Product Description
This volume traces the development of Costa Rica's culture and institutions. The authors describe how Costa Rica's economy, government, educational and health-care systems, family structures, religion, and other institutions have evolved, and how this has affected the people's lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

The Ticos: Culture and Social Change in Costa Rica
After spending a month in Costa Rica, traveling with Ticos from farm to farm. I read this book when I came back to the states, it filled in so many gaps in my experience as well explained local customs in a more formal sense. Its great introduction to Costa Rican history, government, local mores and customs.

The Ticos
My wife was all set to retire to Costa Rica before she read "The Ticos".
Now however she is more hesitant. From that I conclude that maybe the
book is too honest and tells too much. (Warts and all).
Anyway, we were going to go and see for ourselves what we find. Thanks for making us aware of the possible pitfalls.
This is a very detailed book and I enjoy it very much.

No Page Turner but full of information
Other reviews suggested this for anyone moving to Costa Rica and I totally agree. I stuggled through it but it took me back to my days in college and some of dryer courses engineers had to take as compulsorary's to broaden our character and view of the world. :)
Just going as a tourist, I amsure I will appreciate a lot of this information once I get to Costa Rica. But I was looking for more of a Michner novel where I could learn about the country and its history through a story line. (Still looking if anyone has any ideas.)

A bit of light reading...
Do not expect an "in-depth" book about Costa Rican politics and sociology, but a light reading compendium for those who want to learn a bit about the political and social background of this wonderful country...

Dry but Informative and Readable
This book was a little dry and psuedo-academic at times, considering the informal methods used by the authors.Chapters on history and economy read a little like high school history lessons but are informative none the less.The rest of the book moves more quickly and the subjects of culture, class and society are interesting.The major strength of this book is that it burts the mythical bubble of Costa Rica as a perfectly tolerant utopian paradise where all problems have been solved by universal health care and the welfare state.It instead paints a more humane, down to earth picture of contrasts and presents a view of the dynamic social and cultural forces at work in Costa Rica.Aside from the occasionally overly-academic tone, the only other drawback is the composite picture/ broad brush approach the authors use.Many generalizations are made relative to each of the subjects covered by the book, but arguably no book that sums up an entire culture could avoid doing this--so its moot compared to the eye opening revelations presented by the authors.Lots of "guide books" are written like second rate book reports by people with no familiarity with the culture or country.This book is tryly authentic.It is not marketed as a guide book, and that makes it an even better guide! ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is a synthesis of existing knowledge about the flora and fauna of Costa Rica.The major portion of the book consists of detailed accounts of agricultural species, vegetation, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds, and insects.

"This is an extraordinary, virtually unique work. . . . The tremendous amount of original, previously unpublished, firsthand information is remarkable."--Peter H. Raven, Director, Missouri Botanical Garden

"An essential resource for anyone interested in tropical biology. . . .It can be used both as an encyclopedia--a source of facts on specific organisms--and as a source of ideas and generalizations about tropical ecology."--Alan P. Smith, Ecology ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Central America Natural History Reference Book
This book has detailed information about many of the plants and animals one might encounter in Central America.No color pictures, but many black and whites.Book is probably too large and heavy to carry in the field, but is exactly what I was looking for to learn new and obscure facts to impress the non-scientific fellow traveler.I'm very pleased with it.

Hardback would have been better
An amazing reference;everything you need is here, from species accounts to detailed narratives.A perfect reference;my only complaint is that the 800+ pages would have been better as a hardback book - my paperback copy split its spine within a week of purchase and now looks dog-eared and worn!

Immensely useful compendium for the American tropics
Janzen's book is over twenty years old but remains an encyclopaedia of tropical America. The 174 authors, all experts in their fields, have penned over 800 fascinating pages. The final product is a milestone, since much of the information presented was previously unpublished.

Introductory chapters cover the history of field biology in Costa Rica, biogeography, climate, geology and soils. The information presented is a thorough background for Costa Rica and provides a wealth of references for those who want to have more detail. These chapters are a useful aid to understanding the biology of any area in the northern Neotropics.

The bulk of the book comprises species accounts grouped systematically with an additional section on agriculture. At the start of each chapter, a well-written introduction gives an overview of the Costa Rican group in question and a taxonomic checklist for the country. However, the meat of the book is the species accounts themselves. Written by a large number of authors, they range from a brief few paragraphs to a couple of pages with two dozen references, depending on the amount of information available. Monochrome photographs illustrate the accounts.

