I really wanted to like this book...but it just left me cold. I slogged thru the whole thing. Try instead "The Sorcerer's Crossing", "The Reluctant Shaman", or "Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior" (although Sacred Journey is not about nagualism, etc.). Any of those 3 are much more interesting,engrossing, and insightful.

...this book works. You don't have to believe Florinda Donner experienced or witnessed everything in this book to find something useful about her portrayal of the life of a Venezuelan healer and spiritualist (our modern, American terms). Read it like a novel that certainly feels like it was thoroughly researched. You'll find it an excellent journey to a place you've never been before.

I can't leave this marvelous book with a couple of limited reviews here at Amazon, even though it's been ten years since I last read it. Donner's story is simply a great human story; it's really about becoming more human. It's about the simple necessities in life, about the choices we are forced to make when choices are most limited, and about the life we find through that "cubic centimeter of chance." It gets outside -- thank God! -- the crime and punishment limited mentality of America....and of course that is why such a book will bore some readers and frighten others.

A mountain of iron in Venezuela, an American mining company, a sincere archeologist, a 59 year old corporate executive, a 23 year old daughter of another corporate executive, a middle-aged communist revolutionary, government corruption, corporate infighting, explosions, jungle searches. It would take a very good author to merge all of these things into an enjoyable novel. Amazingly, Daniel Pollock, the author of Pursuit into Darkness, manages to make his novel enjoyable and exciting.

Iron ore mining must be halted when an archeologist discovers a prehistoric bone flute. Semi-retired CEO Sam Warrender in his characteristic high handed manner, flies to Venezuela to bully, bribe, or bamboozle the resumption of his company's operation. But he must contend with an archeologist fervently protecting pre-history, his own hand-picked successor jealous to assume power from Sam, a communist guerilla who sees an opportunity to resume anarchy, and a beguiling film-maker who Sam has watched grow from a pre-teen into a woman to be reckoned with.

The story is at its best in revealing Venezuela: its jungle beauty (a plane flight over the Angel Falls), its turbulent economy, its shaky politics, its people. It is at its worst propping up a May-December romance between Sam and the film-maker. The narrative is strong, unpredictable, and handles plenty of action clearly. Overall, a very good read except a point taken away for the romance.

During our sailing trip from Martinique to Venezuela we used this book especially because of the detailed and useful information about small harbours and beautyful beaches. I can recommend it very strongly.

I really enjoyed this book alot. Horacio Cabrera Sifontes has compiled some of his personal experiences of hunting problem jaguars in Venezuela. It mostly tells of different cats he was asked to hunt, but there is an excellent chapter on hunting dogs and the breeds that are most suited to pursuing the jaguar. The author also explains the advantages and disadvantages of using imported hounds instead of the local cur dogs found in the region. My favorite story is that of el tigre de "El Calvario". The last several chapters deal with other interesting animals such as snakes. All of the photographs are in black and white and most are of lesser quality. However, the book is an interesting account pursuing a dangerous animal in his own terrain. Anyone who is interested in big game hunting or the south american selva should like this book. But you need to have at least a working knowledge of the Spanish language.

spanish translation

Me gusto mucho este libro. Horacio Cabrera Sifontes ha compilado algunas de sus experiencias personales de cazar jaguares prolematicos en Venezuela. El libro cuenta mas que todo de varios tigres que el fue obligado cazar pero hay tambien un capitulo excelente de perros de caceria y de las razas mas adeptos en cazar el jaguar. Ademas, el autor explica las ventajas y desventajas de usar sabuesos importados en vez de usar los perros criollos de la region. Mi cuento favorito es el del tigre de El Calvario. Los ultimos capitulos hablan de otros animales interesantes como los serpientes. Todos las fotos en el libro son de blano y negro y la mayoria son de calidad menor. Pero el libro es un cuento interesante de cazar un animal peligroso en su propio terreno. A todos que les interesan la caceria mayor o la selva sudamericana deben leer este libro.

This study looks at three distinct Venezuelan festivals: the Afro-Venezuelan celebration of San Juan, the neo-Indian "Day of the Monkey," and the mestizo ritual of Tamunague. The study also highlights the policies of a multinational British tobacco company and analyzes that company's role in promoting folk culture and community celebrations in Venezuela. While Venezuela is the main focus, many of Guss's findings are relevant to the study of festivals worldwide. This book represents a groundbreaking experiment in multi-site ethnography. The author's detailed and engaging descriptions will be of great interest to anthropologists, folklorists, and Latin Americanists.

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500 pages, all B&W [not color]; hardcover, but light [~12 oz?], 4.5x7x1. Good intro section, 80 pages. maps are within the book, some full page, some smaller for details of city center, etc. Divided by geographical regions: Lima, 40pgs; North of Lima 40pg; Northern Peru, 70 pg; Arequipa & south, 35 pg; Lake Titicaca area 20 pg; Cusco area [includes Macchu Piccu etc, all the main Inca sites around Cusco] 45 pg; Central highlands 40pg; Amazon area, 30 pg. Travel tips, 25 pgs, good index of topics & maps. "tinted boxes" are little "essays" that are inserted into the flow of the more practical details, which are generally entertaining & informative. They may be as important as a "big picture" discussion of Macchu Picchu, to the fact that Pisac is known for a great place to buy beaded necklaces. I had no interest in the details on accomodations [hotels, eating, etc], as I was on an organized tour; but there are such things in there. also reviewed: Lonely Planet Peru, Rough guide Peru, and Insight guide Peru.

Insight's City Guides combine stunning photography with literate text and a smattering of basic travel information. The Insight Venice guide is worth adding to your bookshelf, but its practical advice is getting a bit long in the tooth and its heft makes it less than ideal as a take-along guide. - Durant Imboden, Venice for Visitors, http://govenice.miningco.co

When a boy joins his father in the amazon to start a jaguar preserve, he finds many more dangers than he expected. very good descriptions, and interesting plot. recomnded to niddle and late elementry schoolers, even older.

This book is by one of Venezuelas best know cultural pillars, it gives a glimpse into the times of independence. The story takes place in revolutionary times and describes an interesting picture of the places that defined historic battles. A review on this book would not be complete without mentioning how elegentanly it was written by a very well learned man.

Colorful photographs of flowering plants, as well as aerial views of the grandiose table top mountains on which they grow, comprise seventy percent of this fascinating volume. Descriptive sections on the geography and geology, endemism, and carnivorous plants reward the reader with brief but satisfying discussions. Throughout the book, the author tells of the region's explorers. This is an excellent coffee-table style book. In fact, it was on the coffee tables at the resorts in the "Lost World" region of Venezuela that I discovered it.