This book is a MUST Read for anyone even contemplating a visit to Hedo. It's filled with useful tips for first-timers and I'll be re-reading it before my next trip. You'll be laughing out loud and getting totally psyched for your trip...and when you get back, it's highly likely you'll write to Chris with a true story of your own...even though no one who hasn't been there will believe it. But those of us who've been there will !

Chris has done it again! This book tells the exact truth about Hedonism II. It puts to rest the rumours and half truths that circulate everywhere. My husband and I are Hedo vets, having been three times and I laughed my head off reading this second edition of this book. It's hysterical and brought back so many memories. Without the first book, we would have definately been more apprehensive about going the first time. This book should quell anyone's fears. Chris calls Hedo like it is, a very fun time with lots of friends. This is a great book for any Hedo virgin or vet. It's a great read!

Don't believe the rumors and wild stories reported other places about Hedonism II. In TNTAH2, Chris does a great job of explaining and illustrating the experience of a very different resort in Jamaica. Hedo II is like no other place on earth. If it wasn't for the First Edition book, my wife & I may not have gone there, now we can't wait to get back. Now the Second Edition has even more tips, photos, and great Hedo stories which veterans will find hillarious (or be very jealous!), and the inexperienced will find almost unbelievable. But you can believe it because Chris has "been there, done that" many times and writes without authorization, support or endorsement of Hedo management.

This book will prepare "virgins" for their first trip by giving tips for what to bring, what to expect, and explains who goes to Hedo. Is this the place for me? Do people really.....? Can I really wear THAT? Should I bring.....? These questions are answered, and many others you never thought to ask. Chris is an experienced "repeat offender" at Hedo and tells the true stories, debunks the myths, and gives many tips needed to make the most of your trip. The wife & I read it straight through the minute it arrived at our door, and we review it again everytime we are longing to go again. Whether you are a couple looking to experience some romance, or a single wanting to party for a week, this book will prepare you for a trip to a place that so many repeaters call Home.

Mary Urrutia captured the essence of Cuban cooking in her book, tasty and simple home fare. The recipes are easy to follow. She suggests substitute ingredients for those of us who live in areas where the "criollo" ingredients may not be readily available. Every dish I have made from the book has been greeted with rave reviews by my family and friends. Urrutia has made it possible for those who follow her recipes to be labeled a "great Cuban cook"!

I absolutely love this book! It has so many wonderful recipes and all of them are perfect. I am Cuban-American and I even managed to surprise my grandparents with some of my new Cuban dishes. They tell me that they taste is truly "Cuban" and that it reminds them of real Cuban cuisine.

The recipes are super easy to follow, the book was written very well and very easy to understand. I highly recommend this book to any cook - Cuban or not. You'll love it!

WOW!!!!
Unless you get recipes from your Cuban grandmother there is nothing better than this book. The writer's lovely descriptions of her days as a little girl in Cuba and the can't miss recipes are what make this book a true gem. I was happy to see recipes for dishes that I grew up with but never knew how to make. If you have the time and calories to spare make the Pastel De Pollo it is divino!!!
The recipe for Mojo Criollo was great, I made it with Yuca for Thanksgiving and my entire Cuban family thought it was my grandmother's recipe.
Gracias Mary your book will be treasured in my home.

I visit family in St. Croix (US Virgin Islands) yearly, and I have looked at a number of books in order to learn the names of the numerous fish I see when I'm snorkeling or diving. This one makes identification easy, with beautiful pictures and the all-important "Distinctive Features" sections, which give you tips on how to distinguish one fish from the next. Make no mistake: this book is the easiest to use and the most comprehensive one I've seen. I'm online to buy the other two books (Reef Coral and Reef Creatures).

