If you like plants and the ethnobotanical uses of them (like I do), along with exploration and adventure, then this book is for you. Hipolito Ruiz was a Spanish botanist in Peru and Chile from 1777-1788. Along with all the many hardships which he encountered back in those days, he observed and recorded the many different kinds of medicinal and non-medicinal plants which the natives used. It truly is a fascinating account of his travels and what it was actually like in the 1700's. Along with being an adventure in ethnobotanical exploration , it is also a cultural portrayal of the peoples who lived there. I also enjoyed the appendix at the end of the book which lists the medicinal plants in alphabetical order which are mentioned in the text. Maybe this book should be required reading for medical students (?). Could be a cure for cancer, aides, etc. down there (!)

This book about Mr. Snell's adventures in the South Americanjungle as a missionary kid will keep you laughing all the way through.It goes from one hilarious situation to another, and the situations are so funny, it is hard to believe they really happened. In this book you will see what happens to an American living in a different country and culture.

It's set in Peru and Bolivia and maybe Brazil, and is full of erudite literary references and wonderful descriptions of old Lima. At first I thought it was real magic realism but then I thought it was a satire of the genre. The heroine is a sort of sexy female Candide. I was just rereading it and checked Amazon.com for more Cecile Pineda but find everything out of print. The only other review is of a novel called Frieze set in the ancient Orient.

I enjoyed this book tremendously. The style is inviting, the illustrations are beautiful, and the stories about Martin's life are wonderful. I especially like the connections that Joan Monahan draws between Martin's values and the issues we face today. Born four hundred years ago of mixed race to a single mother, Martin knew how it felt to be rejected. He is a model of social justice, concern for the environment, and respect for animals. Whether you're already familiar with St. Martin de Porres or not, you will learn much that is new and inspiring in this well-researched and highly readable biography.

Jane Kurtz enriches this Inca folktale with details of pre-Colonial Incan life, creating a book which will find enthusiastic audiences among those choosing books for pleasure and teachers and students studying the Inca, as well. The author's beautiful prose is enhanced by David Frampton's richly hued woodcuts, creating a memorable story of a strong heroine in a lost culture

In my search to learn as much as I can about the people who create the Andean music that stirs my soul, I am highly impressed with Thomas Turino's research. For a musician like myself, who seeks to perform Andean music with a deep understanding of the culture, this book is a precious jewel. Turino's respect of the people and his detailed descriptions of the process of composition and performance are immensely helpful. I feel like I am sitting in the earthen-floored house together with him and the musicians of Tarkas de Putina as they softly play their instruments in the dim light of a flame, composing fiesta music by wordless consensus all through the night fueled by coca and alcohol.

Furthermore he reports with an equally intimate and scholarly first-person account on changes that migration (between rural Aymara-speaking Conimo on the Northern shore of Lake Titicaca and urban Lima) cause to the music and the culture.

Well traveled and linguistically accomplished anthropologist Johan Reinhard gives THE NAZCA LINES A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THEIR ORIGIN AND MEANING by interpreting the figures and lines in terms of a desert people asking mountain dwelling gods for fertile crops and precious water. Dr Reinhard says that other explanations are possible and not mutually exclusive. However, he particularly likes to start from environmental dynamics, Hispanic chronicles, local legends, persisting customs and religious beliefs. The author backs up a clear writing style with his own exquisite black and white photographs, with helpful maps, and with telling evidence from before, during, and after Inca times. Unfortunately, this unique book is out of print, but well worth the effort to track down.

Mallon's theory of "peasant nationalism" is thought provoking for anyone interested in the construction of nationalism. Her work is a great example of how comparative historical research in Latin America can yield new insights for historians in other fields. Not only is her work instructive for those interested in popular conceptions of what it means to be in a nation, but her narrative is well written and engaging

Some time ago, Rosemary Daniell gave me a copy of "Peru" which I devoured promptly. This book will suck you in quite unexpectedly. It's unusual structure (one short chapter, a long middle chapter, and a short closing chapter) is a major selling-point. If anybody reads it and can explain the last line I would be rather grateful, since either it was over my head or it isn't supposed to make sense. Reminescent of his earlier "Dear Mr. Capote." -- Steven Farme

This is an excellent profile of Peru. If you are working in or traveling to Peru you will be greatly benefitted by this book.

Until I read John Crabtree's profile of Peru the best book out was Jane Holligan's FOCUS: Peru Though I still recommend Holligan's book (see my review) Crabtree's profile is more current (up to the first year of President Alejandro Toledo's term - 2001) and more sensitive to the plight of the poor and oppressed in Peru.

Excellent is Crabree's section "The Fight for Democracy". A must read for those who desire to understand the political forces that control Peru. His insight into the critical control that the IMF, WTO and IDB have over developing countries like Peru are eye opening. His sections on the economy and society are informative and succinct. The poor (54% of the society) struggle daily, living hand-to-mouth while the wealthy and powerful remain safe behind their walled fortress homes.
John Crabtree didn't excessively laud ex-president Fujimori terms in office, but neither was he excessively critical of Fujimori's dirty subterfuge, which recently has been disclosed. Nor was he critical of Fujimori's hatchet man Vladimiro Montesios. He states, "Categorizing Fujimori is not easy. By no means a traditional dictator, he was certainly no democrat. Rather, his regime was a hybrid of both elements."

As I write this review there are demonstrations in every city in Peru. In the streets of Cusco, the police, in their attempt to crush a demonstration, killed a teacher (28 May 2003). President Toledo, is suffering a massive crash in his approval ratings (from 84% after the election to 14% May 2003). The lowest approval rating ever given to a president.

This is a must read profile of Peru. John Crabtree's book, along with a good travel guide (Footprint Peru 4th ed. - see my review) should be in your suitcase before departure. Highly recommended