GENERAL

• 
  On Mexican Time, byTony Cohan,
  Published in 1999 by: Broadway Books.
  Available through
  Delightful recounting of moving to Mexico and the experiences of adapting to a new and different culture.
  REVIEWS: Alan Cogan -|- Jay Powers

  
  
  
  

• The Art of Mexican Cooking - Traditional Mexican Cooking for Aficionados, by Diana Kennedy,
  Published in 1989 by: Bantam Books.
  Available through Amazon Books.
  One of the best books on Méxican cooking available. Provides a well written overview of the native foods and preparation as well as Regional recipies.

  
  

• Deep Rivers, by José María Arguedas.
  Published by University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas.
  Available through Amazon Books.
  Although not specific to México, this book of short stories provides insight into the Latin American psyche.

  
  

• Distant Neighbors - A Portrait of the Mexicans, by Alan Riding.
  Published in 1989 by Random House
  Available through Amazon Books.
  Well written analysis of the relationship between México and the U.S., as well as insight into México and Méxicans..

  
  

• Good Neighbors - Communicating With the Mexicans, by John C. Condon, 1985. Published by Intercultural Press Inc
  Available through Amazon Books.
  An examination of how Méxicans and their northern neighbors perceive both themselves and each other. How their behaviour, based on these perceptions, often leads to cross-cultural misunderstandings. This book is a must for anyone seriously considering doing business or spending considerable time in México.

  
  

• The Labyrinth of Solitude and Other Writings by Octavio Paz. Published in 1985 by: Grove Press Inc.
  Available through Amazon Books.
  Octavio Paz is viewed as being one of México's major writers. This collection of writings is a good source for insights into many aspects of México's culture and perspective on themselves and the world around them.

  
  

• Mexican Lives, 1994, Judith Alder Hellman. Published by New Pr.
  Available through Amazon Books.
  In the months before the passage of the landmark NAFTA treaty, Judith Adler Hellman, a leading authority on Mexican politics, went into the homes and workplaces of ordinary Mexicans. In bringing us their vivid, personal stories, Hellman puts a human face on the political and economic transformations currently under way in this rapidly changing country.
  
  
• A Short History of Mexico, by J. Patrick McHenry. Published by Doubleday.
  This book is hard to find as it is out of print. However, it is well worth the search as it is probably the best overview of Méxican history available.
  
  
• The "Teach English in Mexico" Employment Guide, 1997, by Mark S. Farley. Published by Inter/NETWORKS.
  On-line ordering of this book and other materials.
  Insider's guide reveals how you can work in spectacular Mexico without knowing Spanish or having a college degree. A serious, detailed, step-by-step plan on how to instantly obtain jobs teaching English without having teaching credentials or special training.

• Travelers' Tales Mexico, 1994, James O'Reilly and Larry Habegger, Travelers' Tales, Inc., O'Reilly & Associates 103 Morris St., Suite A, Sebastopol, CA 95472.
  Available through: Amazon Books.
  Travelers' Tales Mexico opens a window on the beauties and mysteries of Mexico and teh Mexicans. It's entertaining, intriguing, baffling, instructive, insightful, inspiring and hilarious - just like Mexico." writes Tom Brosnahan, co-author of Lonely Planet's Mexico.
  
  
• Under the Volcano. Malcolm Lowry, Reprint 2001, Harperperennial Library.
  Available through: Amazon Books.
  The novel can be read simply as a story which you can skip if you want. It can be read as a story you will get more out of if you don't skip. It can be regarded as a kind of symphony, or in another way as a kind of opera--or even a horse opera. It is hot music, a poem, a song, a comedy, a farce, and so forth. It is superficial, profound, entertaining, and boring, according to taste. It is a prophecy, a political warning, a cryptogram, a preposterous movie.
  - Malcolm Lowry to his publisher Jonathan Cape, January 2, 1946
  
  

MOVING TO/LIVING

• Choose Mexico: Live Well On $800 A Month by John Howells and Don Merwin, 1994, Gateway Books, 2023 Clemens Road, Oakland, CA 94602.
  To order book.
  Anyone interested in sending a review to Contributions? It will be appreciated by all.
  
  
• Good Neighbors - Communicating With the Mexicans, by John C. Condon, 1985. Published by Intercultural Press Inc., and available through: Amazon Books
  An examination of how Méxicans and and their northern neighbors perceive both themselves and each other. How their behaviour, based on these perceptions, often leads to cross-cultural misunderstandings. This book is a must for anyone seriously considering doing business or spending considerable time in México.

