What a tremendously detailed book of all the Hotels, place to eat and visit in the Southern Zone of Costa Rica! The book was a great help while weeding through the vast array of choices to choose from. We looked at several books prior to our excursion, but found that there was something missing for this beautiful part of the country. Southern Costa Rica Handbook provided us exactly the descriptive information to make our trip more fulfilling, while educating us on "local knowledge" of the area. A must read prior to any journey to this area!

If you are traveling to the Southern Zone of Costa Rica and looking to get the inside scoop, I highly recommned this handbook. I read all of the major Costa Rica handbooks, but none of those books provided the detail and insights found in this handbook.

Prior to departure, I sat on the floor of my local bookstore sifting through no less than 17 books on Costa Rica. An hour and a half-- and one headache-- later, I finally narrowed my choices down to what I like to call "the big four"--those familiar-named guidebooks that everyone would be carrying. It was not until I was already traveling in Costa Rica that I discovered Alexander del Sol's Southern Costa Rica Handbook and realized that I had finally arrived.

After two dizzying weeks of trying to decipher the nondescript differences between various hotels, restaurants and tourist traps as reviewed by the big four, what a joy it was to finally read about a destination in such detail and clarity that you could actually picture where it was you were headed. Mr. del Sol has done a terrific job of culling out the junk for you, and then describing his choices in such a manner that you can joyfully plan your trip with confidence.

As one of his previous reviewers commented, I only wish he would write a guide book for the rest of Costa Rica--and the world, for that matter!

I have spent a considerable amount of time in Costa Rica, and I found this book to be both accurate and interesting. The reptiles, the amphibians...they're all there. Costa Rica is a beautiful country, and this is a beautiful book. A+,

I have known the author for 30 years. He knows more about the amphibians and reptiles of Costa Rica than anyone I know. The pictures are spectacular. Kudos to both authors.

I have been waiting for this book for over a year and it was well worth it. With over 40 years of 'herping' Costa Rica Jay Savage needs no introduction. Neither do the photographers Michael and Patricia Fogden. Their stunning images of the tropics and its reptiles and amphibians are everywhere. Costa Rica currently has 178 amphibian species and 218 reptile species. Additionally, there are two introduced frogs and four introduced lizards. Savage covers them all. In fact the subtitle covers it moreso. Nearly everything related to herps between two continents and between two seas is covered.

Savage states he wrote this book for several audiences: the general reader with an interest in biology and the herpetofauna, the amateur or part-time naturalist with some background in biology, the tropical biology and herpetolgy student, and the professional biologist. I would say that Savage has succeeded wildly in hitting his broad mark. The book is in four parts. The first gives the layperson a general background of biology, classification, and systematics. This also serves as a good refresher for those familiar with the terms or who is new to learning them. Savage tells us how to observe, where to look, how to catch, and how to preserve as specimens or keep as study subjects the diverse herpetofauna in Costa Rica. Included is a brief political history of Costa Rica. This is just the first chapter. He then describes, in depth, Costa Rica's climate, geography, and numerous habitats and vegetation patterns. Then we learn how to use the meat of this book; the keys.

Parts two and three are the keys to all the known amphibians and reptiles, respectively, of Costa Rica. These keys, broken into appropriate chapters are incredible. We get family descriptions, species accounts, descriptions of eggs, larvae, and adults, location maps, body part nomenclature, countless figures including tadpoles, tadpole mouthparts, body patterns, and headscale counts. This may all sound arcane to the uninitiated but it is invaluable to experts in identifying individual species. Beginners could forego some of this information and focus on more broad details to identify if the snake they saw was poisonous or the frog outside their cabin was a treefrog. Conversely, if you wanted to know the difference between Sibon annulatus and Sibon longifrenis it is in here. The words and drawings are backed up by over 500 color plates detailing nearly every species mentioned. Incredible considering the rarity of some species. There are stunning plates of habitats but mostly they are smallish (6 to a page) but excellent and very descriptive images of the animals. Where else would you find such detailed images of elusive caecelians and salamanders alongside the extinct golden toad Bufo periglenes, numerous and nondescript rain frogs, all the lacertid lizards, snakes, turtles, and crocodilians? Any single part of this text would prove useful. It is hard to believe that so much has been accomplished.