Not surprisingly, Janzen's tome has found its way into universities, research stations and personal libraries throughout the American tropics. For the tropical naturalist who wants to know more than the identity of an animal or plant, this is the book to go for, especially for a trip to Costa Rica. Highly recommended.

bang for your buck
There are so many bad books on the market trying to do what this book does so simply and so well. ...few are written with the same authority and attention to detail that Janzen brings to this text. It could be the best money you spend all trip. And I agree with the other reviewers on the book, "Costa Rica the last Country the Gods Made." It's without question a close second to Janzen's masterpiece on the physical world.

Jam-packed!
I found this hyper-detailed book to be absolutely invaluable while I was in Costa Rica!

A book I found equally indispensable, which I read BEFORE I got there, was "Costa Rica: The Last Country the Gods Made."Both books should more than adequately prepare you for a trip around 1 - 3 weeks. ... Read more

Product Description

Costa Rica: A Global Studies Handbook offers readers an authoritative tour of a remarkable country, tracing its historical development from pre-Colombian inhabitants and Spanish colonization through rising prosperity in the mid-19th century to current struggles to define itself economically and politically.

Costa Rica combines narrative chapters on the nation's history and the current state of its political, social, and cultural institutions with alphabetically organized entries covering important people, places, and events in its development. Throughout, the authors, drawing on extensive research and their own experiences, highlight the many ways Costa Rica is different from its neighbors, as well as the challenges the country faces in the 21st century's globalized world.

Customer Reviews (1)

An annotated bibliography and an index round out this down-to-earth, highly readable primer.
Part of the Global Studies: Latin America & The Caribbean series, Costa Rica: A Global Studies Handbook is a solid educational text written for students, travelers, businesspeople, and anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of this beautiful nation. Costa Rica: A Global Studies Handbook is divided into a narrative section (which relates the history of the land along with information about its politics, institutions, society, and culture) and a reference section (which has a timeline of key events in Costa Rican history, a listing of significant Costa Rican organizations, and entries of key Costa Rican historical figures, places, and events). An annotated bibliography and an index round out this down-to-earth, highly readable primer. ... Read more

Product Description

At the biological crossroads of the Americas, Costa Rica hosts an astonishing array of plants and animals--over half a million species! Ecotourists, birders, and biologists come from around the world, drawn by the likelihood of seeing more than three or four hundred species of birds and other animals during even a short stay. To help all these visitors, as well as local residents, identify and enjoy the wildlife of Costa Rica, Carrol Henderson published Field Guide to the Wildlife of Costa Rica in 2002, and it instantly became the indispensable guide.

Now Henderson has created a dedicated field guide to more than one hundred tropical butterflies, moths, and other invertebrates that travelers are most likely to see while exploring the wild lands of Costa Rica. He includes fascinating information on their natural history, ecology, identification, and behavior gleaned from his forty years of travels and wildlife viewing, as well as details on where to see these remarkable and beautiful creatures. The butterflies, moths, and other invertebrates are illustrated by over 180 stunning and colorful photographs--most of which were taken in the wild by Henderson. A detailed and invaluable appendix that identifies many of Costa Rica's best wildlife-watching destinations, lodges, and contact information for trip-planning purposes completes the volume.

Customer Reviews (1)

A 'must' for any Costa Rica traveler!
Butterflies, Moths, and Other Invertebrates of Costa Rica provides any Costa Rica visitor with a field guide packed with photos by the author, helping visitors and residents identify the invertebrates of the region. Over a hundred are included - those travelers are most likely to see in the wild - and accompany details on natural history and ecology gleaned from the author's some forty years of travels and wildlife observation. A 'must' for any Costa Rica traveler!
... Read more

Product Description

Costa Rica, the spectacularly beautiful Latin American nation, stands out from its neighbors in its political climate, economic stability, and social progressiveness. Culture and Customs of Costa Rica is a superlative introduction to the modern Costa Rica, which Costa Ricans compare in many ways to the United States. Helmuth, who spent her formative years in Costa Rica, provides an outstanding overview of this unusual and dynamic nation's place in Latin America. Written with the highest scholarly standards, but easily accessible to students and general readers, this well-written source goes far beyond the travel guide fare in providing in-depth information on this fascinating country.

