States of Mexico, The

Mexico comprises 32 diverse states, and this reference is the first to succinctly profile each. Each chapter devoted to one of the states provides a contemporary snapshot of the most important information to know about the state, with essay sections on its characteristics, flora and fauna, cultural groups and languages, history, economy, social customs, arts, noteworthy places, and cuisine with representative recipes. Familiar and noteworthy names in Mexican culture are highlighted in the applicable sections. The format is perfect for students studying Spanish and travelers and general readers wanting a different angle from that provided in guidebooks and more authoritativeness than they can offer. Readers learn about the pulsing metropolis of Mexico City to the jungle isolation found in the Yucatan Peninsula.Considering the huge political, social, and economic focus on Mexico and the number of Mexican immigrants in the United Status today, Americans need to know more about Mexico and the homeland of these new immigrants. Make this one of the sources you recommend to your patrons to get a quick yet substantial feel for the states and their people. A map and photo accompany each chapter, and the volume contains a chronology, glossary, and selected bibliography.

"This well-produced and generally authoritative guide to the history and culture of the states of the Mexican republic is best seen as a series of brief introductory essays. . . . Students and travelers looking for a brief background in English are the natural audience for this book. Public libraries and undergraduate collections would probably want to consider buying it was well." - ARBAonline, "Los Estados Unidos Mexicano, explains Standish (Hispanic studies, East Carolina U.), is made up of 31 states and the Distrito Federal. He profiles each state and district in terms of its characteristics, cultural groups and languages, history, economics, arts, social customs, noteworthy places, and cuisine. He says that in some places, the indigenous peoples are highly integrated into the mainstream culture, and their traditional practices have become hybridized with Hispanic ones, but in many places people preserve their own customs and languages—over 60 spoken—in relative isolation. A chronology and a few monochrome photographs are included." - Reference & Research Book News, "...After an introductory survey history, Standish covers each of the 31 Mexican states plus the Distrito Federal (Mexico City). Each chapter contains sections covering 'State Characteristics' (physical, administrative, and demographic), 'Cultural Groups and Languages,' 'History,' 'Economy,' 'Arts,' 'Social Customs,' 'Noteworthy Places,' and 'Cuisine,' including several recipes. The writing is accessible and should be easy for high-school students to read. A glossary, a selected print bibliography of English-language titles, and an index complete the work. ...Whereas Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Mexican States (2d ed., 2007) is designed for a middleschool audience and up, older students should find The States of Mexico useful, and it is recommended for high-school and undergraduate collections as well as larger public libraries." - Booklist, "It is brief enough to provide a point of departure and well written enough to encourage further exploration. Summing Up: Recommended. Libraries with large reference collections serving lower-level undergraduates or general readers." - Choice, "...a detailed but consistent geographical survey that will serve audiences in high school, public and undergraduate libraries." - Lawrence Looks at Books

PETER STANDISH is Professor of Foreign Languages and Literatures at East Carolina University and the author of numerous works on Latin America and Mexico, including co-authoring Culture and Customs of Mexico (Greenwood, 2004), as well as serving as the series editor for Greenwood's Culture and Customs of Latin America and the Caribbean series.