When I first received this book as a christmas gift from my mother,I was shocked. It was spiral bound,but twice the size of a norma fish identification guide. At 424 pages & 670 photos,it is rather spectacular. Although I have only seen it in pictures,the west atlantic is my favourite underwater landscape,and therefore,it was a great honour to own this book.
The book begins with an introduction to fishes in the caribbean and the ecology of the reefs. A massive ID book is needed to identify fishes on the world`s second largest reef area.
Different from most other fish ID books,it is a rather special one that is dividing the fish into groups based on look rather than relationship. I`ll go through these groups one by one in this review.
ID group 1 is Disks/Oval,featuring some of my favourite fish,making a perfect beginning of the book.
Butterflyfish,angelfish,and surgeonfish can be found here.
Every description includes a short description of colors and gender differences,if any,distribution,family,size,depht and reaction to divers,and natural habitat.
The photographs are accompanied by b/w drawings of the silhouettes.
The second one is a rather large chapter,covering the silvery,stream-lined ocean hunters like barracudas,porgies,mojarras,dolphins,mullets,and the large predator cobia. Not very colorfull,but still majestic.
The 3rd chapter includes Sloping Head/Tapered body,with snappers and grunts as the main families.The grunts can be rather varied.
The 4th one includes Small Ovals,where the damselfish and chromis can be found. There are no anemonefish in the caribbean,but these are closely related to those. Also included here are the hamlets,which are all subspecies of one species.
These are very colorfull and cute little critters. The next chapter is Heavy Body/Large Lips,including the largest bony fishes here - groupers,of which the jewfish can weigh 900 pounds!
These are clumsy,but still charmy fishes. Except 30 species of those,the little fairy basslet,the most beautifull fish of the caribbean,is included here too,yellow and purple.
Swim with Pectoral Fins,which is ID group 6,includes the varied family of parrotfishes and wrasses,which are very colourfull. The Hogfish can also be found here,the character of the caribbean. ID group 7 introduces Reddish/Big Eyes,with the big-eyed squirrelfishes and the small,but beautifull cardinalfish.
ID group 8 treats the Small,Elongated Bottom-Dwellers,whose beauty is often underestimated,especially the cute gobies. The sailfin blenny is one of my favourites. Here,we can also find the yellowhead jawfish,which is a famous fish here too. Odd-Shaped Bottom Dwellers includes the toadfish and the funny-looking flounders & batfishes,who walks on their fins!I am very fascinated by the looks of the strange frogfishes. Odd-Shaped Swimmers (chapter 10) includes the pufferfish,which can fill themselves with air,and the funny-looking trumpetfish. Also found here are the boxfishes,who are covered with armor,except for their fins,eyes and mouth. They can have very beautifull colors. The triggerfish can be found too. They are colorfull,although agressive inhabitants of the coral reefs. So are their close relatives,the filefishes.
And finally,the cutest fish in the Caribbean,can also be found here. It is the little yellow porcupinefish,less than an inch in size. The famous jack-knife is also found in this chapter. It looks like a cross between a scalare and a chromis!
It is believed to be the juvenile form of the web burrfish.
The 11th chapter is the Eel Deal of the book. Here comes the snake eels,beautifull but mysterious bottom dwellers. And last,but not least,the venomous moray eels also lurks in this chapter. The 8-foot green moray is the most famous,while the most scary one is the viper moray with huge teeth!I love moray eels,so this is a paradise for me!
The final chapter "Sharks & Rays" deals with the ultimate UW predators. But not all sharks a fierce. In fact,the whale shark is one of the friendliest fishes in the world,reaching a size of 60 feet and harmless to everything but plancton!The nurse shark is also a character of the Caribbean. Other ones included here are the manta ray,lemon shark,mako shark (the fastest fish in the world)and the dangerous tiger & bull sharks.
This is a chapter I would have liked to expand a bit,but as many sharks are not reef dwellers,I understand why they did not included the great white and/or the Megamouth.
Over all,now I have gone through all chapters fastly,but you have to see this book to really enjoy it. When I go to the Caribbean or Florida,I will bring this book and see how many fish I can identify.
So go get it!

