The Maya, Seventh Edition (Ancient Peoples and Places)

Book Description

"A clear and intelligent description of the development and organization of Maya civilization." —Natural History

The Maya has long been established as the best, most readable introduction to the New World's greatest ancient civilization. In these pages Professor Coe distills a lifetime's scholarship for the general reader and student.

Since the publication of the sixth edition of The Maya, new sites have been uncovered and further excavations in old sites have proceeded at an unprecedented pace. Among the many new discoveries is the chance find of extraordinary murals dating to ca. AD 100 at San Bartolo in the Petén. New epigraphic, archaeological, and osteological research has thrown light on the identity of the "founding fathers" of such great sites as Tikal and Copan, and their close affiliation with Teotihuacan in central Mexico. The previously little known center of Ek' Balam in northeastern Yucatan has turned out to be a regional kingdom of major importance, with extraordinary stucco reliefs and a plethora of painted inscriptions.

It has now become apparent that the birth of Maya civilization lies not in the Classic but during the Preclassic period, above all in the Mirador Basin of northern Guatemala, where the builders of gigantic ancient cities (interconnected by causeways) erected the world's largest pyramid as early as 200 BC. All of these finds suggest that we must rethink what we mean by "Classic."

The seventh edition also presents new evidence for the use of wetlands by the Classic Maya, and fresh perspectives on the catastrophic demise of Classic civilization by the close of the ninth century. 175 illustrations, 17 in color.

Customer Reviews:

An Excellent Inrtoduction to the Maya.......2007-08-05

This is an excellent introduction to the Maya. It is well-written and flows nicely. Of particular use are the fine illustrations that accompany the text; as you read the text you are refermed by numbers in the margin to a suitable illustration. One of the strong points of this book is that the author criticizes other works and himself in view of the latest research on the topic. The book also has an excellent bibliography that refers the reader to both scholarly and popular works.
A final strong point of this work is that it is only one-half to one-third the length of other works; better a shorter book that you will read than a longer one that will rest upon a shelf!
My only criticism of this book is the final chapter. Like many academics Prof Coe hates American influence (tourists innundate ruins, evangelical christianity threatens the shamans, and the cattle ranches that produce meat for "American hamburgers") and Republicans (things improved for the Maya with a Democrat in the White House). Also, he accepts the lies in Rigoberta Menchu's book as true.
Yet, overall this is a valuable book.

Any Author Who Can Make El Mirador Come To Life Deserves Five Stars.......2007-06-01

The ruins of the ancient Mayan city of El Mirador are deep in the jungles of northern Guatamala. Once one of the largest cities in North America with 80,000 people, El Mirador today is accessible only by helicopter or by long distance hiking. Before its mysterious abandonment in the third century AD, El Mirador boasted the Danta Pyramid, the largest structure of this type in the world. Michael Coe has written a facinating book about the world of the ancient Maya. His ability to make El Mirador and many similar sites come to life makes this book well worth the purchase price even if Yucatan and vicinity are not in one's travel plans.

Professor Coe traces the rise of Mayan civilization from earliest times, to the splendor of the Late Classic Period when as many as ten million people lived in the lowlands, to the "Mayan Apocalypse"of the eighth century AD when the greatest cities of the New World were abandoned and returned to the jungle. Each of the major sites is described in detail with a complete description of artifacts and numerous photographs and maps. The author concludes with an extended discussion of Mayan thought and culture, and with his personal tribute to "The Enduring Maya". The Mayan population of southern Mexico and Central America has returned to over seven million people despite five hundred years of European diseases and economic oppression.

It is important that we not miss the practical implications of this book. The "Mayan Apocalpse" had ecological roots. The population had increased beyond the carrying capacity of the land, and there was massive deforestation and soil erosion. Years of severe drought followed. There is currently a debate about whether global warming is real, and if so whether it matters. One of the first great civilizations in the New World came to a disastrous end because of its inability or unwillingness to deal with environmental issues. We need to draw proper conclusions from the Mayan experience.

