Travels in the Maya World

This is not a guidebook, nor an illustrated manual, nor an academic resolution of the mystery of the Mayas. "Travels in the Maya World", instead, is lively, evocative, readable and funny. The descriptions are rich, full of color, flavor and texture, at the same time enveloped in history, based on keen observation, with a genuine love for the subject and its setting. Both a companion piece to a Maya Land trip and level-headed insight into the background of the culture, this book is well-informed, with often disturbing revelations: on the ecological drain on the habitat, on the social conflicts in the area, on problems and patterns inherited as a result of hundreds of years, consequences, really, of the use and misuse of the land and its people. A book as valuable as it is delightful.