Flowering Plants of New Mexico has gone through 3 editions in its 15 years and sold over 9000 copies. It is widely used by schools, and the nature loving public. In its third edition, it is still in print and will be until the next edition. It retails for $40 and can be obtained from R.D. Ivey, 9311 Headingly Court NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87111.

I can't believe no one has reviewed this book. It is a great guide to fishing the Colorado River, plus many of the tributaries. And believe me, this is a lot of water to fish! Al does a great job giving the reader insight into the area waters and how to fish them. This book is a must for anyone wanting to visit and fish the Colorado and other rivers in and near the Middle Park area of Colorado, and downstream.

If you live in New Mexico or southern Colorado and fish or tie flies you will like this book. It catalogs unusal regional fly patterns and the waters to fish them. I, of course, haven't tied or fished all of the patterns in the book but its an enjoyable read. Because these flies are not going to be found in even some of the best fly shops in the region the recipes and tying instructions are worth the price. The instructions also include a variety of techniques that are not as well described in other fly tying manuals. The only negative I can think of is the lack of color pictures, but I have a good enough imagination not to need them. Besides I'm a sucker for books from the University of New Mexico Press.

In 2001, I purchased the pocket guide to Puerto Vallarta. I stayed at Paradise Village (I also bought a Timeshare because of the experience, enough said) and Fodors was on the mark from begining to end. In 2002 I purchased Fodor's pocket guide to Aruba. My girlfriend and I stayed at the Wyndham Hotel and Fodor's was right on the money. The place was beautiful, the service was excellent, and the beach was heaven on Earth. Because of that as well as all the inside information on where to go and what to do, I purchased the pocket guide for Los Cabos in 2003. Score, that is the hat trick! We stayed at the Presidente International (the only all-inclusive resort) and it was magnificant. The service and view was beautiful. It listed some of the best places to eat and plenty of things to do (Definately do the Horseback riding on the beach and the sunset cruise.) They really know what they are doing. I highly recommend their pocket guides for all vacations. The books tell you exactly where to go and what to do to make your vacations memorable and beautiful. Three in a row has to account for something.

Foods Of The Maya is a highly recommended sampler of Yucatan cuisine that will intrigue any who enjoy regional cookbooks. Foods Of The Maya focuses on local versions of Mayan cooking, from Garlic Pork with Rice and Black Beans to an orange juice/allspice seasoned Motul Chicken. No photos, but the recipes don't need them.

This is one of the books that first drew me to Baja california years ago. Unfortunately much of what Krutch saw has inevitably been swept away by the rising tide of tourism & development, but enough remains that Krutch's lyrical prose is more than a eulogy, one can still find some of teh magic that he describes so well here. I would strongly reccomend this book to anyone planning on visiting Baja California and/or anyone who is interested in the intersection between natural history and literature -one gets both here.

Although admittedly pricey, this is an excellent source of recent information on Early Formative cultures of Mesoamerica and southern Central America. Contributors are: Michael Blake, Marilyn Beaudry, John Clark, Arthur Demarest, Bill Fowler, John Hoopes, Gloria Lara Pinto, Mike Love, Skip Messenger, Mary Pye, Ed Schortman, Pat Urban, David Whitley, and Tony Wonderley.

An excellent portrait of the great Mexican sculptor Zuniga. The first part of the book is a series of rare interviews published for the first time where he discusses society, culture, his life and art. In the second part the author offers his analysis of the sculptors work. The book is filled with many tresures, such as unfinished pieces, prints of projects that were destroyed and over 100 black and white photographs. His unique style that captures the essence of Mexico's mestizo heritage is portrayed throughout. An essential book for anyone interested in this masters works who has influenced countless artists. An easy read that is visually delightful as well.

Two things will stand out in the minds of young students who read this engaging look at the artist Frida Kahlo. First, they have probably never seen an artist who did as many self-portraits as Kahlo, who was one of the greatest Mexican artists of the 20th century. Nine of these paintings are presented in this book. Second, they have also probably never seen a great artist who painted as a form of therapy as much as Kahlo. Mike Venezia points out that Kahlo sometimes painted unpleasant things from her life as a way of getting through hard times. Many of these paintings were considered shocking (e.g., "Sin Esperanza"/"Without Hope", painted after a serious illness) but Venezia points out that Kahlo painted them for herself, not for others to see. But even in that context, paintings like "My Dress Hangs Here," which showed Kahlo's feelings about having to live in a New York City she saw as being horribly overcrowded and polluted, are fascinating psychological insights into the mind of the artist.

As with most the volumes in his "Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists" series, one of Venezia's strengths is how he is able to put the work of a particular artist in the context of other artists of that time and place. In this case he provides examples of the work of David Alfaro Siqueiros, Jose Clemente Orozco, Jose Guadalupe Posada, and Diego Rivera, all of who influenced Kahlo. Especially Rivera, since Kahlo married him. As always, Venezia includes his own cartoons to help tell the story of the artist's life, but without sacrificing the lessons in art appreciation that are at the heart of his efforts. I do not know if I have even seen any paintings by Frida Kahlo before reading this excellent little book, but she is certainly one of the more memorable artists Venezia has introduced me to in this series.