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Books
BajaNomad.com has a new BN Book Center with
great prices for your convenience (use the link on the left side of the
page). Sales tax is applicable to CA residents. BajaNomad.com makes
NOTHING from sales through the Center-- this feature is provided simply for
the convenience of our visitors.
For fun, we've recommended some music titles as well that
our staff enjoys listening to on trips down the Baja California peninsula.
FYI:
Amazon.com's selection and information on books remains
spectacular. For an idea of recommended titles available through them, or to search Amazon,
see the BCmex
Bookstore on escapist.com.
Bots & Shops
Shopping "bots" (robots), are completely changing
"e-commerce" as we've begun to know it (see article in Forbes
Magazine). They do the comparison shopping for you and put
incredible pressure on merchants to keep prices low. Links to excellent
"bots" as well as unique and low-priced online stores are below.
Bots (they don't all check
every site, so it helps to look through 2 or more):
Deal
Time - Formerly "Deal Pilot." (*Extremely*
thorough/exhaustive information on prices and S/H fees)
Price
Wonders (Need to run your own Baja search. Site is very well
organized and easy to use)
Price
Scan (Longer-established site. Easy to use. Info on prices
and S/H fees)
E-Compare (Easy to use,
similar to Price Scan. Need to run your own Baja search)
Low-Priced Shops:
Hamilton Books (CT -
Close-outs and overstocks... CHEAP! $3 flat rate S/H via USPS to US
addresses only -- examples: Graham Mackintosh's Into a Desert Place
is $6.95 and the
current Cabo Handbook by Joe Cummings is only $4.95!)
A1 Books (NJ - Good
Prices, though used to be better. Good service, low S/H
fees, quick shipping)
All
Direct (SC - Great prices, slow to ship)
Alpha
Craze (NY/CA/IL - Great prices, good selection, quick shipping)
Buy.com
(CA)
Vintage-Books:
Alibris
(CA -- Excellent resource)
Recommended Titles:
(not an exhaustive list of what's available)
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"Baja Handbook" by Joe
Cummings, Avalon Travel Publishing, 2000 (fourth edition). -- Joe
Cummings is a travel guide deity, and Baja travelers are lucky that he
has become as fond of the peninsula as we are. This is the best of the
travel guides to Baja California, as the information is top-notch and
Cummings' coverage and research are the most comprehensive of anything
presently available (inside one cover). If you're only willing
to purchase one book of this type for your trip, look no further.
503 pages. |
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"Cabo Handbook" by Joe
Cummings, Avalon Travel Publishing, 2000 (third edition). -- Because
of its continued incredible growth as a destination for travelers,
Moon also offers this smaller version of the "Baja Handbook"
that only focuses on the Cape region of the peninsula from La Paz,
south (Including: Los Cabos, Todos Santos, areas along the East Cape,
etc.). If your trip only involves exploring this area, then save
yourself a dollar or two, and the weight of the heavier full-Baja edition, by
getting this version. 247 pages. |
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"Baja California" by Andrea Schulte-Peevers,
et al;
Lonely Planet Publications, 2001 (fifth edition). -- This latest
edition is still slightly more conscious of, and descriptive
about, the needs of budget travelers than the Moon/Cummings book(s)
(above). I personally can't go
anywhere without having this work as well. An excellent travel
guide to the peninsula. 317 pages. |
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"Frommer's Portable Los Cabos
& Baja" by Lynne Bairstow & Stephanie Avnet Yates,
Macmillan, 2000. -- Lives up to the Frommer's reputation of
excellent recommendations for non-budget-frenzied travelers.
Very competent book, just not as detailed as the above books from Moon
and Lonely Planet. When Ms. Bairstow goes into detail
about requirements to drive a vehicle across the border, she somehow
missed mentioning that it doesn't pertain to Baja... only mainland
Mexico. Still worth mentioning here though, especially at
this price. It's interesting that Frommer's publication
date is the year 2000, yet it's readily available in October
'99. Giving it that age-readiness, eh? 191 pages. |
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"The Baja Adventure Book" by Walt
Peterson, Wilderness Press, 1999. -- A must
for the adventurers among us. Peterson covers all the fun activities
like: fishing, hiking, climbing, diving, off-roading, kayaking, etc.
This book also has a road log for the highway, as well as side-trip
logs. |
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"Diving & Snorkeling Baja
California" by Walt
Peterson. Lonely Planet Publications, 1999. -- Mr.
