READING GUIDE o enhance your travel experience, we’ve compiled a selection of favorite, new, and hard-to-find books Tabout your destination. Also feel free to visit your local bookstore or library for your reading materials. ESSENTIAL ALSO RECOMMENDED

Richard Biesanz James Kaiser The Ticos Costa Rica, The Complete Guide 1999, PAPER, 307 PAGES 2018, PAPER, 496 PAGES An insightful, fact-filled portrait of Costa From pristine beaches and jungle waterfalls to Rican culture, history and society. It’s an high-altitude coffee plantations, award-winning excellent survey for the interested traveler, author and photographer Kaiser shows readers covering history, government and politics, the the best of Costa Rica, including the country’s economy, the family, education and religion. stunning collection of national parks.

Adrian Hepworth Jane Koutnik Wild Costa Rica Culture Smart! Costa Rica 2008, HARD COVER, 176 PAGES 2012, PAPER, 168 PAGES This beautiful, informative survey of the History, religion, daily life, health and safety are habitats, wildlife and protected areas of Costa all covered in this accessible pocket guide to Rica features 200 color photographs and Costa Rican customs, etiquette and culture. chapters on natural history and conservation. Lonely Planet Adrian Forsyth, E.O. Wilson (Introduction) Lonely Planet Costa Rican Spanish Nature of the Rainforest, Costa Rica Phrasebook and Beyond 2017, PAPER, 256 PAGES 2008, PAPER, 200 PAGES A pocket guide to understanding idioms, slang Our favorite biologist-writer returns to the and Spanish as it is spoken by the Ticos. Neotropics in this beautifully illustrated, oversized overview of the rainforest. A Hector Perez-Brignoll marvelous, anecdotal introduction to ecology, A Brief History of Central America evolution and conservation. 1989, PAPER, 223 PAGES A good overview of the region’s economic, Christopher P. Baker political and social history through the 1980s National Geographic Costa Rica by a professor at the University of Costa Rica. 2018, PAPER, 272 PAGES Well-written, informative and concise. A guidebook to Costa Rica, published by National Geographic in their attractive, visual Steven Palmer (Editor), Ivan Molina (Editor) style. The indomitable Christopher Baker Costa Rica Reader: History, Culture, covers all the main cities, towns, and regions of Politics Costa Rica, helping travelers negotiate one of 2004, PAPER, 392 PAGES the world’s leading destinations for eco-travel. A lively, literate sourcebook on the politics, National Geographic economy and society of Costa Rica Costa Rica Adventure Map 2010, MAP Richard Fisher A double-sided full color map of Costa Rica at Volcanoes, Crucibles of Change a scale of 1:500,000 with good shaded relief, 1998, PAPER, 344 PAGES topographic detail, roads and waterways, basic A complete primer for the volcano lover, travel information, and an inset of San Jose. this heavily illustrated book covers types Built for the road (or raft or trail), it’s printed of volcanoes and eruptions, worldwide on waterproof, tear-resistant paper. distribution and the physics of their formation. Gregory Basco James Kavanagh National Parks of Costa Rica Costa Rica Birds 2015, HARD COVER, 304 PAGES 2007, PLASTIC CARD Moving from its giant mangroves to cloud A handy, laminated fold-up card with full-color forests, tropical dry forest and sea nesting illustrations of birds commonly found in Costa sites, this photographic collection celebrates Rica. Great for kids, too. Costa Rica’s extensive national park system, which comprises 25 percent of Costa Rica’s James Kavanagh total landmass. Costa Rica & Jack Ewing 2007, PLASTIC CARD Where and Once A handy, laminated fold-up card with color Roamed, Ever-Evolving Costa Rica illustrations of Costa Rica’s more visible species of butterflies and moths. Includes the 2015, PAPER, 290 PAGES Renowned environmentalist Jack Ewing distinguishing markings or behaviors of each explores the natural in species. this conservation study, telling why the country Pocket Naturalist is so unique, why he founded a national wildlife refuge and why the and still might Costa Rican Wildlife 2013 PLASTIC CARD return to the southwest coast. , A fold-up, laminated card featuring color Barbara Ras drawings and short descriptions of commonly Costa Rica, A Traveler’s Literary encountered birds, mammals and reptiles of Costa Rica. Companion 1994, PAPER, 238 PAGES Twan Leenders, Robert Dean, Jim Zook, Fiona Reid These 26 well-chosen stories by Costa Rican The Wildlife of Costa Rica, A Field writers introduce the people, culture and land. Guide 2010, PAPER, 360 PAGES William Allen This guide includes 450 of the most common, Green Phoenix interesting and charismatic mammals, birds, 2003, PAPER, 336 PAGES reptiles, and arthropods that you In a welcome contrast to most of the news are likely to encounter. With exquisite full-color about the destruction of tropical rainforests, illustrations for each. William Allen tells the story of the successful re-forestation of some 463 square miles of Susan Fogden land and 290 miles of marine area in northwest Pocket Photo Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica: the Guanacaste Conservation Area. Costa Rica A team of both Costa Rican and American 2017, PAPER, 144 PAGES scientists came together to accomplish this With clear color photographs and brief, feat, documented in vivid, compelling prose. authoritative descriptions Bloomsbury’s field guide to Costa Rica depicts 250 of the David Rains Wallace country’s most common birds with clear color The Monkey’s Bridge photographs and brief descriptions. The book 2007, PAPER, 280 PAGES easily slips in a pocket or daypack. Opening this absorbing account of the history and biogeography of the Central American Willow Zuchowski isthmus with the tale of Columbus, Wallace Tropical of Costa Rica often weaves his own travels in the region 2007, PAPER, 529 PAGES with a crisp overview of exploration, nature Organized by habitat, this photo guide to 400 and evolution. Natural history buffs and species has chapters on popular destinations, ecologically minded travelers will appreciate including Monteverde and Tortuguero. this valuable resource.

Adrian Forsyth, Ken Miyata Tropical Nature 1984, PAPER, 248 PAGES Two uncommonly observant and thoughtful field biologists offer a lucid portrait of the tropics through 17 essays that introduce the habitats, ecology, plants and of the Central and South American rainforests.