A very good introduction to Maya archeology.......2007-03-29

From one of the most important mayanists, a very good introduction to Maya archeology.

Introduction to the Mayan culture.......2007-01-10

I found this book to be a very good introduction to the Mayan culture, however, introduction may be an understatement. This book is very indepth, and academic in nature which gives it a high level of credibility.

The Gold Standard by which to measure all others.......2006-03-10

Tho' I was "just" wanting to be informed before my brief trip to Mexico, it was a joy to read the Michael Coe book, & immerse myself in this rich history of the Mayan people. It made my visits to the ruins so very much more rewarding than a tour book could ever begin to do!

The Mayan Factor: Path Beyond Technology

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the most wonderful book
beyond the rational
Based On Occult Philosophies
A breakthrough that has been eclipsed
Incoherent, unsupported

The Mayan Factor: Path Beyond Technology
Jose Arguelles
Manufacturer: Bear & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Time and the Technosphere: The Law of Time in Human Affairs
The Mayan Calendar and the Transformation of Consciousness
Earth Ascending: An Illustrated Treatise on Law Governing Whole Systems
Surfers of the Zuvuya: Tales of Interdimensional Travel
The Mayan Oracle: Return Path to the Stars (Book, 44 Cards, 20 Mayan Star Glyphs, 13 Numbers,and 11 Lenses of Mystery)

ASIN: 0939680386
Release Date: 1987-04-01

Book Description

Visionary historian Arguelles unravels the harmonic code of the ancient Maya providing valuable keys to understanding the next twenty years of human evolution.

Customer Reviews:

the most wonderful book .......2007-06-08

This book was one of the most thrilling stories I heard a long time ago, but the more I read it and study the subject I realized how important is for our spiritual and future life, and even nowdays development...this author is guiding us through a marvelous and valuable knowledge...it is highly recommended for those who wonders about the world and its real future and for those depresing signs of destruction when the book tells us about construction and optimism...

beyond the rational.......2006-06-15

it is possible to read this for what it is and to split the reading into doubt. either is valid.

you either feel the sucking throttling of Hunab Ku...or you don't (yet).

i dislike new age fluff myself, but this isn't that...

read all the materials, the counter-arguments. then let it ferment. you'll figure it out.

celebrate this or not. but don't spin your wheels. unless that
is temporarily your path.

2006 and counting....!

Based On Occult Philosophies.......2004-09-08

This is a case where reading the reviews of other readers helped me understand my feelings about this book.

This book comes to conclusions about the Mayans that are heavily based on bizzare relationships between numbers. For me it was impossible to understand what he was talking about with all the numerology.

A lot of the Mayan art work contains monstrous creatures who are always frowning and looking sad. That's probably a warning about the possible dangers of getting involved with the I Ching. At the beginning of the book it states that some Jesuit monks had experimented with the I Ching and they went insane. (The I Ching appears in the tv show 'Dark Shadows' as a way to open doors to other domains.)

I wasn't able to read the last chapter because I started to sense the horrible occult energy coming from the book. Then I heard a voice say 'we are the keepers of the light'. I can't imagine who was telling me this.

This often happens when I read books which are based on occult or satanic ideas such as for example The Da Vinci Code.

On the positive side there are some beautiful illustrations that I think the author created himself. The author is certainly an unusual person who has a background in art history. Another reviewer said the author thinks he's a reincarnation of one of the Lords Of Time. Certainly anyone with such an intense interest in Mayan history must have had past life experiences as a Mayan. Maybe he's someone who was involved with the more mysterious aspects of this religion.

A breakthrough that has been eclipsed.......2004-07-13

When this book first came out it presented radically new ways to interpret history, time, and consciousness. Unfortunately Mr Arguelles became convinced of his identity as a reincarnated Pacal Votan (Lord of Time) and created another system of Mayan glyphs called the Dreamspell. Dreamspell is not based on the pure interpretation of the Mayan Tzolkin. It is an invention that detracts from the original Mayan teachings.

