Heading for Costa Rica? Take The Ticos along with a guidebook. The Ticos is a fascinating and beautifully written account of Costa Rica, past and present. The authors bring to bear on the subject their more than half-century of residence in the country, as well as their formidable anthropological expertise. As a permanent resident of Costa Rica, I compared my own observations and experiences with those of the Bizantzs. For every topic examined - community, health care, religion, family, education and so forth, the authors' descriptions were consistent with my own, and their keen analyses deepened my understanding of the country I have adopted as my own.

Beyond what The Ticos tells us about Costa Rica, this book is also extremely valuable for its examination of the effects of structural adjustment economic policies imposed on this country by the international financial institutions and by the United States (through bilateral agreements) as conditions for loans. These policies are having the same deleterious effects worldwide on developing countries. Normally, discussions of the impact of structural adjustment policies are abstract and academic. The Ticos, in contrast, provides us with a concrete and specific assessment of the "fall out" institution by institution, free of technical jargon. For foreign residents of Costa Rica (and prospective residents) I would say this book is a "must". But even short-term tourists will benefit from reading it.

I purchased this book at the airport in San Jose, Costa Rica at the end of a two week trip and read the book cover to cover on the way home to Los Angeles. It answered all my questions about why this is such a unique country. The book explained for instance why the town square was empty at San Isidro last Sunday: the World Cup soccer match was on TV. I would recomment this book to anyone who is planning to travel to Costa Rica or anyone who has completed a trip.

After having spent a year in Costa Rica as an exchange student, I'm always looking for good reads about the Ticos and their culture. By pure chance I ended up at Barnes and Nobles one day and Richard Biesanz was doing a book signing for the collaborative book release. I found the book to be wonderfully insightful. Even if you aren't familiar with the Ticos you will find the book to be very intersting. The Biesanz let you look into all aspects of the life that the Costa Ricans lead, from the type of economy they have right down to their everyday lifestyle. From reading the book you will walk away with a better understanding of what makes the Ticos so special, and it will make you want to travel to Costa Rica and see it for yourself! It is a job well done! The Biesanz have a deep understanding and enjoyment of this culture and people, and you will feel that as you read the book.

I was on Leo's Big Beyond Belief program for nearly two years and couldn't believe the difference it made. I switched to the Titan Training and Behold! I found something even better. The program is difficult in its intensity, but it only takes 45 minutes four days per week. You will be amazed!
In response to Matt Robert's question in his "review" about what is the difference between the two programs - You dunce! Buy the book and find out the difference. But I'll give you a hint: 45 mintues 4 x a week.

The system described in the book works! As a person with a handicap, I was still able in just over two weeks drop my body fat from 9.4% to 7.1%. This means that with my net weight loss of one pound that I gained just under four pounds of muscle. I am now in my fourth week and people all around my office are noticing that I am getting bigger rapidly. My strength is increasing rapidly. For example, my barbell front shoulder press has increased 60lbs. already. Workout smarter, without supplements and see results. If it worked for me, it will work for anyone.

I have used BBB, what is the diff. between that and Titan training??

This great book is a captivating and insightful journey of a man working through the dense forest of modern distractions to get to the core of what it means to be alive and sentient in the twenty-first century. His approach is both intensely personal and universal at the same time.

It is not an easy book to digest, too many troubling themes are explored, including our on complacency in not challenging our assumptions about ourselves and society enough. Drawing on the great thinkers, Apostolakos applies philosophical musings to current situations like September 11th and western consumerism.

This is a book that will linger in your thoughts long after you have forgotten the latest Stephen King book. You will see the world through a new prism, exposing colors you had not seen before, forever adding texture and nuance into the black and white world we are use to. You will find yourself quoting the author, despite yourself, the next time you get into a discussion about a current event. Highly recommended!

Everybody should own this absolute MUST have!
Covers so many topics, will have you stop and think plenty times
Overall, Amazing! words cannot express it, just buy it.

This great book is a captivating and insightful journey of a man working through the dense forest of modern distractions to get to the core of what it means to be alive and sentient in the twenty-first century. His approach is both intensely personal and universal at the same time.

It is not an easy book to digest, too many troubling themes are explored, including our on complacency in not challenging our assumptions about ourselves and society enough. Drawing on the great thinkers, Apostolakos applies philosophical musings to current situations like September 11th and western consumerism.

