"....This edition of Sahagún's first ethnographic study of Mesoamerican culture from the city of Tepepolco (comonly referred to as Primeros Memoriales) has many virtues. Among them are the text's status as a companion volume to an accessible facsimile edition (1993, Volume 200, Part One of the same series). The study reflects a collaboration of noted scholars offering multiple interpretations of a variety of aspects of the document. The information within provides a detailed treatment of non-Mexican residents of the Valley of Mexico....

....In a tribute to Sullivan's efforts, this edition of the Primeros Memoriales has brought together a veritable Dream Team of Nahuatl linguists and translators, art and cultural historians, and bibliographers, resulting in not only a comprehensive and trustworthy study but also a shining example of the need for collaborative efforts in this very interdisciplinary field. For those of us learning Nahuatl but who are not as advanced as we would like to be, the knowledge that Sullivan, Dibble, and Anderson have all participated in the translation allows a more confident approach to the material contained in the Primeros Memoriales. This translation, presented in conjunction with the paleography so that we can see the Nahuatl ourselves, and the facsimile so that we can corroborate our information, also increases the value of this edition. The collaborators and their press should be highly commended for their efforts. Jeanne L. Gillepsie"

Este libro me pareció muy bueno, ya que desarrolla el programa de la materia de Derecho Procesal Penal de manera impecable, lo recomiendo para los estudiantes de derecho y para las personas interesadas en el Derecho Procesal Penal, no sólo en México sino en todo el mundo.

PsyEarth Quest is a workable blueprint for a future society based in peace and built by technology. Anyone who liked Celestine Prophecy will enjoy this phenomenal book. It's one of the best visionary fiction novels I've come across. FYI: "The Touchstone," "Queen of the Sun" and "A Fall to Grace" are a few others.

Ms. Keegan does an excellent job of showing the rest of American how one contemporary Pueblo family lives. The photos show how both the everyday, modern lifestyle and the tradition "old ways" fit comfortably together. The Roybal girls' story is told with respect to their family and their culture. As a librarian and as a member of one of the Pueblo tribes of New Mexico, I appreciate being able to find such fine examples of Indians and their lives in modern America. The photos are beautiful and bring to life the world of Sonja and Desiree, as well the Pueblo of San Ildefonso. It is a book I would definitely recommend for anyone interested in learning more about American Indians and our place in contemporary America.

If you plan to travel in the Santa Fe/Taos/ Albuquerque area and want to see the Pueblos, this is a must. It is concise but complete.

Each Pueblo is described and history given. You'll even know how to pronounce the names properly. such as Cochiti or Acoma.

You'll know where to buy pottery, jewelry or art work.

See the beautiful Southwest.

Borrego's book takes us into a different perspective about the Mexican-American relations since the Poinsett era to the Oil crisis in 1936, he explains also why there were no economical sanctions aginst Mexico after the goverment took it from the international investors, really recomended.

Pajaro Verde: The Green Bird is an enchanting bilingual English/Spanish fairy tale about many-eyed sisters and an enigmatic prince named Pajaro Verde. Illustrated with beautifully rendered and realistic color artwork of fabulous scenes and events, Pajaro Verde is an unforgettable picture book story for young readers and would be a welcome addition to any school or community library collection.

(From Planeta magazine): Mexico's fiery cuisines stand in sharp contrast not only with traditional European cooking but also with each other. The regional variations and menus make Mexican cuisine one of the most sophisticated in the world. In a new book published as part of the University of New Mexico Press's Dialogos series, author Jeffrey Pilcher uses food itself to provide a unique, insider's guide to Mexican history and politics.

ÁQue vivan los Tamales!: Food and the Making of Mexican Identity (ISBN 0-8263-1873-8, 234 pages, University of New Mexico Press, 1998,$16.95 or $37.50 hardback (ISBN 0-8263-1872-X) examines the evolution of mestizo recipes - the blending of Old and New World spices to make the famous turkey mole or gourmet flourishes, such as cuitlacoche rolled in crepes and covered with bechamel sauce.