So while the book does provide some interesting introduction to the Mayan calendar it is based on imagined predicates of an incomprehensible Dreamspell system. The author has been changing this concept and his websites almost continually.

A more authentic source on this subject is by Carl Johan Calleman. His books Solving the Greatest Mystery of Our Time: The Mayan Calendar and The Mayan Calendar and the Transformation of Consciousness form the crux of an authentic system of study and understanding based on genuine MAYAN galactic concepts.

The Mayan Factor has simply been eclipsed.

Incoherent, unsupported.......2002-10-31

I wanted to give this book a chance, and wish I hadn't bothered. It reads like an acid ramble -- cosmic assertions tumble over startling insights, with no notion sustained beyond two sentences, properly connected to others, or backed by evidence. I kept waiting for him to settle down and present out some facts and build his case, but he just keeps laying bricks on air. I researched some of the more checkable facts, and found him generally wrong: for example, Isamu Noguchi's "The Sculpture to be Seen From Mars" looks nothing like the "face on Mars" (which was an illusion anyway), which he says shocked him into realizing the transmission of universal information. The irony is that despite savaging Western science as unable to understand the Maya, he is so absorbed in his own insights and revelations and discoveries that he never tries to see the Maya through their own eyes, as any good scientist would, and so fails to truly respect the subject he supposedly exalts.

Average customer rating:

Beautiufl Photos with text that brings the Maya to Life

Living Maya
Walter F., Jr. Morris
Manufacturer: Harry N Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Mexican Textiles

ASIN: 0810912988

Book Description

"This beautifully illustrated book. . . . [is] Both an ethnographic study and an homage to a culture."

-Los Angeles Times "Text and pictures combine to give us a profound sense of the Mayan past and the living present."

-Houston Chronicle This acclaimed volume, now in paperback, is the first to document the life of the Maya of today, a remarkable people who are the direct heirs to the magnificent Maya culture of Pre-Columbian times. Walter F. Morris, Jr., a highly respected expert in the field, and Jeffrey Jay Foxx, a well-known ethnographic photographer, capture the spirited story of this extraordinary people, who live in Central America and southern Mexico. Living Maya reveals daily rituals, religious ceremonies, colorful markets, and stunning landscapes. Myths, legends, and songs are explained and depicted, and there is a special emphasis on the Maya's weaving, the one art form to have persisted virtually unchanged throughout the last 2000 years. 25 photographs in full color, 60 line drawings, 2 maps, 9 x 11" WALTER F. MORRIS, JR., has been studying and writing about Maya culture since 1972. He has curated several collections of Maya art and has contributed to many publications and documentaries on the subject. He is fluent in several Maya languages. In 1983 Morris' work with the highland Maya, in particular his efforts in setting up the first Indian-run weavers' cooperative in Mexico, was recognized by a five-year MacArthur Award Fellowship. He lives in Chiapas, Mexico. JEFFREY JAY FOXX has been documenting the life and arts of the Maya for more than two decades for such publications as LIFE and National Geographic. His work has been exhibited throughout the United States. Foxx is the photographer of two other Abrams books, The Turquoise Trail and The Maya Textile Tradition. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiufl Photos with text that brings the Maya to Life.......1999-03-01

This book is beautiful. I lived in Chiapas Mexico for a time and this book captures the beauty and reality of the region to life better than any other book I have seen. The text is written by an anthropolgist that has lived in the region for years and really knows the Mayan people. The text is very informative about the parts of ancient Mayan culture that have survived into the present day and is peppered with the writer's own experiences with the Maya making it far from dry reading. It will make you want to visit this amazing region of the world inhabited by the Living Maya.