This is the authoritative reference for reef fish throughout the Florida, Caribbean and Bahamas area. The most complete book on reef fish that I have seen, it is easy to use and beautifully illustrated. Each fish has it's own full color picture along with a line drawing that points out the defining characteristics of that particular species. With a plastic cover and the pages treated to resist water it can be taken to the beach or onto the boat without much concern about the water damaging the book.

Each entry has complete information on the fish from size, depth, range and habitat to the level of concern that a diver should have for their safety around the fish. Whether you snorkel, scuba dive or engage in other activities around a reef, this is the best book to have to identify the fish. This book can also be purchased as part of a three part set that also includes the Reef Coral Identification and Reef Creature Identification texts, each of which is equally as excellent as the Reef Fish Identification book.

"Dominica." "Identity." "Colonialism." The words cascade easily off Gabriel J. Christian's tongue as he weaves the names and dates of almost every major event in Caribbean history into his conversation. From the Cuban Revolution to Sammy Sosa, Christian can tell you just about everything about Carib people--and somehow, despite all his historical allusions and unexpected tangents, it all makes sense. He is, after all, a lawyer. Your first impression of him is that he is a man well-suited to writing lengthy, carefully argued works of nonfiction. Not surprisingly, his first book, In Search of Eden, co-authored with Irving Andre and published in 1992, chronicles the history of the island-nation Dominica. But his latest endeavor, Rain on a Tin Roof, is a collection of short stories Christian calls "quirky." It shows an unexpected side of the guy who works 12-hour shifts at his own law firm, goes home to watch C-SPAN, and then settles into a political book before going to bed at 1 a.m. Recently, instead of penning letters on behalf of his clients, he has been spending much of his time sitting at the computer in his "cubbyhole of a basement," contemplating name changes for the characters he has drawn from his childhood memories. In his vibrant stories Christian captures the complex realities of a people whose long histories have been aching to be told, embellished with his own recollections and flair. Rain on a Tin Roof's adventure-starved little boy, who dashes to a window to watch a hurricane swipe the galvanized-iron roofs off the island's houses, is Christian. The hormonal adolescent who five-finger-discounts his mother's kitchen rum to set the mood for a day of carnival, hoping to "wriggle on his classmate Tessa's behind," is Christian. And Christian is also the protective brother who gives the evil eye to a crowd of jeering kids hurling stones and insults at his developmentally challenged sister. Christian is eager to focus his attention on his home--and not to contribute to the brain drain that seems to plague most Caribbean countries, where children leave for education abroad but never return, physically or otherwise, to strengthen the islands that nurtured them. Pond Casse Press, Christian's publishing company, has offices in Roseau, Dominica as well as in Upper Marlboro, Md., and Brampton, Ontario. And his involvement in the Dominican Association of Washington D.C. and the Institute of Caribbean Studies makes Christian the perfect poster boy for Caribbean nationalism. But his approach to the role is subdued. Maybe it's because, for him, entertainment is strapping on a satchel and heading down to Martin Luther King Memorial Library. Or perhaps it's because, deep inside, he knows he cannot really return to Dominica, a place that has irrevocably changed since he left it 17 years ago.

This compilation of short stories truly reflects the life of a son for the soil. Though the author spent the greater part of his adult life away for his homeland Dominica, the stories told indicate he s truly reminiscent of the gratifying life growing up on a small Caribbean Island during the seventies and prior. Most of these experiences I believe almost every West Indian will identify with. It's genuine, not to mention zesty.

I can mostly relate to the story 'Rain on a Tin Roof.' Though I was only twelve years old at the time hurricane David was on its rampage devastating our country, my memories of the event remain vivid.

As a young Dominica, I would suggest every Dominican and by extension West Indian should grab hold of this remarkable compilation, as it truly connotes the life of a practical Dominican. This book also makes a great gift for the West Indian offspring's, wanting to learn of the experiences growing up in the islands

To the non-West Indians I say, "Buy the book, its literature is a unique culture to learn about, one which relates the real life experiences of the serious, yet witty author." One to really love.