Part four gives us ecological and geographical distribution patterns, evolution and development of herpetofauna, and information of plate movements and land bridge formation. Savage then ends with his explanation of why there are so many species between two continents and between two seas. Included are an addendum, a 17 page glossary, a 50 page literature cited section(!), and two indices. This tome is over 900 pages. There is a ton of information here and the reader can pick and choose what they need or want to know. I haven't read this book cover to cover, yet. And, I am not an expert herpetologist. There certainly could be errors in species accounts but that would most likely be left for a few select individuals to argue over. What I can say is that this text would have easily been too big of a project for it to succeed or prove useful. Somehow, Savage manages it in such a way as to be a benchmark for herpetological texts and guides. I honestly can not say when I've been this excited about a book, although Duellman's Hylid Frogs reprint is a good second. There is much more to this book. Want to know? Buy it.

What this book is not is a field guide in the classic sense. This is a large hefty book. Not likely to be packed in the luggage of a vacationing tourist. If you will be spending some time conducting work in this beautiful country then find something else to leave behind and bring the book. If you are like me then read it before you leave and after you return. You'll know where to look for specific animals and also find it useful in identifying prized photos weeks after returning. If you are looking for a classic herping field guide then try Twan Leenders new book. It is pocket sized and has lots of useful info. Better still own them both.

This book is deffinatly one you should buy if your starting a bussines, in this feald.

I SEARCHED FOR YEARS TO FIND A COMPLETE GUIDE TO BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT/MIXOLOGY. THIS IS IT!! END OF SEARCH.

THIS BY FAR IS THE BEST BOOK WRITTEN FOR BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT, BARTENDING, AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR BAR OPERATIONS. IF YOU OWN ONLY ONE SUCH BOOK ...THIS IS IT.

As a professional in the environmental area in Central America, I applaud Vandermeer and Perfecto's explanations of the workings of man in the humid tropical forests of our region. These are not easy issues, yet they manage to leave the reader with a sense of the urgency without oversimplifying or becoming preachy. This book is best for someone who is really interested in the political ramifications of US policy in the tropics, or for someone interested in working in the environment overseas.

I was drawn to this book because of the foreword by Vandana Shiva. I kept reading it. It does a good job of looking at several of the different variables causing rain forest destruction and keys in on land and food as major factors. Clear and easily read. Not to long or overly verbose.

Vandermeer and Perfecto step forward with a review of a difficult and complex subject. Their analysis does not show the one-sided perspective that many do; they address the root causes of the problem of Deforestation in Tropical America. The book is excellent in its readability, depth, and human approach to what too many scientists try to explain as a purely biological problem. Gerald R. Urquhart Ph.D.

I found Calling All Saints easy to read and very entertaining. It really brings the Saints back down to earth and helps us to remember that they were actual people. Even my 10 year old enjoys it.

As a professor of Art History, I am intrigued with connecting art and popular culture. Brother Tom writes in a style I associate with the Franciscans, down to earth, yet extremely meaningful and inspiring. When teaching Medieval Art, I now incorporate some of the stories from Calling All Saints which really enliven my lectures, proving that sacred subjects can be fun and enlightening. I can't wait for the next book and would love to see some illustrations included.

An excellent and easy to read book about our Saints. Costa does an great job of putting the saints lives in everyday terms.

A lovely book; it somehow transcends the childhood experience at the same time that it does evoke the joys and pains of first love. It can be read as an experience in the present, or how such an adult experience should be. A fresh, charming book.

Forget perfume! Read me words of love.

A History of Light is straight from a bottomless well of the real stuff. This is the intensity, recklessness and sweetness I want from a lover. The innocence and abandon of a twelve year-old boy's first headlong plunge into his own heart, told over fifty years later with the seasoning and wisdom of a poet.

Light the candles. Pour the wine. Turn the page. Read me words of love.

I met Alvaro Cardona-Hine the summer after my Sophomore year in college, at his home in Truchas, NM. He was a charming man, who invited me in to his studio, and his home. He offered water or wine to drink, and then signed a gallery book of his paintings for me.

Two years later, I discover The History of Light.