The Aztecs, Maya, and Their Predecessors, Third Edition: Archaeology of Mesoamerica

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The Aztecs, Maya, and Their Predecessors, Third Edition: Archaeology of Mesoamerica
Muriel Porter Weaver
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs (Fifth Edition)
The Incas and Their Ancestors: The Archaeology of Peru (Revised Edition)
An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya
The Olmecs: America's First Civilization (Ancient Peoples and Places)
The Art of Mesoamerica: From Olmec to Aztec (World of Art)

ASIN: 0127390650

Book Description

This is a thorough revision of the successful Second Edition and includes both Aztec and Maya areas in one volume. It covers the period from the European settling of the New World to the Spanish Conquest of Mexico in 1521, as well as the deciphering of Maya hieroglyphs that reveal dynastic history, and recent discoveries and excavations at Rio Azul and Naj Tunich in Guatemala, Caracol in Belize, and Mexico.
The Third Edition of this successful introduction to the archaeology of Mesoamerica includes full coverage of the Aztec and Maya areas in one volume. Beginning with the settling of the New World and continuing through the Spanish conquest of Mesoamerica in 1521, this completely updated textbook contains information on decipherment of the Maya hieroglyphs, excavation in Belize and Honduras as well as in Guatemala. News from Mexico, including the west, refocuses ideas on writing, murals, architecture, and the Olmec. The latest information on new approaches, theories, sites, and areas of investigation. This information reflects the work of a new generation of researchers whose recent discoveries have shed additional light on many of the ideas that have shaped the last fifty years of Mesoamerican archaeology.
Includes deciphering of Maya hieroglyphs, the dynamic history of the Maya, the new royal tomb excavated at Copan, Honduras, important new discoveries at Rio Azul and Naj Tunich in Guatemala, and Caracol in Belize, ritual sacrifices on a massive scale revealed at Teotihuacan in central Mexico, new material from Tula (Toltec capitol) and from the heart of Mexico City.

Key Features
* All-in-one textbook covering the Aztecs (central Mexico) and the Maya (Yucatan and Central America) in one volume
* Spans the period from the settling of the New World until the Spanish Conquest of Mexico in 1521
* Shows the growth and collapse of the Olmec, Teotihuacan, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec empires
* Includes a chapter on Mesoamerica's relationship to the northeast (southeastern United States) and to the Andean region of South America
* Illustrates the importance of trade, domestication of plants, and the rise of urbanism in relation to other cultures in the New World

Ancient Mexico: The History and Culture of the Maya, Aztects and Other Pre-Columbian Peoples

Average customer rating:

Nice oversize catalog of Mesoamerican art and culture, with problems: 3.7 stars
An exhaustive pictoral tour of the areas mesoamerican ruins
A gorgeous book of ancient cultures
Not for archaeology buffs only!

Ancient Mexico: The History and Culture of the Maya, Aztects and Other Pre-Columbian Peoples
Maria Longhena
Manufacturer: Stewart, Tabori and Chang
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya

ASIN: 1556708262

Amazon.com

First-rate color photography makes this look at the cultures of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica a valuable addition to any art lover's library collection. Among the civilizations represented in nearly 450 illustrations are the Maya, the Aztecs, and the Toltecs. Readers will learn not only about the mighty pyramids of Tenochtitlan and Cacaxtla, the Temple of the Paintings at Bonampak, and the ball courts of El Tajin, but about smaller ceramic vessels, jade figurines, and other ceremonial objects. Although the text does acknowledge the near-complete destruction of these vibrant cultures by Spanish conquistadors, the majority of its contents are devoted to celebrating what the Mesoamericans did accomplish--and what has been preserved for us to remember those accomplishments.

Customer Reviews:

Nice oversize catalog of Mesoamerican art and culture, with problems: 3.7 stars.......2007-01-31

This oversize coffee-table book has beautifully reproduced, well-chosen photographs, but significant drawbacks.