To the author I say, "Great job Gabe, you are truly ingenious."

Excellent! Excellent literary work, Gabo brings home all that is truly island happenings. A must read for all Caribbean peoples and a gift of love to their entire family. Rain on a Tin Roof evokes all the memories of growing up in the islands, a story of family love,trials and triumphs so vividly portrayed. An unpretentious and riviting portrayal of island politics , culture and traditions that make every page come alive and leave you wanting more.The reader is transported back in time. As you leaf through the pages you laugh and cry and hold your breath as you are overcome with nostalgia brought on by memories of the good old days. For those who have not visited Dominica this book is home, the experiences are real. Simply put this should make the best sellers and the Opra book club list.

As a travel guide "The Naked Truth About Hedonism II" is right on the mark. It is a book which is both fun to read and very practical at the same time. Ms. Santilli provides the first time visitor with a wealth of very practical information about this most unusual of resorts. Look here to find out what to bring, what to buy, what to wear (and not wear), what to do, etc. It should be required reading for the first timer. For those who have been to Hedonism II it is a welcome reminder of past experiences and people. It contains numerous tales of visitors experiences and opinions. The book, and the hotel, are for the open minded. Be warned that some will object to the detailed discussion of nudity, sex, drinking, etc. For them reading this book will help them avoid what will probably be their idea of a 'vacation in hell'. The only problem with 'The Naked Truth About Hedonism II' are the photos. Many of them are too dark (low contrast). This book is recommended reading for those going to Jamaica.

My husband and I toyed with the idea of going to Hedo II for years, but wanted to better understand the dynamics and "expectations" of this resort before we committed. "Naked Truth" offered tips on everything from nude beach photography protocol and resort security, to hot tub flirting and sex, or "thanks but no thanks" etiquette. It's packed full of facts and fun stories that make you feel like you've already been there. From the very first, this sexy book puts you right in the middle of the hot, hot, hottest (and most talked about) resort in Jamaica. You'll know you're experiencing it through the eyes of an "insider" before you get to the second page. Full of facts, fun, and some wild, color photos, Santilli's book is a must-have for anyone considering a trip to Hedonism II. Or for the armchair traveler yearning for a glimpse of what really goes on inside this magical, wild world where fantasy eclipses reality and eroticism reigns supreme.

All I can say is after reading this, we're confident this trip will be whatever WE make it. We're now booked and looking forward to our "virgin" trip!

As a regular visitor to Hedonism II and a member of one of their party groups, I couldn't put this book down. Chris captures the truth essence of this party resort. Novices will find all the answers to their questions (and information they can use to persuade their spouse that Hedonism should be their next vacation spot). Seasoned veterans will recognize the beach games and stories from some of the wildest weeks at Hedo. If you think there is no place where you would vacation time and time again, you haven't been to Jamaica and Hedonism II.

I love pirate romance novels, and it was refreshing to read one that didn't have the gratuitous sex that is so common in a typical romance novel. The story line here is also much more interesting, interwoven as it is with historical fact. I did note one historical error that somehow got by the editors: Emerald finds a portrait miniature of her cousin Lavendar on Baret's ship; she later refers to the painted miniature as a photograph (p. 116) -- and we know photographs weren't invented until a couple hundred years later. But overall, this book was enjoyable; I look forward to reading the following two in the series.

This book was a beautiful romance full of adventure.It has it all; drama, romance, action, adventure,and even comedy. I would advise anyone who enjoyed this book to also read Captive Heart by Linda Chaikin, and anyone who hasn't read this book should.I couldn't put it down the first time I read it and still can't today. So if your looking for a good book this is the one!

