Though Madagascar does not appear on the travel wish-lists of many people, nor is it the area of study most young anthropologists aspire to, it is one of the most fascinating places on the planet for travellers or for people with interests in anthropology, religion, music, and history. Eighteen or twenty different branches of the Malagasy people grew up over the centuries, each in a specific ecological niche, all of whom were eventually dominated by the highland dwelling Merina, whose kings ruled the great island in the 19th century. Over the last few decades, various works have appeared on the different Malagasy groups: Merina, Sakalava, Tanala, etc. Kottak's book must be considered the definitive work on the Betsileo, a large group living in the southern highlands, traditionally earning their living by rice farming and cattle herding. THE PAST IN THE PRESENT is a traditional ethnography, (most data was gathered in 1966) describing in particular, state formation (in the past), social organization, and ceremonial life. Kottak assembles an impressive collection of data and makes the most of it in a rich description. Statistics, maps, diagrams, tables, and footnotes mark a thoroughly professional job. If this is what you are looking for, you are bound to find this book useful. To understand Madagascar from a historical point of view, as well as in the time just after independence in 1960, the book is a necessity. Kottak studied a district town and a village in the Betsileo area. If you wonder what the Betsileo thought or said about themselves or about life; if you are looking for a more qualitative ethnography, you will not find it here. Given that the author did not set out to create such a book, it is unfair to criticize him for not doing so. I strongly recommend Kottak's work to someone who doesn't mind wading through a mass of detail, who wishes to become a serious student of Madagascar.

It is obvious that Paul Deloughery set out to assemble a book of highland bagpipe tunes catering to the beginner when looking at this collection. Many of the traditional embellishments have been made easier without diminishing the melody of any tune. The notation of all tunes has been done in an easy to read format unlike other "new" books of tunes.

This is an invaluble resource for anyone looking for information relating to the Scottish Clans. It includes colour pictures of coats of arms and tartans for each as well as information relating to their history and origins. The book is also liberally illustrated with excellent colour photographs of places of significance to the names under consideration. The introuction includes first rate information regarding coats of arms in Scotland, tartans, the Clan system, Scottish royalty and so on. Slightly dissappointing is the brevity of the histories for some of the Clans, for example Macrae only merits seventy words.

Professor Tedlock has presented us with what may be the definitive book on Maya timekeeping, at least as it is practiced today - and can we really tell exactly how it was practiced at any other time?

This is first and foremost a work of anthrpology, a fact which Professor Tedlock is very clear about from the start. Having said that, she states that in her viewpoint, cultural anthropologists cannot really take a "neutral" stand with regard to the material they are studying; she cites the example of the students of musicology and linguistics, whose expertise is measured in terms of their virtuosity or fluency in the medium they are studying. That being the case, can an anthropologist really provide a valid description of Mayan timekeeping unless he or she is actually willing to undergo the training of a timekeeper?

For the reader's information, a "timekeeper" is an individual who has been trained in the system of the Mayan calendar, understands the meaning of the days and can make predictions regarding whether certain actions are favorable or not at certain times. One may dismiss it as a form of astrology. Nevertheless, timekeeping was undeniably an important, even central, activity of the ancient Maya, and much of their history is unintelligible without reference to it. The value of Professor Tedlock's work, and of this book in particular, is found in the material that she can present to Mayan archeologists and epigraphers to help them understand their source material.

Professor Tedlock explains the process by which timekeepers were selected in the traditional Maya world, and the training and rituals which they must undergo. She also explains the meanings, in general, of the day names in the traditional divination calendar. Most interesting is her insistence, based on what her teachers told her, that the day names in and of themselves mean almost nothing - maybe at most, the same as the year names mean in the Chinese calendar. I can think of grandiose theories expressed in several books on the subject by Mayanists that will be deflated by that revelation.

This is not a work of murky mysticism, and the New Age cultivator of Mayan lore should be advised to stay away. I found the book to be an excellent supplement to mainstream work by Mayanists, providing a different perspective on the same data. If the overall field of Mayan studies interests you I think that you will agree with me.

The author of "To the Mountain and Back" is an anthropologist who did field work in highland Guatemala during the 1970's. She lived in and studied life in two villages, one Ladino (Zaragoza) and the other Cakchiquel Mayan (Patzún). The book is a narrative account of the author's life during her fieldwork, both the challenges and the joys. The style is extremely straightforward and accessible. And the stories she tells have the ring of truth. Moreover, the explanations of her research tasks serve as a basic introduction of how to do field work, including sampling and interviewing. I will definitely recommend this book as an introduction to highland Guatemalan culture to my students and to others who are coming to visit us here. As a researcher myself, I was left with some unanswered questions, however. What did Glittenberg's own children glean from the experience? What did her surveys reveal about the reasons for having children in the two towns? But, overall, this is a readable and informative book.

I bought this book to learn more about the Andean textiles I began collecting while working in Peru and Bolivia. The photos are beautiful and the info is pretty good-good for a beginner but probably not as helpful for a collector with more expertise. There are not many books on this subject and I'm interested to know if anyone has found a better one.

This book is good for those looking to learn about traditional Maya dress in Guatemala and how it relates to the lives of those who make and wear it. It is an interesting read, giving good insights to cultural aspects also. Although the research was conducted many years ago, this was an interesting and yet very shaky time in Guatemala, making the read all the more interesting.

The West Highland was a railway within a railway. It existed as a separate company for only nineteen years, including the five years it took to build. Yet the West Highland is still the West Highland. There is nothing else quite like it in Britain. John Thomas is a real Scottish enthusiast with a gift for writing, an ability to communicate his enthusiasm and to mirror every aspect of the West Highland's place in the area through which it ran. It is an enthralling account of the 165 miles of line that comprised the original West Highland Railway and MallGig Extension and the Invergarry & Fort Augustus Railway.

'This is a model of what railway history ought to be, the technical, human, topographical and business details all fitting in together with not a join in sight.' The Times Literary Supplement

'For the railway enthusiast this book, is a "must".' Weekly Scotsman

'Solid history and rich anecdote combine.' Railway Magazine

A vivid picture is given of the thrills and anxieties of everyday working on the line from the days of the West Highland bogie to the corning of the diesel.' Stirling Journal.

'Can be thoroughly recommended' Model Railway News

'There is an epic quality about The West Highland Railway. . .' Glasgow Evening Citizen

This is an excellent book if you're looking to bring a westie into your life. It's full of health care information and explains the feisty personality of these wonderful dogs. If you're not an active person a westie is not for you

As the title suggests this is a standard alistair maclean book. It is a simple stoty about a secert service agent who hunts down a gang of bullion pirates. The pirates are ruthless and will kill anyone who comes in their way. In course of his investigation agent Calvert losses a number of his associates. A beautiful girl is sent by the pirates to keep watch over the agent. She is out smarted by Calvert. There are some efforts at puuting comic relief by means of Calvert boss and some of his associates. A book that I have read every second year for last 7 years and still I keep reading it...