Pluses:
* Excellent photos of iconic objects
* Good cross-section of prehispanic Mesoamerican artwork/artifacts
* Nice feature articles on many major archaeological sites in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras

Neutral:
* Average-quality text (translated from Italian)

Negatives:
* No decent overall map of the area
* Maps of cultures are so general as to be almost useless

So, this shouldn't be your only guide to prehispanic Mesoamerican history. But the high quality of the photos makes it worthwhile if you find an inexpensive copy. I haven't seen the recent B&N reprint.

Happy reading--
Peter D. Tillman

An exhaustive pictoral tour of the areas mesoamerican ruins.......2003-04-12

BEAUTIFUL enormous glossy full-color photos that do more justice to the Mexican ruins than any other book I have EVER SEEN!! I love this book SO MUCH that, since I couldn't afford to BUY it, I went in to the bookstore about once every month or 2 for a YEAR AND A HALF to visit it, pore over it and covet it until a friend took pity on me and bought it for me as a gift! I have BEEN to several of the ruins pictured here, and they are MASTERFULLY captured in the photographs. The author even includes some of the little, lesser-known sites, such as Dzibilchaltun, especially dear to me as my Mexican host family took me there on a family day outing!! This book is just AWESOME!!!

A gorgeous book of ancient cultures.......2002-01-19

This book is packed with information and color photographs of the ancient cultures of Mexico, from the Olmecs to the Zapotecs to the Mayas to the Aztecs. The author even includes sections on the lesser known and understood cultures of Western Mexico. With a fold-out time line and detailed maps of the most famous archaeological sites, this book gives a good overview of the history of these cultures - and then hones in on specifics such as dress, burial customs, religion, war, and games. Extensive attention is also given to the major cities representing these peoples. With color photographs on nearly every page, this is a gorgeous addition to any library. As a reference book, or even as a coffee table book to browse through occasionally, ANCIENT MEXICO can't be beat.

Not for archaeology buffs only!.......2001-05-23

This book takes the reader thorough the history of pre-columbian mesoamerica, the daily life of the people and then tours a number of important archaeological sites in Mexico and nearby countries. It includes wonderful photos of amazing artifacts decorative pieces, ceramics and jeewlry and the archaeological sites. It is a stunning book and serves to emphasize the colossal loss the Americas sustained with the conquest. If you've been to Mexico and love it, this book is a nice memento. If you havn't, this will make you want to go.

The Blood of Guatemala: A History of Race and Nation (Latin America Otherwise)

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PhDs only need apply
Interesting, microscopic, but skewed
brilliant and imaginative

The Blood of Guatemala: A History of Race and Nation (Latin America Otherwise)
Greg Grandin
Manufacturer: Duke University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Empire's Workshop: Latin America, the United States, and the Rise of the New Imperialism (American Empire Project)
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Buried Secrets: Truth and Human Rights in Guatemala
Silence on the Mountain: Stories of Terror, Betrayal, and Forgetting in Guatemala (American Encounters/Global Interactions)

ASIN: 0822324954

Book Description

Over the latter half of the twentieth century, the Guatemalan state slaughtered more than two hundred thousand of its citizens. In the wake of this violence, a vibrant pan-Mayan movement has emerged, one that is challenging Ladino (non-indigenous) notions of citizenship and national identity. In The Blood of Guatemala Greg Grandin locates the origins of this ethnic resurgence within the social processes of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century state formation rather than in the ruins of the national project of recent decades.
Focusing on Mayan elites in the community of Quetzaltenango, Grandin shows how their efforts to maintain authority over the indigenous population and secure political power in relation to non-Indians played a crucial role in the formation of the Guatemalan nation. To explore the close connection between nationalism, state power, ethnic identity, and political violence, Grandin draws on sources as diverse as photographs, public rituals, oral testimony, literature, and a collection of previously untapped documents written during the nineteenth century. He explains how the cultural anxiety brought about by Guatemala’s transition to coffee capitalism during this period led Mayan patriarchs to develop understandings of race and nation that were contrary to Ladino notions of assimilation and progress. This alternative national vision, however, could not take hold in a country plagued by class and ethnic divisions. In the years prior to the 1954 coup, class conflict became impossible to contain as the elites violently opposied land claims made by indigenous peasants.
This âhistory of powerâ reconsiders the way scholars understand the history of Guatemala and will be relevant to those studying nation building and indigenous communities across Latin America.