This is a book that will linger in your thoughts long after you have forgotten the latest Stephen King book. You will see the world through a new prism, exposing colors you had not seen before, forever adding texture and nuance into the black and white world we are use to. You will find yourself quoting the author, despite yourself, the next time you get into a discussion about a current event. Highly recommended!

Fans of St. Louis sports will find this a fine keepsake edition recounting tales of record-breaking events in St. Louis sports. This was originally scripted for KFNS Radio as part of a series, using vignettes to consider the personalities and events of fourteen different regional sports. While this holds special interest for Missouri residents, any with an interest in local sports history will find its lively descriptions and black and white photos compelling.

In The 100 Greatest Moments In St. Louis Sports, Hall of Fame journalist Bob Broeg recounts in a descriptive story-telling style the most outstanding, unusual, legendary, and thrilling episodes in fourteen different sports by St. Louis athletes. The individual stories range from 1899 (The Day Old Cy, New Cards Came to Town) to 1969 (Stop-Off to Cooperstown: Carlton's 19-K Game) and range from the comedic to the heroic. The 100 Greatest Moments In St. Louis Sports is highly recommended for anyone who delights in the history of athletic competition and achievement.

Another stunning mental puzzle in literature!
If you can follow the story then you are over educated.
Time travel, mummies, vampires, visiting ancient cultures
all across the world, good vs. evil plotting, hero vs. villain,
boobytraps in tombs, romance, action, adventure galore!
This book rocks! I highly recommend this print-on-demand novel.

-S.M. Rhodes, PhD.
Palm Beach, Florida. USA.
:)

Another best read (bestsellers all have too much ... or violence)
by legendary M.J. Costa (1stbooks.com).
This book spans the time from the future and the ancient past.
An Egyptian Pharaoh was cryogenically frozen and is awakened in
the 3rd Millenium by time-traveling archaeologists; they also make a side trip to dig up his Nememis, a Vampire Emperor of Persia. They have combat scenes, love, intrigue, romance, and
all the good qualities of a modern novel.

It has been over 15 years since I had Accounting in college. I am starting a new business and purchased Quickbooks 2003 to keep track of the books. I was having a hard time grasping Quickbooks and realized that I needed an overview of Accounting to learn how the software should be used. This book is easy to read and provides a good overview to bring someone up to speed on Accounting methodology, how to read financial statements, etc.

Having looked for a good, simple, in layperson's language book to give to beginning entrepeneurs, this is it. Very well done, understandable, but factual at the same time.

This hefty book is not a book you would like to drag along in you daypack (I tried, so I know). Yet, you will need it around (so, in your lodge or tent) when you're walking the rainforests and trying to make out what you've seen. It gives a clear description, added to clear drawings, of all the butterflies in the described families. That leads me to the only drawback: it's "just" a number of famlies described here, so the title is somewhat misleading. I'm eagerly awaiting the follow-up with the rest of the Lepidoptera, hoping that they will be covered in a similar way.

For all of you who are looking for a good quality source book for your art projects this is the book that will provide you, not only, with detailed drawings but also with beautiful color images of Costa Rican butterflies. I only wish there were more color photographs of the insect, but since I researched line drawings to incorporate them into design this book even exceeded my needs. It also helped my seven year old daughter to understand and appreciate the complexity of this species not only its beauty. The text is easy to understand and can make a good vacation reading

"With their refreshing sense of serendipity and their use of contrast between subject and background, Bill Costa's photographs are among the most visually arresting male nudes ever seen. Eschewing the standard art aesthetic of the nude, Costa establishes a sense of shared intimacy between his models and the viewer thorugh his photographs. His images are at once powerful and familiar, erotically charged without abandoning a sense of the commonplace."

I LIKE I

this is by far and away best english language book on Costa Rican politics.

this book is the finest book on CR political economy in print.

I wish every book about the natural history of a country were as thorughly compiled as this one. The only drawback is that it's too hefty and too slack to read in bed or in the hammock - you have to sit upright, but that's a small sacrifice for the great amount of easy accessible information. It's hard to stop reading this fascinating book.

In this biological bible of Costa Rica, Janzen leaves no stone unturned. From evolutionary history to weather patterns to animals and trees, he covers all facets of basic natural science. This book is a must for anyone pursuing biological study or ecolgical interest in Costa Rica or anywhere in the New World tropics