Peterson is showing himself to be quite the prolific writer on Baja
subjects, especially when adventure is involved. An absolutely
"can't miss" book for those with any inkling of going
beneath the waters along the coasts of Baja. |
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"The Cave Paintings of Baja California"
by Harry W. Crosby, Sunbelt Publications, 1997. 243
pages. -- An extremely welcome update to the original work from
this author in 1975. The new publisher has brought out the
colors to a much greater and realistic degree than that original
edition. Mr. Crosby sought just to make the book available
again, but in going over the content, decided to entirely revamp
it. This book is absolutely a must for
anyone with interest in the ancient murals of the peninsula. It
covers the Sierras de: San Francisco, Guadalupe, San Juan, and San
Borja. I simply can't say enough about this work. It's
expensive and worth every penny and more. |
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"Exploring Baja by RV" by Walt
Peterson and Michael Peterson, Wilderness Press, 1996.
-- From the author of the "Baja Adventure Book" (and
his son) this seems like a newer addendum to the previously mentioned
work than a book just for the RV'er (and having both books wouldn't be
a mistake). A bit tamer than the older work, and (loosely)
geared for not only those traveling by RV, but quite simply even those
with just a car and tent. Over half the book concentrates on
being somewhat of a road log for the paved highways and many of the
unpaved roads of the peninsula, including the standard side-trip
experiences from the Petersons. An excellent work once
again. Bravo! |
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"The Baja Catch" by Neil Kelly and Gene
Kira.
Apples and Oranges Publishers, 1997 (3rd edition). --
The current "bible" for Baja California fishing
aficionados. This is a comprehensive guide to fishing and
camping along both coasts of the peninsula. Anyone interested in
fishing anywhere along the peninsula will eventually look back with
glee one day at their decision to possess this book. |
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"Adventure Kayaking: Baja" by Andromeda Romano-Lax,
Wilderness Press, 2001. (older, 1993 version is
pictured) -- A kayaking guide
focused on independent trips that provides descriptions of various
areas, put-in points, etc. A very good reference for the
beginning Baja kayaker. |
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"Diving Baja California" by Susan Speck,
Aqua Quest Publications, 1995. -- Covers both
the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean (including the Socorro
Islands). An excellent guide to marine life (even for snorkelers).
Top quality photographs. Information on dive operators and dive sites (including maps) are in
here as well. |
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"King of the Moon" by Gene Kira, Apples
and Oranges Publishers, 1996. -- A moving novel
set in a fictional fish camp along the central-southern Baja
California Sea of Cortez coast. It's a story about family and
values built around life in this area circa the late 1960's. Mr.
Kira himself is an avid Baja fisherman (and is co-author of "The
Baja Catch," listed above), and has also authored a book on
coaching soccer previously. His knowledge of both enjoyably
comes through in different scenarios that take place. One does
not need to be an aficionado of either to enjoy this story
however. This book is *highly* recommended, and I've personally
purchased multiple copies to give as gifts to friends/relatives that
have little knowledge of the peninsula... the story is really that
good. I've corresponded with Mr. Kira that I frequently raise a
toast to him, and to the "King of the Moon." |
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"The Other Side: Journeys in Baja
California" by Judy Goldstein Botello, Sunbelt Publications,
1998. This is about a love affair with Baja California and
how it happened over 20-plus years. Wonderful reading from a
woman's point-of-view. She shares stories of short jaunts across
the border to Tijuana and the people she met, as well as adventures
further south. Not only dealing with the "other side"
of the border, but the "other side" of one's self. |
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"The Log from the Sea of Cortez," by
John Steinbeck, Edward Flanders Ricketts, and Richard Astro; Penguin
USA, 1995. -- Originally published in 1951, this is a
story about a 6-week trip made by Steinbeck and his marine biology
cohorts in the 1940's from Monterey, California to the Sea of Cortez,
Mexico. Largely filled with notes about their biological
discoveries, Steinbeck's observations of the local inhabitants at the
time, and certain spontaneous musings make it all worthwhile.
The observation in Cabo San Lucas that the lighthouse only worked when
the tuna-canning plant was operational (hence, during the day), is one
of many humorous anecdotes. A classic book, about a classic
place from a classic writer. How can you pass it up? |
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"The Forgotten Peninsula, A Naturalist in
Baja California," by Joseph Wood Krutch, 1986 (reprint).
Dr. Krutch, who chose to move from New York City to the Sonoran desert
area of Tucson, Arizona because of health reasons, then became quite
an expert on the desert. This work is about his pilgrimage down
to the ultimate desert locale of North America: Baja California.
Here you will find some of his insightful remarks and observations
circa 1961 (from Mama Espinosa in El Rosario: bad roads act as
filters... bad roads bring good people, good roads bring bad people). |
Follow
this link for information on where you can acquire the most current road log for the
Baja California peninsula. (and it's only US$7.50) |
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