Customer Reviews:

PhDs only need apply.......2007-06-24

I appreciated this book for the insights it was able to give me on a city that I will soon visit, but I found the writing style dry and overburdened with unnecessary details. Several times, I fell asleep trying to make it through the reading. Other times, I would lower the book in exasperation and say to myself, "Is this Grandin's dissertation?" The book is very informative, but it is not an accessible read for the layperson.

Interesting, microscopic, but skewed.......2005-05-27

Grandin's research on the Quiche Mayans of Quetzaltennago is exhaustive and well presented. In particular, his central thesis that the Quiches were a social body already divided by the time of the 1954 US-backed coup helps break schismatic thinking regarding the history of the 36 year civil war there that defines the Indians as merely the victims of a violent and complex historical legacy. That said, however, I often found myself asking if the ladinos in the city were similarly divided. Grandin does make some suggestive remarks in this area, but his focus on the Indians of Xela reveals, perhaps, a bias he holds in their favor. Moreover, the book attempts to use the city of Quetzaltenango as a microcosm of the national situation, which for the most part does not follow since the Indians of other highland townships are very different from those of Xela (and even from one another). Finally, I have to mention that Grandin subscribes to currently fashionable theoretical terms (which comes into relief when he talks about the Mayan "body" in his chapter on the cholera epidemic) that may or may not do justice to the social and cultural dynamic he encounters. Overall I would say this is a book worthy of reading despite lacunae in his otherwise critical approach.

brilliant and imaginative.......2000-05-03

"Anyone interested in Latin American history will enjoy this myth-and-stereotype-shattering study of Mayan cultural and national identity. Thick with novelistic detail and anecdote, brilliantly and imaginatively researched, totally engrossing in its melding of convincing analysis and strong narrative sweep, Grandin takes us to a 'high place' and guides us back over the tangled, treacherous paths that led there"

Curried Favors: Family Recipes from South India

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A welcome focus on the cuisine of SOUTHERN India
Presntation wins over information content
A Favorite
Brought back memories of Kerala
Best and Easiest Indian cook book!!

Curried Favors: Family Recipes from South India
Maya Kaimal Macmillan
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Savoring the Spice Coast of India: Fresh Flavors from Kerala
Healthy South Indian Cooking
Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India
A Taste of Madras: A South Indian Cookbook
Cracking the Coconut: Classic Thai Home Cooking

ASIN: 0789206285

Amazon.com

Few cooks know their subject as personally as Maya Kaimal MacMillan who in Curried Favors focuses on the less familiar cooking of Southern India, particularly the province of Kerala, her family's original home. "Curry," she informs us, correctly refers to a range of dishes calling for differing blends of spices known as "masalas." Coconut, curry leaves, and mustard seeds are particularly key in the wet masalas often used by her aunt and others in Southern India. MacMillan offers intelligent substitutions, where necessary. Curried Favors provides detailed directions so you can comfortably try dishes such as Idli, Yogurt, Aviyals, Kichadis, and Pachadis as well as more familiar northern favorites such as Khormas and Biriyanis. Something of a mini-coffee table book, Curried Favors would be a good gift, thanks to its handsome presentation and MacMillan's conversational commentary.

Book Description

Published to critical acclaim, this engaging award-winning cookbook introduces the light, tropical cuisine of South India, combining more than 100 recipes with gorgeous photographs of the food and the region.