Well first I have to say one thing. The review at the top was just a little misinformed. Emerald plans to marry Jamie, not Baret, and her father's not brutal! Anyway, this book was awesome. I am so glad I bought it, it was definietly worth the price I paid for it. Miss Emerald Harwick, the granddaughter of a French pirate, tries to elope with a servant and finds herself sort-of-kidnapped on a ship full of pirates greedy for lost treasure! The captain of the ship, Sir Baret "Foxworth" Buckington, is the usual dashing, buff, black-haired pirate whom all the women love, and Emerald seems to have mixed feelings about him. First she loves him, then she hates him, then she loves him... get the picture. Well anyway, I absolutely loved this book and I'm dyng to read the next one. I highly recommend it!

Blessed By Thunder: Memoir Of A Cuban Girlhood is a compelling autobiography of a Cuban childhood amidst the drama and struggle of Cuba's revolution and consequent relative isolation from the western world in general, and the United States in particular. Flor Barriors grew up in a family embittered by their treatment at the hands of Castro's government. After requesting to leave the country, her family was ostracized, and eleven-year-old Flor was sent to a rural work camp where she picked tobacco and sugar cane for two years. Headstrong and defiant, with a spirit unbroken by daily hardships, she found wisdom and comfort in the older women in her family (two grandmothers and a nanny), each of whom taught her about the power of spirits and the magical ways to seek healing. Finally able to leave Cuba, Flor was uprooted and living in exile, but used the lessons learned from the women in her family to heal her losses and make her way in a new life far from home. Blessed By Thunder is a remarkable, engaging, candid, vividly recounted autobiography of an unusual girl in unusual times.

"In the heartbreaking story of her life in Cuba and the United States, Flor Fernandez gives us one of the first accounts of this passage that does not have a political agenda. These gentle portraits of the women who loved and raised her tell us more about the situation of the people of Cuba than a hundred works of propaganda.

Flor realizes that the one thing she can salvage from the past is her don, her gift for healing, and that rather than hindering her from adapting to the United States, it offers a doorway to the future, and a focus for her life. She draws a continuous thread that links us to traditional healing and the hope that it holds for contemporary women today.

I look forward to reading more from this talented and insightful writer."

-Kathleen Alcalá, Author of Spirits of the Ordinary and The Flower in the Skull

Blessed By Thunder is a stunning achievement and a heartfelt story about what it is to grow up too quickly, what it is to lose your home and your country and to find yourself in the land of magnificent promises and deferred dreams... America! Flor Fernandez Barrios has written an exceptional memoir that recounts shocking stories of the layers and layers of betrayal and deception the Cuban people have endured through Castro's four-decade-old revolution. As the child of Cuban exiles I devour books about that mysterious jewel of an island called Cuba...so near and yet so far.... We are Blessed by writers such as Fernandez Barrios who has pierced the exotic veil of this intoxicating neighbor of ours and who has laced her stories with wrenching details of how ordinary lives have been touched by this larger world event. Her memoir is elegant and deeply provoking and her stories stay with you long after the book is done. ~ Juana de la O

Scoblete explains why the casinos are introducing these new games with high house edges and he shows you the best strategies to ply for each. If you follow these strategies and his money-management advice, you have a good chance of reducing the casino's take on you. The book is also an enjoyable book to read as Scoblete is a good writer who knows how to make even difficul subjects interesting. Read this book before you tackle any of the three new games listed and you'll be helping yourself a great deal.

These new games can be murder on your bankroll but Scoblete shows how to use the proper strategies to reduce the house edge to the minimum. He then explains how to slow the pace to get more in comps than your action actually entails. The book is a fast read and you can photocopy his strategies and take them to the casino. This is very helpful if, like me, you have a poor memory. Definitely a worthwhile book to have. Also a fun book to read.

I like to play the new games that the casinos have introduced because you have a chance to win a lot of money. I also recognize that casinos have not introduced these games to make me money but to make them money. Scoblete's book helped me to learn the right strategies to keep the house edge low and it was also a very entertaininglook at three of the popular new games. Scoblete first explains how each game is played and then explains how the house edge is for various playing methods. He then explains his own Bold Card Play strategies which do cut the edges considerably. He has a really great section on the various types of systems people try to employ against casino games and he also has excellent information on how to get the most in comps for the least risk. He is an excellent writer and this book is must reading if you want to play these new games.