Culture and Customs of Costa Rica begins with a discussion of how the country is unique in Latin America, including its incredible biodiversity, ethnic makeup, history, education policies, and women's roles. A chapter on religion covers indigenous faiths and focuses on the predominant Catholicism. Costa Rican social customs such as national traits, cuisine, family roles, and sports are presented engagingly. Chapters on media, literature, and the arts bring to light Costa Rican institutions and cultural figures. Informative appendices and a glossary round out the text. Featured topics include Costa Rica's, legacy of social reform, religion, social customs, media, and literature, and art and the performing arts.

Product Description

Walking a forest trail in Costa Rica, a visitor might be struck by the sight of an iridescent blue morpho butterfly fluttering ahead in the filtered daylight, or an enormous silk moth, as magnificently patterned and subtly colored as a Persian carpet, only emerging to fly at night. Elsewhere, vivid yellow and orange sulphur butterflies flock to puddles to sip the concentrated minerals. Such is the dazzling variety of the butterflies and moths unique to this region.

Gathered by biologists Daniel Janzen and Winifred Hallwachs in the forests of northwestern Costa Rica, 100 tropical butterflies and moths represent the diversity in large-format photographs by Jeffrey Miller that document the dizzying variety of shapes, colors, and markings. The photographs are accompanied by species accounts and images of the corresponding caterpillar. The authors recount these insects' feats of mimicry and migration, lift the veil on their courtship, and show how the new technology of DNA barcoding is changing the picture of Lepidopteran biodiversity.

The authors also tell the success story of Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, where the long-term work of Janzen and Hallwachs, a team of caterpillar collectors, and the participation of neighboring farming communities has deepened understanding of Costa Rica's Lepidoptera and has brought about advances in restoration ecology of tropical habitats, biodiversity prospecting, biotechnology, and ecotourism development.

Customer Reviews (3)

Butterflies & Moths Magnificent!!!
Rich texture and colors... a magnificent book in both the telling and presentation.The photography could not possibly have been better!Its use is not just the visual enjoyment and behavioral understanding that is available but even the practical ability to teach color and texture usage to a group of young women as they were planning knitting projects.Thank you so much on many frontiers this is better than any color book I have ever found.The unique beauty in creation does the best job of explaining the richness that colors represent and the uplifting of beauty that they bring into our lives.As always any reading that can give to us a better understanding of faraway places by bringing them home, as this book has done with the rain forest and its inhabitants, is a worthy read.Thank you!

100 Butterflies and Moths: Portraits from the Tropical Forests of Costa Rica
Excellent!details in text and photographs.Highly recommended for biologists and folks interested in wild life.

Costa Rican Leps
This ia an excellant book that combines coffe-table quality photographs of the butterflies and moths with an excellent text describing interesting aspects of their biology. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Thin but comprehensive
After vacationing there, we wanted a book that captured the amazing views that the country offers. It has all the essentials. No text / explanation. Great price. ... Read more

Product Description
Marked by its superb natural beauty, Costa Rica has the greatest percentage of preserved land of any nation worldwide; nearly a third of the country is protected in national parks, reserves, and refuges. The wildlife that abounds in these tropical areas includes a stunning diversity of more than 820 bird species. In A Bird-Finding Guide to Costa Rica, Barrett Lawson offers detailed information that makes it easy for both expert and novice birders to plan and enjoy an exciting trip to this birders' paradise.

Lawson describes fifty-three of the best birding destinations in Costa Rica. Birders will appreciate the detailed descriptions of how to bird each area, as well as the site-specific lists-"Target Birds" and "Species to Expect." The site descriptions are structured for ease of use and clarity; each provides a general introduction, exact driving directions, road maps, and lodging information. Other important elements include a general introduction to Costa Rica, an overview of tropical birds, sample itineraries, a comprehensive checklist to the birds of the country, and information about the best locations to find endemics and other sought-after species. The sites are grouped into six regions that reflect general patterns of avian distribution; this helps readers understand Costa Rica's complex bird diversity as well as plan a dynamic trip.

* Features fifty-three top birding locations from across the country.
* "Species to Expect" lists inform readers of birds that can be found at featured sites; especially common birds are presented in bold.
* "Target Birds" lists alert birders to rare and exciting species.
* All bird lists include plate references to the two most respected field guides, A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica by F. Gary Stiles and Alexander F. Skutch and The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide by Richard Garrigues and Robert Dean (both also published by Cornell).
* Eight sample itineraries and 107 maps are accompanied by information-birding times, driving times, and road indications-that will help readers customize their own itineraries.
* Includes a complete checklist to the birds of the country with abundance ratings for eight representative sites. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Just what I was looking for and more!
I have been hoping for a long time to get to Costa Rica for some outstanding birding.I purchased this book after reading other positive reviews and I'm very glad I did.This book gave us the information and the confidence to schedule a three week trip in 2010 that includes the Caribbean Slope, the mountains, the Pacific slope, and the Pacific Coast.Detailed, current, and right to the point.Great maps, driving directions, bird lists, and pointers. Our kudos and thanks to the author.