An abundance of coconut and seafood, as well as a host of exotic fruits and vegetables, including fresh hot chilies, distinguishes South Indian curries from those of the North. And southern cooking techniquespopping mustard seeds in oil, using legumes to add crunch to a dish, creating unique spice blendsexplode the myths that Indian cooking must be heavy, difficult to prepare, or made with hard-to-find ingredients.

In Curried Favors, Maya Kaimal MacMillan has fine-tuned her family's recipes to give us an inspired array of dishes, from appetizers to desserts. Although the book focuses on the traditional home cooking of southern India, it also includes such northern classics as Lamb Korma, Tandoori Chicken, and Spinach Paneer. Ideal for anyone who appreciates Indian food, this award-winning book is an excellent introduction for the novice, as well as an essential resource of lesser-known specialties for the more sophisticated cook.

60 full-color illustrations

Customer Reviews:

A welcome focus on the cuisine of SOUTHERN India.......2007-08-20

[Review written Jan 2005]

One of my favorite cuisines is Indian ... particularly Southern Indian, which is vastly under-represented in both the number of available cook books and restaurants here on Long Island in America (there are easily 10-15 restaurants and/or cook books focusing on Northern Indian cuisine for every 1 restaurant or book focusing on Southern Indian).

My chief nits about this book are as follows:

1) The Authoress focused almost exclusively on her own family's recipes, which at times left me (as a reader) wishing for more in-depth coverage and representation in areas of the cuisine that she glossed over or neglected entirely. Weighing in at a mere 180 pages, this book comes up a bit light in terms of both scope and depth. She could & should, for instance, have focused less on things like lamb & goat (which is decidedly Northern in emphasis) and focused more of her page count on classic 'southern' ingredients, like seafood based curries & yogurt products (most first time cooks will pull their hair out the first time they try to finish a curry with yogurt, only to have it 'break' on them - the authoress includes no helpful information on why that happens and how to avoid it). The authoress also could have spend more page count on techniques, tips & recipes for working with the (sub)tropical fruits & seasonings native to her region - like coconut, mango, chilies, etc.

2) The authoress, in some of her lamb recipes, makes a statement what ground lamb and ground beef are interchangeable. Erm, NO. Read that "no" again, just in case you missed it. Cows are considered sacred in most of India, and to suggest that the two meats are interchangeable, while certainly true from the perspective of Westerners, is a bit of a faux pas.

3) There's only 1 recipe for pork (vindaloo, in this case, which although excellent, is dangling all alone in this book, like a solitary pimple stuck in the middle of a white canvas)

These three nits are outweighed by one all important point - TASTE. Most of the recipes I've tried from this book (roughly 20% as of this writing) are all straight forward, well polished, unpretentious, and taste excellent. From me, that's fairly high praise.

Her book also lists ingredients in large print, in logical order. The cooking times are resonable, the instructions are clear and concise, and the binding is generous enough to allow the book to lay open on the counter without splitting or trying to squeeze itself closed. Some of the recipes (although not enough for my preference) even include helpful and exquisite photos - I'd expect nothing less from someone who specializes in food photography.

All in all, despite its shortcomings, this book is well above average, and is recommended by yours truly. It is also a winner of the "Julia Child Cookbook Award", which is a fairly well respected industry award for cookbooks.

Highly recommended

Presntation wins over information content.......2007-03-25

A good book. I am slightly disappointed - it isnt quite up to the standard of her previous volume in terms of recipes and information content, but the presentation is lovely, with gorgeous pictures. The northern Indian recipes she includes are mostly southernised, not often to their advantage. For these, there are better sources.

A Favorite.......2007-01-31

This cookbook is a wonderful introduction to Indian cooking which I am not aquainted with. The recipes are easy and delicious and add a new dimension to my culinary repertoire

Brought back memories of Kerala.......2007-01-25

After hosting 15 US exchange students at a university in Kerala, India, my husband and I became addicted to South Indian food. I spent more than two years looking for a good South Indian cookbook that I could follow easily and finally discovered Maya Macmillan's Curried Favors.

