by Stephanie Elizondo Griest (2004)
Desperate to escape South Texas, Stephanie Elizondo Griest dreamed of becoming a foreign correspondent. So she headed to Russia looking for some excitement--commencing what would become a four-year, twelve-nation Communist bloc tour that shattered her preconceived notions of the "Evil Empire." In Around the Bloc, Griest relates her experiences as a volunteer at a children's shelter in Moscow, a propaganda polisher at the office of the Chinese Communist Party's English-language mouthpiece in Beijing, and a belly dancer among the rumba queens of Havana. She falls in love with an ex-soldier who narrowly avoided radiation cleanup duties at Chernobyl, hangs out with Cuban hip-hop artists, and comes to difficult realizations about the meaning of democracy. is the absorbing story of a young journalist driven by a desire to witness the effects of Communism. Along the way, she learns the Russian mathematical equation for buying dinner-party vodka (one bottle per guest, plus an extra), stumbles upon Beijing's underground gay scene, marches with 100,000 mothers demanding Elian Gonzalez's return to Cuba, and gains a new appreciation for the Mexican culture she left behind.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Joe C. Truett and Daniel W. Lay
East Texas was once a land rich in woods and wildlife, with contiguous miles of upland forests, prairies, grassy glades, and fertile bottomlands. Beneath the shade of magnolias and white oaks and towering pines, the woods came to life with foxes, deer, raccoons, gray squirrels, wild turkeys.
Philip L. Fradkin
A journey through one of America's largest and least-known wilderness areas, the Uinta Mountains in Utah, Wyoming, Colorado. A journ through its past and through its trails today which reveals the problems and opportunities now facing the federal land system.
Christopher Kremmer
A new and updated edition of "Stalking the Elephant Kings", the award-winning book on Laos by the author of "The Carpet Wars". Twenty years after the Indochina wars, Christopher Kremmer visited Laos - at the crossroads of change in Southeast Asia.
Monte Nagler
"A nationally recognized landscape photographer, Monte Nagler has traveled throughout the world to capture unique and fleeting moments on film. Now with this collection of recent work, Monte applies his exceptional skills to his home state, sharing his interpretations through a medley of new and familiar scenes." "These 92 black and white photographs, including 6 spectacular panoramic views, invite you to explore the wonders, the seasons, and the diverse landscapes that are Michigan."--BOOK JACKET.