  
  

• Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands, by Terri Morrison, Wayne A. Conaway, and George A. Borden, Phd., 1995
  For more information: Available through: Amazon Books
  This book provides you with the most current data possible on what foreign business and social practices to expect in different countries around the world. Each chapter focuses on a different country and is broken down into four categories: Country background; Business Practices; Protocol; and Cultural Orientation. Includes a chapter on México.

  
  

• Live Better South Of The Border, by "Mexico" Mike Nelson, 1997, Publisher: Roads Scholar Press, Harlington, Texas.
  

  REVIEW

  Available from Publisher at Tel: 800-321-5605, Mail: Roads Scholar Press, # 12 - 613 N. Eye St., Harlington, Tx., USA, 78550-2323, or E-mail to: dancedee@aol.com ($16.95 USD + $3.00 S&H. Orders outside the US add $1.50 USD)
  Available from Amazon Books: Paperback
  
  
  
  

  
  

• Midlife Mavericks: Women Reinventing Their Lives in Mexico, by "Mexico" Karen Blue, 2000, Publisher: Universal Publishers.
  
  Midlife Mavericks chronicles a new trend--unmarried American and Canadian women building better lives for themselves in the beautiful colonial villages of Mexico.

  REVIEW

  Available from Publisher at Tel: 800-636-8329, Mail: Universal Publishers/uPUBLISH.com. 7525 NW 61 Terrace, Suite 2603, Parkland, Florida 33067-2421
  Available from Amazon Books: Paperback
  
  
  
  
• Moving Your Family Overseas, by Rosalind Kalb and Penelope Welch, 1992. By Intercultural Press
  Available through: Amazon Books.
  Co-authored by a Canadian and an American, this book discusses in detail all the issues of moving to another country. It considers the whole family, and provides valuable advice and personal experience at each phase of the transition, including returning "home".
  
  
• Official Guide to Living and Investing in Mexico, Lawrence International, 1770 W. State St. #129, Boise, Idaho, 833702, USA. To order: 1-800-341-2510 ext. 27
  Anyone interested in sending a review to Contributions? It will be appreciated by all.
  
  
• On Being Foreign - Culture Shock in Short Fiction, An International Anthology, edited by Tom Lewis and Robert Jungman. Published by Intercultural Press Inc..
  Available through: Amazon Books.
  On Being Foreign gives a rare glimpse of culture shock and cross-culture adaptation through the the eyes of fictional characters drawn from 20 short stories, carefully chosen from mainstream world literature and deftly interpreted by the editors. The reader is led through the 6 stages of cross-cultural adjustment, providing valuable insights into the psyche of the foreigner.
  
  
• Retiring to MEXICO, 1992, Compiled by American-Canadian Club Staff and edited by Len Friedman, ACC Books, 5003 North Capitol, Indianapolis, IN. 46208.
  Anyone interested in sending a review to Contributions? It will be appreciated by all.
  
  
• Where in the World Are You Going?, by Judith M. Blohm. Published in 1996 by, and available through: Intercultural Press Inc., a company specializing in Cultural publications.
  For the family facing re-location, the children have their own fears and needs. This book will help parents help their children to prepare effectively for the move. In this unique book, the autor encourages her readers to express their excitement, fears, questions and hopes about the move and leads them through activities which will help them to say goodbye to their old home and embrace the new. From understanding the move to packing a knapsack to leave, this book is a valuable coach for children and their parents facing re-location to Mexico or other foreign country.
  
  
• Women's Guide to Overseas Living, by Nancy J. Piet-Pelon and Barbara Hornby, 1992. Published by Intercultural Press Inc.
  Available through: Amazon Books.
  For many women moving their families to a different country and culture, the pressures and issues are more substantial to cope with than the issues their husbands contend with. This is especially true when it is a job related move, where the husband has many supports built in at the new work place. The authors provide an intimate view and much support, insight and advice for the wife/mother/house manager.
  
  
• Your Guide to Retiring to Mexico, Costa Rica and Beyond, by Shelly Emling, 1996, Publisher: Avery Publishing Group, New York.
  Although not totally a book concerning Mexico, (it also covers expatriate retirement in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Ecuador), good coverage is given to the typical questions of the beginning searcher of foreign retirement areas. It is especially useful for comparing between countries, as the author attempts to show the advantages and disadvantages of each.

