Customer Reviews

Samana: Republica Dominicana / Dominican Republic (Spanish Edition) (Orgullo De Mi Tierra / Pride of My Land)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is book, which comes with a DVD containing video clips in Spanish, English and French, is a pleasure to reach and watch (with some cavets). It is meant to promote the development of the tourist and real-estate industry in the peninsula, and yet I feel uneasy with this (knowing all-too-well the few times that these types of projects have produced anything good for the local people). At times it feels a bit tiresome because of its emphasis on "selling" the region to potential investors (this happens mostly with the video clips). However, even when the pictures mostly focus on tourist-like scenery, they are still awesome (they tend to objectify the people of Samaná too). Samaná is indeed one of the most beautiful places in the world, and these pictures are a clear indication of their beauty (which may disappear with an all-out unwise development). I was also surprised with how the history of the region is also balanced and quite accurate. For example, they made clear that Columbus did not reach first into the large bay, but instead stopped at the gorgeous little Bay of Rincón. Moreover, the story of the English-speaking Blacks who emigrated from the United States in 1824-26 is also told here, and the authors even featured a short interview with one of the enclave's matriarch, Martha Willmore. So, if you can move aside the distate of commercialization and the blatant overemphasis on capitalism as a necessary stage for this region, you may enjoy and even find this book/DVD useful!

No creo que haya un trabajo mejor concebido y realizado que este libro sobre la provincia de Samana en la República Dominicana. Fotos de una belleza y calidad excepcional en un formato de lujo. El libro además va acompañado de un DVD con parte del contenido del libro.