The People's Guide to Mexico: Wherever You Go...There You Are!! (People's Guide to Mexico, 11th ed) [SPECIAL EDITION] (Paperback)

by Carl Franz (Author), Lorena Havens (Author, Editor), Steve Rogers (Author, Editor) "I visited Mexico for the first time in 1964..." (more)
Key Phrases: bumper graffiti, ranch cheese, dog tea, Sierra Madre, Central America, Copper Canyon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The People's Guide to Mexico is a different kind of guidebook--one that offers no lists of hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, or beaches. As Carl Franz says in the introduction to this 25th anniversary edition, "It is not about which hotels to stay in or the most interesting villages to visit. The purpose of this book is to teach you how to find out those things for yourself." Instead of telling visitors where to go in Mexico, this book lets travelers know how to go, whether they want to learn Spanish, retire south of the border, or simply travel as long as possible for the least amount of money. The People's Guide offers up witty anecdotes and sane, reasoned advice about everything from driving in Mexico to dealing with Mexican machismo to making the most of village fiestas. Best of all, the book provides a respectful and well-informed take on Mexican culture. Wherever You Go ... There You Are, reads The People's Guide subtitle, and it's an apt summation of the book's laid-back, roll-with-the-punches attitude. Tuck a copy into your backpack alongside a more conventional guide; it's like having a funny, trusted, and well-traveled friend along to show you the ropes.

Review
This isn't your usual travelogue charting famous places: it outlines cultural encounters which can be anticipated from a visit to Mexico, offering specific advice on everything from navigating public transportation to making homemade mashed potatoes when sick of a Mexican diet. This is a 'must' for any interested in Mexican travel: highly recommended. -- Midwest Book Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: John Muir Publications; 11th edition (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1562614193
• ISBN-13: 978-1562614195
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #428,300 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Travel Book I've Ever Read, September 20, 2000

By	Bruce Baskin (Centralia, Washington, USA) - See all my reviews

Where to begin? Well, I can say I've never read a travel book quite like this one. Even if you don't plan to go to Mexico, it's a great read because of the way it's written: Clear, eyes-wide-open style with some absolutely hilarious stories. If it were only a book of anecdotes, I'd put it up there with Steinbeck's "Travels With Charlie" or William Least Heat Moon's "Blue Highways." IT'S THAT GOOD! Fortunately, for the traveler, it's also an outstanding compendium of what life in Mexico is like down to the last detail. My wife and I have only been to Mexico once (to Tijuana for a day), but after reading this book, we're planning to go back further south into the "real" Mexico (and are even considering retirement there in a few years...AFTER we learn to speak Spanish). I can't begin to recommend "The People's Guide to Mexico" highly enough. If you REALLY want to get to know the country, toss out your Frommer's and Birnbaum's guides and GET THIS BOOK.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the BEST bedside books! I've gone thru several!, November 10, 1999

By	technobliss "technobliss" (Reno, NV USA) - See all my reviews

I don't know why I love this books so much, but I've gone through several editions. It tells everything about living in Mexico, it is at once down-to-earth yet exotic, about simple living and joy (also planning, packing, camping, cooking, how to buy a hammock...) a host of fascinating details and anecdotes. As a bibliophile, this is one book I would take to a desert island. I've read and re-read it dozens of times over the years (in its different incarnations). You'll love it!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bible on Mexico, March 8, 2000

By	A. Hagman "Triplet Mom" (Nordman, ID USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

We just returned from our first trip to Mexico where we spent our time in remote Pacific Coast villages and this book made our visit wonderful.

It is culturally enlightening and helps with the everyday aspects of getting along in Mexico. Everything on how to shop for a hammack to how to buy food and gasoline. Or whether you should take your wife into that little cantina outside of town. This book went in our backpack everyday. There wasn't anything it could'nt answer.

The guide books tell you how to get there, the People's Guide tell you what to do once you are there.

We highly recommend this book for anyone who travels to Mexico and wants to enhance their experience.