angels, The Devil).

A lot of this rich and impressive history has only recently been gleaned from what are it's "leftovers".
95% of the astronomical almanacs and encyclopedias were burned by the Spaniards, by their own admission and only 40 years ago did serious archeological finds occur.

What other wonders went up in those flames?! What else lies beneath the surface?

This is a fascinating history that reads like a real-life detective story. Buy the book!

I love how Dr. Coe ends the book showing that modern indigenous culture still lives on in Mexico today. He didn't assign them a "dead" status like other books.
Well done, Dr. Coe.

Although I enjoyed reading this book I am left feeling a little bit annoyed. I have travelled many times into the areas Richard Grant writes about and have had very different experiences.
We have had picnics at the side of streams high in the Sierras, have sat in the square in San Bernardo drinking beer scores of times, drank whisky on the river bank in Chinipas, drove hundreds of miles on dirt roads and camped in a tent. We even went down into Batopilas on our 1969 Lambretta with our dog in a basket on the back and spent the night down there.
Although I don't dispute what he is saying, I think that there is also another aspect to this beautiful area. If you go to seek out the danger in any part of the world you will find it, whether it's a city or wilderness. This area is definitely worth a visit and I would hate anyone to miss out because they have read this book.

Grant's confident, well researched narration of his travels through the Sierra Madre gave me insight into a culture I had known nothing about before. He imparts a lot of information on Mexican history, indigenous ways of life, folklore, customs of the Sierra Madre and narco-trafficking. Rather than slowing the book down with a lot of dry facts, Grant's research adds to his firsthand accounts and observations and makes them pop with the authority of history and truth. It was clear to me that although Grant was drawn to the Sierra Madre because of the its strange incongruities, lack of culture and lawlessness (among other things), he usually takes a measured, moderate tone to critique the violence and machismo in the region. This was an extremely interesting book.

A few years ago, I picked up Grant's American Nomads after judging it by the cover (and subtitle), and I really enjoyed it. I figured I couldn't go wrong with another book by him.

Of course, I did go "wrong." So did Grant, more so than I could ever dream of doing myself. I'd call it a "true novel"-- it reads a lot like fiction, both in style and substance, but it's a true story. Grant gives a glimpse into a world south of the border that has little in common with standard American life: American Mormons growing marijuana under the coercion of drug smuggling gangs, mafiosos protecting tourist passages in order to avoid unwanted attention, police seeking bribes, the army burning down opium fields and drug lords taking hostages as a substitute source of income, aggression and cocaine and cheap beer everywhere, hostile Native tribes that still live by the old ways. There is a lot going on here, and while there are the occasional bright patches, most of it sounds pretty bad.

The title I gave this review is a line pulled from the book. Before going, Grant got one piece of advice over and over: Don't go anywhere alone. Of course, once advice is ignored, it gets easier to ignore it again. And again. Until something happens, like being hunted for sport by a truckful of hillbillies hopped up on cocaine and booze, for example.

One thing I can say about the book is that the last chapter gave me the most intense state of fear and edge-of-my-seat panic that I've ever gotten from reading anything, in spite of the fact that he must have survived to write a book about his experience. If that's not a recommendation, what is?

It's difficult trying to decide how to review this book. It's a good enough read but completely disjointed. I've read a bit about the area in the past so nothing here was completely new. The writer's attitude and premise gives me a problem. There is too much of the "I can only live if I'm living completely on the edge" here. Pretentious? Is that the word? He spends most of the book impressing on the reader how dangerous the Sierra is to the extreme! This is stressed on almost every page. And when he is faced with it first hand he puts his tail between his legs and scrams for the border. So much for living on the edge! It's an okay read, I guess, but there is something of the childish amateur about the writer that will put me off reading anything else he writes or has written.

If you have ever been to or thought about going to Mexico: first read this book. You might change your mind. Mexico is a failed lawless state and the book is quite clear about the danger there. Whatever illusions you have about oppressed campesinos will quickly be dispelled. Any thought you may have had about glamour in the drug trade will also be dashed. Instead you will have a birds eye view about a dangerous (in the extreme) lawless land that unfortunately borders the U.S. This is a stomach churning page turner that happens to be true. Read it. Enjoy Mexico in your local Tex-Mex restaurant instead.