In the 1930s, the acclaimed Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias and his wife Rose made two trips to Bali, the results of which would impact the world's understanding of the island thereafter.

Geo-Mexico provides a lively, up-to-date and comprehensive exploration of Mexico, from climates to culture, population to politics, ecosystems to economy, transport to tourism, and globalization to gated communities. Key features: - assesses Mexico's success in meeting its demographic, economic and environmental challenges - traces the historical processes behind Mexico s modern landscapes - utilizes a variety of concepts, models and theories - engages the reader in contemporary issues, such as development, international migration, sustainability and global warming - explains Mexico s spatial patterns and its growing north-south divide * More than 100 original maps, graphs and diagrams * Over 50 text boxes highlight illustrative examples and case studies * Complete reference notes, bibliography and index. Geo-Mexico is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in Mexico.

The Island of Bali--a true paradise is explored in this classic travelogue. From the artists and writers of the 1930s to the Eat, Pray, Love tours so popular today, Bali has drawn hoards of foreign visitors and transplants to its shores. What makes Bali so special, and how has it managed to preserve its identity despite a century of intense pressure from the outside world? Bali: A Paradise Created bridges the gap between scholarly works and more popular travel accounts. It offers an accessible history of this fascinating island and an anthropological study not only of the Balinese, but of the paradise-seekers from all parts of the world who have traveled to Bali in ever-increasing numbers over the decades. This Bali travelogue shows how Balinese culture has pervaded western film, art, literature and music so that even those who've never been there have enjoyed a glimpse of paradise. This authoritative, much-cited work is now updated with new photos and illustrations, a new introduction, and new text covering the past twenty years.

Many men dream of running away to a tropical island and living surrounded by beauty and exotic exuberance. Walter Spies did more than dream. He actually did it. In the 1920s and 30s, Walter Spies — ethnographer, choreographer, film maker, natural historian and painter — transformed the perception of Bali from that of a remote island to become the site for Western fantasies about Paradise and it underwent an influx of foreign visitors. The rich and famous flocked to Spies’ house in Ubud and his life and work forged a link between serious academics and the visionaries from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Charlie Chaplin, Noel Coward, Miguel Covarrubias, Vicki Baum, Barbara Hutton and many others sought to experience the vision Spies offered while Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson, the foremost anthropologists of their day, attempted to capture the secret of this tantalizing and enigmatic culture. Island of Demons is a fascinating historical novel, mixing anthropology, the history of ideas and humour. It offers a unique insight into that complex and multi-hued world that was so soon to be swept away, exploring both its ideas and the larger than life characters that inhabited it.

Explore the exotic world of Balinese cooking--a cuisine dedicated to the gods and fueled by an aromatic array of fresh tropical island spices and ingredients! In Balinese Food: The Traditional Cuisine & Food Culture of Bali, Dr. Vivienne Kruger brings to life Bali's time-honored and authentic village cooking traditions. In over 20 detailed chapters, Dr. Kruger explores how the island's intricate culinary art is an inextricable part of Bali's Hindu religion, its culture and its community life. This book provides a detailed roadmap for those who wish to make an exciting exploration into the exotic world of Balinese cooking, with chapters on: The traditional Balinese kitchen Snacking at a roadside warung food stall Visiting a traditional Balinese market Preparing delicious satays with a Balinese twist Brewing heavenly kopi Bali coffee Containing interviews with Balinese master cooks and over 40 of their favorite recipes, Balinese Food presents the full range of food experiences you will find in Bali. Sections devoted to ingredients, equipment, and resources make Balinese Food a delightful social and cultural guide to the food of this fascinating island. "Balinese Food is an important contribution to the rapidly expanding scholarly study of foodways in various parts of the world--an important new subset of social and cultural history." --Alden T. Vaughan, Professor emeritus of History, Columbia University

At the center of an artistic milieu as vital and exciting as the Left Bank of Paris or Greenwich Village, Rosa and Miguel Covarrubias knew almost everyone in the limelight of the 1930s and 1940s—Langston Hughes, Carl Van Vechten, John Huston, Diego Rivera, and Frida Kahlo, to name just a few. As fascinating themselves as any of their friends, the couple together fostered a renaissance of interest in the history and traditional arts of Mexico's indigenous peoples, while amassing an extraordinary collection of art that ranged from pre-Hispanic Olmec and Aztec sculptures to the work of Diego Rivera. Written by a long-time friend of Rosa, this book presents a sparkling account of the life and times of Rosa and Miguel. Adriana Williams begins with Miguel's birth in 1904 and follows the brilliant early flowering of his artistic career as a renowned caricaturist for Vanity Fair and the New Yorker magazines, his meeting and marriage with Rosa at the height of her New York dancing career, and their many years of professional collaboration on projects ranging from dance to anthropology to painting and art collecting to the development of museums to preserve Mexico's pre-Columbian heritage. Interviewing as many of their friends as possible, Williams fills her narrative with reminiscences that illuminate Miguel's multifaceted talents, Rosa's crucial collaboration in many of his projects, and their often tempestuous relationship.