Buy this book and hesitate to read - all other poetry afterwards will pale in comparison. Then buy a copy of Neruda's autobiography to understand how Neruda can 'write the saddest lines'. I have given Twenty Love Poems and a song of Despair more frequently than any other gift. The perfect Valentine's or anniversary gift.

Never read anything as beautiful as these words!! So poignant, so honest, so real! Speaks of love in terms that we all understand. It speaks of love in all its glories, pains, frustrations and ecstasies. It captures love in all its moments, from that first adrenaline rush to the last bitter moments of a relationship, as in "Tonight I write the saddest lines". So much passion and sensitivity wrapped up in one book! This book has become my travelling companion. I take it everywhere with me!! I LOVE YOU NERUDA, MI CORAZON!!!!!!!!

I have always been thankful that English is my first language, for I would hate to read a translated version of a Shakespeare play. Neruda (and perhaps Gabriel Garcia Marquez) is one writer that makes me wish I could read Spanish, for as amazing as his poems are in the translated English (and the are amazing), they must be pure and unabashed magic in their original language. Neruda is able to write on emotions that we occassionaly feel, and often long about, but can seldom work into spoken (yet alone written) words. By far, my favorite in this book of poems is Number 20, which has come to be known as "Tonight I Can Write..." Only after losing the love that I thought would last forever did the words "Love is so short, forgetting so long" sincerely ring true. Neruda's poems in general are amazing, and his ability to capture human emotions is remarkable.

El Aleph es un libro bastante interesante, recopilación de 18 breves narraciones, muy analíticas. Borges, nos muestra la variedad de su pensamiento y de sus ideas;nos enséña la mitología, la religión, la conciencia, la historia universal enfocada en los siglos mas remotos, la muerte, y en la última de sus narraciones, la que le da el nombre al libro, "El Aleph", término desconocido para mi hasta entonces, exposición de un mensaje filosófico muy complejo desde el punto de su vivencia personal. Para todos los que desean conocer la obra de Borges, este libro puede ser un buen comienzo para tener la noción de sus escritos.

No me quiero referir especificamente a El Aleph, me encantaria poder transmitirles lo fascinante que ha sido la obra y la vida de Borges.No sera de gran relevancia el primer libro de el que lean, les puedo asegurar que se van a quedar maravillados con la erudiccion Jorge Luis Borges.Les recomiendo el poema de los dones.

Cuando uno descubre a un escritor como Borges se arrepiente del tiempo perdido divagando en la literatura, intentando encontrar un libro que te haga retener el aire en cada párrafo leído para finalizarlo con una exhalación de complacencia. Borges es de los personajes al que muchos de nosotros debemos agradecerles esa bendita adicción a la lectura.

Jorge Luis Borges juega con sus lectores, especialmente con aquellos -y me considero uno de ellos- que olvidan que están leyendo cuentos fantásticos y tratamos de encontrar alguna relación con nuestro mundo real o buscamos simbolismos que no existen. Esto se debe a que este escritor tiene la facilidad de sumergirnos en cada una de sus historias haciéndonos partícipes de sus invenciones y logrando abstraernos de nuestra realidad.

El Aleph reúne una serie de cuentos cuyos episodios se desarrollan en "dimensiones paralelas" a la nuestra -por decirlo de algún modo -. Dimensiones habitadas por seres inmortales que mueren dos veces y pueden recorrer el mundo a través de un punto ubicado en un lugar secreto de una vivienda en vísperas de ser derruida. No hay un cuento que podamos considerarlo como el mejor; cada uno de ellos tiene un encanto especial desarrollado en un tiempo desconocido y en un mundo irreal.