Recommended Books

Studying up on Mexico can be one of the most fun bits of "research" you'll ever do. If you'd like to learn more about this fascinating country before you go -- which I encourage -- these books and movies are an enjoyable way to do it.

Books

History & Culture -- For an overview of pre-Hispanic cultures, pick up a copy of Michael D. Coe's Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs (Thames & Hudson) or Nigel Davies's Ancient Kingdoms of Mexico (Penguin). Richard Townsend's The Aztecs (Thames & Hudson) is a thorough, well-researched examination of the Aztec and the Spanish conquest. For the Maya, Michael Coe's The Maya (Thames & Hudson) is probably the best general account. For a survey of Mexican history through modern times, A Short History of Mexico by J. Patrick McHenry (Doubleday) provides a complete, yet concise account.

John L. Stephens's Incidents of Travel in the Yucatán, Vol. I and II (Dover Publications) are considered among the great books of archaeological discovery, as well as being travel classics. The two volumes chart the course of Stephens's discoveries of the Yucatán, beginning in 1841. Before his expeditions, little was known of the region, and the Maya culture had not been discovered. During his travels, Stephens found and described 44 Maya sites, and his account of these remains the most authoritative in existence.

For contemporary culture, start with Octavio Paz's classic, The Labyrinth of Solitude (Grove Press), which still generates controversy among Mexicans because of some of the generalizations Paz makes about them. For a recent collection of writings by Subcomandante Marcos, leader of the Zapatista movement, try Our Word Is Our Weapon (Seven Stories Press). Another source is Basta! Land and the Zapatista Rebellion (Food First) by George Collier, et al. For those already familiar with Mexico and its culture, Guillermo Bonfil's Mexico Profundo: Reclaiming a Civilization (University of Texas Press) is a rare bottom-up view of Mexico today.

Lesley Byrd Simpson's Many Mexicos (University of California Press) provides comprehensive account of Mexican history with a cultural context. A classic on understanding the culture of this country is Distant Neighbors, by Alan Riding (Vintage).

Art & Architecture -- Art and Time in Mexico: From the Conquest to the Revolution, by Elizabeth Wilder Weismann (Harper & Row), covers religious, public, and private architecture. Casa Mexicana Style, by Tim Street-Porter and Annie Kelly (Stewart, Tabori, and Chang), documents the interiors of some of Mexico's finest public buildings, and private houses.

Maya Art and Architecture, by Mary Ellen Miller (Thames and Hudson) showcases the best of the artistic expression of this culture, with interpretations into its meanings.

Nature -- A Naturalist's Mexico, by Roland H. Wauer (Texas A&M University Press), is becoming difficult to find, but A Hiker's Guide to Mexico's Natural History, by Jim Conrad (Mountaineers Books) is a good alternative. Peterson Field Guides: Mexican Birds, by Roger Tory Peterson and Edward L. Chalif (Houghton Mifflin), is an excellent guide.

Movies

Mexico has served as a backdrop for countless movies. Here are just a few of my favorites, all available on DVD.

The 2003 blockbuster Frida, starring Selma Hayak and Alfred Molina, is an entertaining way to learn about Mexico's history as well as two of the nation's most famous personalities. The exquisite cinematography captures Mexico's inherent spirit of magical realism.

Que Viva Mexico is a little-known masterpiece by Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein, who created a documentary of Mexican history, politics, and culture out of a series of short novellas, which ultimately tie together. Although Eisenstein's budget ran out before he could complete the project, in 1979 this film was completed by Grigory Alexandrov, the film's original producer. It's an absolute must for anyone interested in Mexico or Mexican cinema.

Mexico's contemporary filmmakers are creating a sensation lately and none more so than director Alfonso Cuarón. One of his early and highly acclaimed movies is the 2001 classic Y Tú Mamá También (And Your Mother Too), featuring current heartthrobs Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna. This sexy, compelling coming-of-age movie not only showcases both the grit and beauty of Mexico, but the universality of love and life lessons.

Like Water for Chocolate is the 1993 film based on the book of the same name by Laura Esquivel, filmed by the author's husband, acclaimed contemporary Mexican director Alfonso Arau. Expect to be very hungry after watching this lushly visual film, which tells the story of a young woman who suppresses her passions under the watchful eye of a stern mother and channels them into her cooking. In the process, we learn of the traditional norms of Mexican culture, and a great deal of the country's culinary treasures.