The author praises the creative role cookbook authors played in unifying the country's taste buds, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries when a national identify was being forged and the construction of railroads and highways lowered the costs of distribution of exotic agricultural products so that local specialties could be enjoyed throughout the country.

Much of the book traces the differences and debates stirred by promoters of maize and wheat. Elites often criticized maize, and even suggested that the corn-eating population was at a serious disadvantage in terms of development. Their reasoning: the wheat-consuming Europeans were on top of the world, not the corn-eating Americans or rice-eating Asians. But such prejudices were not easily resolved. The problem was (and is) that corn simply grows better in Mexico than wheat.

It's hard to understand the desire upper-class Mexicans had to break from their indigenous heritage. Throughout the colonial period, corn was under attack and likewise the construction of homes and buildings using adobe, a centuries-old technique used the world over and perfected in many of the regions in Mexico.

Instead, colonial architects favored European-styled architecture, European-styled clothes and European-styled foods. Pilcher explains the logic of the time: "One did not have to be born a European, it was sufficient to act like one, dress like one, and eat like one."

In reality, Pilcher says that "the tortilla discourse really served as a subterfuge to divert attention to social inequalities... Rural malnutrition resulted not from any inferiority in tortillas; instead, poverty, particularly the lack of land, made it impossible to obtain a well-balanced diet."

The book is loaded with colorful tidbits, such as Christopher Columbus' description of lizard : "tastes like chicken," he said -- perhaps using this present-day cliche for the very first time.

Pilcher also recounts how during the colonial period more beef was available than wheat bread. Priests were slow and often hesitant to use corn for communion wafers, though chocolate was sometimes consumed (covertly) at mass.

The author's dry humor exerts itself in numerous passages, such as the discussion of how Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera's criticisms of the then-prevalent prejucides against indigenous culture (and food) were subsequently taken up by the Middle and upper classes themselves.

The end of the book reviews 20th century innovations, focusing on the automation of the corn milling and tortilla-preparing appliances, the development of the chain supermarkets and the new fame given to cookbook authors, such as Diana Kennedy, who received the Aztec Eagle award, the Mexican government's highest honor given to foreigners.

If there is a problem with this book, it would be the author's penchant for odd transitions. He discusses the artful blending of recipes and fiction in the best-selling novel Like Water for Chocolate and moves effortless from a discussion of eroticism to a discourse on public hygiene. I read this paragraph several times without understanding the tread of logic.

His criticisms of Taco Bell and U.S. fast food franchises in general bring the book to a close, but perhaps this, too, is a form of cultural blending that could be examined with a little more depth.

But it's best not to be too harsh on the author, who has compiled an encyclopedic amount of information in ÁQue vivan los Tamales!. The author's clever synthesis of nutrition facts, national politics and regional idiosyncrasies breaks new ground.

Author Pilcher would be the ideal dinner guest at any Mexican table. It's obvious that any omissions in Que vivan los Tamales! were a result of a lack of space, not knowledge. This book serves up a veritable smorgasbord of ideas, history and observations and is highly recommended.

If you think you are ready to backpack through the wilds of anywhere, read this book first! This couple walked from California to the jungles of Mexico, encountered banditos, bugs and fascinating people along the way. The Mayan ruins they stumbled upon probably still haven't been found... The book was written in the early 50's, so don't expect an adventure with the latest conveniences, but rather one based on wits, humor, compassion - and a lot of guts! Absolutely wonderful!!!

This is an excellent book. It is well written and easy to read. It discusses the unique role radio played (and to some extent still plays) in the development of mexican nationality. There is extensive discussion of the role of the government in the production and regulation of radio in Mexico and from there ties in theories of nationalism. The major discussion centers between 1920 and 1950. There is some discussion of more recent movements including television; however, the stregnth of the book lies in the eariler years of radio. I found most interesting the discussion of the creation of national music. The conscious effort by the government to create a national music to build pride and solidarity. It works strongly with B. Anderson's ideas from "Imagined Communities". All in all, A great book.