It’s the city the rest of the world descends on to party…. whether for the spectacular annual Carnival, the sun-kissed beaches, the World Cup, or, in 2016, the Olympics. It’s also a place that’s sadly become synonymous with some of the excesses of partying, the dark underbelly that accompanies any urban hedonist’s destination. But these are just two images of Rio. There are countless others: opulent seat of two former empires; stronghold of brutal, twentieth-century dictatorships; sprawling metropolis stretched between stunning mountain tops and equally stunningeconomic extremes – from the affluence of neighbourhoods like Leblon and Ipanema, to the overcrowded slums in the foothills, the favelas. This anthology brings together ten short stories that go beyond the postcards and snapshots, and introduce us to real residents of Rio – the cariocas: young hopefuls training to be the next stars of samba, exhausted labourers press-ganged into meeting an impossible construction deadline (the nation’s pride being at stake), bored call-girls, nostalgic drag queens, married couples having petty middle-class domestics…. These are characters who’ve developed a deep understanding of Rio’s contradictions, a way of living with the grey areas – between the grime and the glitz – that make Rio the ‘marvellous city’ it is.

'Living in Rio', both a travelogue and a look inside 20 local homes, presents an overview of the city's history, beaches, nightlife, parties, and Carioca lifestyle.

The I LOVE RIO book is based on the work of the ILOVERIO.COM portal, an ambitious project with the objective of making accurate and qualified information about Rio de Janeiro easily available globally, along with tens of thousands of unique and exclusive photographs. Defined by the media as the first city ever rebuilt on-line, I LOVE RIO provides over 25,000 pages of original content celebrating the history, culture and beauty of the city and state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "Eu Amo Rio", meaning "I love Rio", is an important local expression and a key part of the Carioca culture, therefore the phrase 'I LOVE RIO' was chosen as the name and symbol of the project and translated in more than 50 languages, divulging internationally a message of love and pride for Rio de Janeiro. As a one-of-a-kind project, I LOVE RIO is designed to show the City and the State of Rio de Janeiro from unique historical, touristic and cultural perspectives. The portal offers innovative interpretations, beyond the traditionally available on-line information for visitors and users. The multi-level content was conceived to give a quick touristic reference, and to show how each characteristic of Rio de Janeiro developed, providing an explanation of how various parts of Rio de Janeiro affect the residents' lives, traditions, artistic and cultural productions. The I LOVE RIO portal garnered the institutional endorsement of over 40 Brazilian entities at the Municipal, State and Federal levels, making of the portal an institutionally-backed, but independent platform with an extraordinary global reach. On July 26th 2016, the portal was officially launched and presented to the world via an unforgettable and unprecedented ceremony when the I LOVE RIO symbol was projected on the iconic monument of Christ the Redeemer, formally adding the portal to the cultural landscape of Rio de Janeiro. This book offers a glimpse in some of the most important aspects of Rio de Janeiro, an overall introduction to one of the most fascinating and complex cities in the world. The book contains QR-codes, providing direct links to the latest on-line content for any given topic.

Rio de Janeiro’s is a lush, complex history that spans five centuries, and Marvelous City is the first full length retelling of that history written in English. From the beach life of the Ipanema and Copacabana to the struggles of the Rio’s infamous favelas, this is a story of contrast and contradiction. We are offered a glimpse into Rio’s high society and rich culture and are shown the endemic violence, corruption, and social disparity with which it struggles to this day. With its populist politics and its unique blend of European, African and Amerindian influences, Rio de Janeiro has grown, over the centuries, into a place all its own, one that is greater than the sum of its parts, distinctively Brazilian, and whose symbol is the Rio Carnaval, the greatest show on earth. The beating cultural heart of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro is poised to host the 2016 Olympic Games. Author Orde Morton invites you to look beyond the postcard perfection of its natural beauty and discover this one of a kind city in all its many-sided wonder.