  
  

LEARNING SPANISH

• Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish,1994 by Joseph J. Keenan, University of Texas Press, P.O. Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819.
  Available through Amazon Books
  In a style that is both instructive and a delight to read, the author shares hundreds of hard-earned tips on correcting grammatical errors, improving fluency and understanding the subtleties of spoken Spanish.

  
  

• Speaking Spanish Like a Native 2005 by Brad Kim and Erika Dominguez, Golden Zone Publications, Elk Grove, CA
  Available through Golden Zone Publications
  and Amazon.com
  "In your quest for fluency, why not use the same words, expressions, and idioms that native Spanish speakers use?" asks Brad Kim. In Speaking Spanish Like a Native he teaches, and leads by example — practical and engaging examples that show how to speak in the context of real conversations with native speakers.

  
  

• Cassell's Colloquial Spanish, revised 1980 by A. Bryson Gerrard, Collier Books, 866 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022
  Available through: Amazon Books
  Subtitled "A Handbook Of Idiomatic Usage", this is one of those rare gems: a language instruction book enjoyable to read. The author explains the pitfalls and difficulties inherent in colloquial, colourful, or idiomatic usage.... a valuable source of reference but also an entertaining and absorbing portrait of the current state of the language.

  
  

• Madrigal's Magic Key to SPANISH, by Margarita Madrigal, Published by Doubleday,
  Available through: Amazon Books
  A Quality self-study book that helps you to learn the language in the way most approximate to how you will use it in day to day life. It uses a "building block approach that is very easy and comfortable to work with.

  
  

• Spanish the Easy Way, 2nd. Edition from Barron's Educational Series.
  Available through: Amazon Books
  A good introductory self-study book with useful exercises. It provides a structured approach, with a gentle emphasis on grammatical development.

  
  

• Spanish for Business and Finance, by Ana C. Jarvis and Luis Lebredo. Published by D.C. Heath and Company,.
  Available through: Amazon Books
  Best used as a supplement to other Spanish texts or courses. It will provide a good grounding in the language of business and finance in spanish. If you have to learn some business spanish quickly, this will be a good place to start.

  
  

• Spanish for Gringos, by William C. Harvey,M.S., Published by Baron's Educational Series.
  Available through: Amazon Books
  With 2 Cassette Tapes:
  Simple effective and topical self-study book - especially if purchased with the 2 audio cassettes. Very informal, though quite complete, and, most importantly: it's not cluttered up with Iberian Spanish words, expressions, pronunciation, culture or irrelevant things like "vosotros", etc. which one rarely hears in Mexico. He has a clever way of teaching you just the grammar you need without you even realizing that you're learning grammar. The vocabulary is extensive and strictly Mexican with a little Chicano Spanglish thrown in for fun, e.g. "parquear" for estacionar and "puchar" for empujar.

  
  

• Spanish for Gringos, Level 2 by William C. Harvey,M.S., 1997 Published by Baron's Educational Series.
  Available through: Amazon Books
  
  Anyone interested in sending a review to Contributions? It will be appreciated by all.
  
  
  

TRAVEL

• Frommer's "MEXICO From $35 A Day, 1996, A Simon & Schuster Macmillan Company, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY, 10019
  Available through: Amazon Books
  Anyone interested in sending a review to Contributions? It will be appreciated by all.
  
  
• The People's Guide to Mexico - Where Ever You Go, There You Are!!, by Carl Franz. Published in 1995 by: John Muir Publications, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Tel: 505-982-4078
  Available through: Amazon Books.
  This Travel Guide provides a very different approach than most. It is written from a narrative or story telling point of view. All the factual information about places, people and events are there, however it is a good read and gives a good feel to what it is like to travel in México.
  
  
• MEXICO - Travel Survival Kit, 1995, by Lonely Planet Publications, P.O.Box 617, Hawthorn, Vic 3122, Australia.
  Anyone interested in sending a review to Contributions? It will be appreciated by all.
  
  

  SPAS & HOT SPRINGS OF MEXICO, by "Mexico" Mike Nelson.
  

  REVIEW

  (USA: Roads Scholar Press, ISBN 1-889489-26-3, 1997, $16.95)
  Available from Amazon Books: Paperback

• Western Mexico, A Traveller's Treasury, 3rd edition, Perception Press, 2001, by Tony Burton, Editorial Agata, Guadalajara.
  Order Here!
  Anyone interested in sending a review to Contributions? It will be appreciated by all.
  
  

© Mexico Connect 1996-2007