I loved reading this book, I savored every minute of time that it took to read, and I walked away thinking love should be just like this

It is an adult version of childhood romance; it's also a remembering of loss. Sometimes on the border of being sentimental, it's very sweet. The prose is elegant,the words and ideas simple, without being simplistic. My favorite passage reads "Whatever seemed unfinished once now is undefinable. I had thought God interested in creating puzzles out of life when He had meant for me to stand in awe of beauty. What an easy thing to feel that is when it's messenger stands before me."

Another passage, worth noting, reads "Your fingernails, little as they are, have small white moons sailing over their crests. And your face has freckles, as though it had lain a whole night exposed to the elements and your skin had photographed the stars."

I'll be quite honest, I have not read the book yet, but I know Horatio personally - he is one of the most inspirational men I have ever met in my life, and I am hoping he will send me a copy of his book so I can consume it as I have his other writings.

I have never read a book with such a variety of experiences, contained, not only in Costa's short stories, but in his poems as well. I can see how these experiences can transform a person. It has affected me profoundly. Please let me know when you are going to have it so I can buy more for my friends.

I found this book exciting because all the events, even within the poems seem to have been the result of a direct experience by the author. It is amazing what this man has covered in one life time. How old is this guy??? Are there any other books by him???

It is assumed that you already know something about Leroy "Satchel" Paige when you start reading "Satchel Sez." After the introduction you are immediately hit with a Pop Quiz about Satchel where you had better know how he got his nickname, what year he was born in, and who was the best man at his wedding, or you might as well hang in up right then and there. David Sterry and Arielle Eckstut have put together an amusing little book that takes Paige's "witty quips and savvy observations" (the latter qualifies as the "wisdom" part of the sub-title) and surrounds them with vintage photographs, cartoons, newspaper articles and other memorabilia from his fabled career. The wit and wisdom provided deals with not just baseball but also health, wealth, women and race relations. While it is clear Paige was a showman of the first order, an ability exceeded only by his pitching prowess, "Satchel Sez" also deals with the "World" Paige lived it, with its Jim Crow laws and blatant racism. Most baseball fans who come to this book will do so because they have heard some of Paige's most famous comments (#1 would be his sixth rule on how to stay young: "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you"). They will discover many more lines equally as good if not better. The vast majority of people who read this book are going to learn something new about Paige, which is always a pleasure.

Satchel Paige. Just saying the name brings to mind a personality as vibrant and singular as any seen in the world of baseball. This short, effective book presents a glimpse into the truly marvelous wit and wisdom of the pitcher who seemed terminally young, throwing baseballs with purpose and precision into his 60s. A pitcher who once struck out 24 batters in one game. A player many claim was the ultimate master of the pitched ball. A competitor with constant chatter and quips. A man who was relegated to second-class citizenship because he was African-American, yet with whom all the white teams of the 1930s wanted to play against in the barn-storming games because he was such a draw. Take a peak at this book and you'll glean a new insight into the man who became a legend. The authors have captured the essence of Satchel via quotes about and by Paige, lots of photographs, stats, stories, and memorabilia all wrapped in a wildly successful graphic design.

I'm not much of a baseball fan, and Satchel Paige has always just been a name to me, but a friend showed me this book and I couldn't resist reading it. I do like history, philosophy, and stories about people with integrity who overcome obstacles to do what they love and live by their own standards, and Satchel Sez pleased me on all of those levels. For those of you who are as uninformed as I was before I read this book, Leroy "Satchel" Paige started out with a job carrying suitcases at the age of seven and went on to become the greatest pitcher baseball has ever known, with stats that far outshine the records set by white players who were allowed careers in the big leagues. Satchel played in the Negro Leagues for almost his entire career - he spent a few years in the Major Leagues. He was eventually named the oldest rookie when he was in his sixties. "Age is a question of mind over matter," he said. "If you don't mind, it don't matter." The book is colorful, fun, and easy to read, pairing quotes and anecdotes by and about Satchel with lots of photographs of the man himself. Satchel's humor and easy-going nature are captured here, but at the same time the book portrays his grace and dignity, a side of him that has often been overlooked due to racial stereotypes. Satchel has lots of advice to give on everything from baseball to aging to women to stomach trouble. Some examples are: "Slow down, you last longer," "Be satisfied in your own world," and "Just take the ball and throw it where you want to. Home plate don't move." He also offers inspiration, such as, "You have to believe in yourself. When you believe, you do." One of my favorite quotes could be applied to the racism he faced: "It's not what you don't know that hurts you. It's what you know that just ain't so." I'm also impressed by Satchel's goodwill. For sure, he trash-talked and was never modest about his genius, but he was generous at the same time. Once he didn't show up to the Negro League equivalent of an All-Star game because the owners of the teams refused to donated all of the proceeds to returning wounded GIs. When he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame (Negro League players were supposed to be recognized separately), he said, "There were many Satchels." I am simultaneously impressed, informed, and inspired by Satchel Sez, and I would recommend it to anyone.