It is excellent. After trying the first recipe, I knew we had hit onto something special. While the food is not as hot, it is replete with delicious, spicy flavors and suits our palates just fine. There are times when I walk home from work "tasting in my mind" the mouth-watering recipe that I plan to make that night. I highly recommend this book.

Best and Easiest Indian cook book!!.......2006-12-15

If you're looking for a recipe book of Indian food that is both easy to follow and the food tastes great, stop looking and buy this one!

I've cooked at least 70% of the recipes in this book and they've all been amazing! Note that even though my husband is from Kerela and I'm from Punjab, both of us love the recipes. We've used the kabob recipes for summertime potlucks, and our friends still rave. The desserts are easy to follow and loved even by the aunties in my life!

Many of the recipes are easy enough to use on weekdays too.

I should have started by saying that we don't cook much. We're either too lazy or too tired by the end of the day to cook -- and Maya inspires us to change!

Testimony: Death of a Guatemalan Village

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REVIEW QUOTES
A fast, powerful read, Testimony is a superior work!
Victor endures unbearable pain yet maintains hope.

Testimony: Death of a Guatemalan Village
Victor Montejo
Manufacturer: Curbstone Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

A Beauty that Hurts : Life and Death in Guatemala
Child Of The Dark: The Diary Of Carolina Maria De Jesus
I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala
A Different Kind of War Story (Ethnography of Political Violence)
The War for the Heart and Soul of a Highland Maya Town

ASIN: 0915306654

Book Description

eyewitness account of army attack, tr V Perera

Customer Reviews:

REVIEW QUOTES.......2001-09-06

TESTIMONY: DEATH OF A GUATEMALAN VILLAGE is an eyewitness account by a Guatemalan primary school teacher detailing one instance of violent conflict between the indigenous Maya people and the army. An accidental clash between the village's "civil patrol" and a Guatemalan army troop leads to the execution or imprisonment of many villagers. Written in clear, direct prose, this account reads like an adventure story while conveying an historical reality.

"Victor Montejo writes vividly, with a translator of distinction, about another Latin American reality." --The Guardian

"Montejo has first-hand involvement with the violence that Didion both mystifies and, in a morbid way, romanticizes. He conveys a rare sense of the lived reality in Central America, in a clear storytelling voice that makes it chillingly human."
--San Francisco Sun

A fast, powerful read, Testimony is a superior work!.......1998-12-08

Although it is a fast, exciting read, Montejo's Testimony is an extremely powerful, raw book. It realistically depicts the genocide occurring in Guatemala between 1980-82. He is brutally graphic, but touches one in such a manner that one is compelled to pursue the subject. This personal, heart-wrenching story is a moving experience for anyone, especially those interested in Guatemala and Central America.

Victor endures unbearable pain yet maintains hope........1998-11-28

A poignant message to those who will see. Using his own words (translated from his Mayan dialect), Victor Montejo paints a picture of endurance, pain, and hopelessness for the Mayans of his homeland--Guatemala. His ability to endure and survive the abuses of the Kaibiles (Mayan soldiers hell bent on destruction and murder) allows a ray of hope to pierce the seeming hopelessness. Separated from his family, friends, and students, Victor maintains a Christian ethic--he does not believe in murder. In fact, he faces his oppressors with dignity and responds with kindness even when it seems all is lost. To discover the outcome of Victor's painful trials--you must read this suspense-filled, non-fiction book.

Maya Ruins in Central America in Color: Tikal, Copan, and Quirigua

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Maya Ruins in Central America in Color: Tikal, Copan, and Quirigua
William M. Ferguson , and John Q. Royce
Manufacturer: Univ of New Mexico Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0826306888

Smoking Gods: Tobacco in Maya Art, History, and Religion

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Smoking Gods: Tobacco in Maya Art, History, and Religion
Francis Robicsek
Manufacturer: Univ of Oklahoma Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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