Update:We just came back from our 20 day trip to five different Costa Rica locations!We had a wonderful time.We saw 188 species of birds, explored mountains, remote beaches (including Corcovado), and various rain forest habitats. I can definitively say that the reason everything went so smoothly was in part because of the detail, thoroughness and accuracy of this book.Even if you are going on a guided trip arranged for you by someone else, I would read and bring this book! ... Read more

Product Description

A magnificent illustrated testimony to Costa Rica's fragile beauty.

Costa Rica: A Journey through Nature is a hard cover coffee-table book packed with stunning photographs from Costa Rica that represent 13 years of field work.

This exquisite book of photographs, brilliant in color and enchanting in subject, takes readers on a personal journey through the jewelled treasure that is Costa Rica. Images of spacious beaches, muddy river banks, crystal clear waterfalls, and lush jungles adorned with tropical blooms and prehistoric plants will stay in the reader's mind for a long time to come.

The book is organized by region -- the Central Divide, Guanacaste, the Central Pacific, the Osa Peninsula, the North Caribbean and the South Caribbean.It closes with a discussion on conservation and responsible tourism. Like an informed tour guide, the extended captions provide interesting facts and valuable context, all from the perspective of the author / photographer.

Highlights on the journey include Arenal, one of the world's most active volcanoes, Tortuguero National Park, where a lone jaguar trots across the sand, giant tree ferns -- evolutionary relics that predate flowering plants - in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, a blood-scarlet passion flower emerging through leaf litter, a partially submerged crocodile, its riveting stare fixed on the photographer and poison arrow frogs, vividly painted in deadly reds, blues and greens.

Overflowing with brilliant page-filling photographs and informative text, this book is as close as one can get to Costa Rica without a passport.

Customer Reviews (3)

I love the rainforest
I wanted a book that showed the rainforest vegetation, flowers, and birds. Some animals and fish photos would just add to the memories. I got that in this book. I had looked through a lot of library books before deciding to buy this one and Nature of the Rainforest: Costa Rica and Beyond. The black background on the pages made the photos really jump out vividly.

colorful graphics
wnet to Costa Rica and wanted to purchase this book, but didn't want to carry it around on our trip, so we waited and ordered it upon our return.this is one of the best books on Costa Rica for the animals and most of the best places to visit.

Costa Rica: A Journey Through Nature
We have just got this through on Amazon and I feel like I'm back in Costa Rica again - my wife and I had two vacations there in 2005 and 2007.I originally got the book for some friends of ours who are heading down there but we may keep it for ourselves!It's beautiful! The images are all excellent (unlike other books that rely on a fantastic front cover and then fill the middle with mediocre shots) and there is text written by the photographer for each one.It's nice to have that personal touch. We decided to write this review because the author has also written a section on "responsible tourism", which reflect our own opinions on nature conservation.Well done Mr. Hepworth! BY the way, if you go to Costa Rica don't miss out on a river trip in Tortuguero National Park!

Jonah and Lou, NY ... Read more

Product Description

The lands between Mesoamerica and the Central Andes are famed for the rich diversity of ancient cultures that inhabited them. Throughout this vast region, from about AD 700 until the sixteenth-century Spanish invasion, a rich and varied tradition of goldworking was practiced. The amount of gold produced and worn by native inhabitants was so great that Columbus dubbed the last New World shores he sailed as Costa Rica—the "Rich Coast."

Despite the long-recognized importance of the region in its contribution to Pre-Columbian culture, very few books are readily available, especially in English, on these lands of gold. Gold and Power in Ancient Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia now fills that gap with eleven articles by leading scholars in the field. Issues of culture change, the nature of chiefdom societies, long-distance trade and transport, ideologies of value, and the technologies of goldworking are covered in these essays as are the role of metals as expressions and materializations of spiritual, political, and economic power. These topics are accompanied by new information on the role of stone statuary and lapidary work, craft and trade specialization, and many more topics, including a reevaluation of the concept of the "Intermediate Area."

Collectively, the volume provides a new perspective on the prehistory of these lands and includes articles by Latin American scholars whose writings have rarely been published in English.