My hat goes off for Mike Parise, job well done. A super book for anyone wanting to ride waves. a lot of other great information as well about being able to survive in a different culture. Made my trip much more enjoyable and was a book that I picked up the first day in Costa Rica at a surf shop. Great work period.

If you're planning on going down to Costa Rica to surf, the only two books you need are this one (a must have to learn about all the breaks) and the Moon Handbooks: Costa Rica by Christopher P. Baker. Forget the others. I bought them and found them useless.

I took this book with me to Costa Rica a couple of years ago and it was worth every penny and them some. Everything including the tips on packing, where to stay, and where to surf was good, solid, useful information. The maps were a little crude, but there are driving instructions on how to get to the breaks. (To be fair, the author does not claim that this is a map book and recommends a company that specializes in road maps.) The book focuses on those issues and needs from the perspective of a traveling surfer, nothing in here about kayaking or bird watching. There are several charts, organized by location, showing dozens of places to stay with information about prices and amenities. Like most surfers, I don't like to commit to a place and time weeks in advance, so it really helps to have a handy reference to local lodging (especially in a foreign country). Given how hard it is to describe how a spot will break at all times on all tides, the description of the surf breaks was generally accurate (at least on the dozen or so spots I did visit). If you're traveling to Costa Rica to surf, take this book.

One has to be very cautious when reviewing this book, since there is much to give away about the plot and then ruin the reading for people. Teodorico Raposo becomes orphan as a child and is sent to Lisbon to live with his aunt, a terrible, unlikable and tyrannical religious fanatic who terrorizes everybody around her with her puritanism and obsessions. But she happens to be very rich and Teodorico her only relative alive. So he has to pretend ALL the time that he is just as fanatic as her aunt, while living a double life of pleasure and sin. One day, his aunt decides that before dying someone has to go to the Holy Land and get her some authentic relic of Jesus' times. And guess who she chooses to go there.
So Teodorico embarks towards Egypt and Palestine in what becomes a very funny adventure alongside his companion, the wise scholar Dr. Topsius. To go further would, as I said, risk giving away parts of the plot which are really unexpected and good. Suffice it to say that the travel includes a wonderful, colorful and vivid narration of the day when Jesus was crucified. It turned out to be a very enjoyable book by one of the best writers of the XIX century.

Actually, I just want to correct the first on-line review about Eça's The Relic. That review or whatever that is does NOT refer to Eça's book. There must have been some kind of mistake. There are no brothers, haunted museums or anything of that sort in Eça's Relic which I, as a Portuguese enthusiastic reader and...professor of Literature, have read several times and studied/taught in College. Eça is unique, his writing equals only Saramago and Pessoa and he is the best possible approach to the Portuguese masterpieces of literature. I discovered his work when I was in my early teens and that decided my career. Please try to find a good translation of The Maias, Cousin Bazilio, The Sin of Father Amaro, The Illustrious House of Ramires or The City and the Mountain and bring them to the american public. I know some good translations by Carcanet Press in Manchester, UK. But please,correct your on-line review!

It is closing time at a New York Museum. Two brothers are lost in the long corridors and hallways of the big museum. They find a stair case leading to the dark subbasement. One boy pleads not to go down, but the other says that they are going. Then they go down, not knowing they will never return. This is a very good and very intense. If you are into horror and suspense, read it! It is not for the squemish, and it is very long read. It is told in such detail that you feel you are in the story. The movie and book have no compare, the book rocks, and is the best read i ever read!