Costa Rica Adventure Map
by National Geographic
A double-sided map at a scale of 1:500,000.
Costa Rica Reader: History, Culture, Politics
by Steven Palmer (Editor), Ivan Molina (Editor)
A lively, literate sourcebook on the politics, economy and society of Costa Rica
Costa Rica Wildlife: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Species
by James Kavanagh
A laminated field guide with colorful illustrations of over 140 wildlife species typically seen in Costa Rica. The cards feature mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and butterflies.
Costa Rica, A Traveler's Literary Companion
by Barbara Ras
A wonderful introduction to the character of the people, culture and land, this anthology brings together 26 stories by Costa Rican writers.
Lonely Planet Costa Rica Country Guide
by Lonely Planet
Regional maps, detailed site information and general tips will be useful to travelers of all budgets and interests.
Lonely Planet Costa Rican Spanish
by Lonely Planet
A pocket guide to understanding idioms, slang and Spanish as it is spoken by the Ticos.
National Geographic Costa Rica
by Christopher P. Baker
This stylish, informative and up-to-date travel resource features 200 photographs, many maps and good information on the country's history, nature and culture.
The Birds of Costa Rica
by Richard Garrigues, Robert Dean (Illustrator)
Built for the field, this great guide includes multiple illustrations for 820 species of birds.
The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King
by Rich Cohen
An entertaining and informative biography of banana magnate Samuel Zemurray. We guarantee you will never look at a banana in the same way again.
The Longest Line on the Map: The United States, the Pan-American Highway, and the Quest to Link the Americas
by Eric Rutkow
A fascinating historical account of the multi-country project responsible for the Panamerican Highway, (19,000 miles) from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
“Rutkow is a graceful writer with a penchant for well-placed classical allusions… The narrative finds its highest velocity near the end, with a fascinating section on a North Carolina schoolteacher’s efforts to bushwhack his way through the Darien Gap, and Richard Nixon’s stated desire to drive the finished road himself in time for the 1976 bicentennial.” —New York Times Book Review
“Everybody loves a shaggy dog story. A good one should be long and implausible but still on the edge of possibility. The chronicle at the heart of Eric Rutkow’s The Longest Line on the Map seems to qualify. The story involves the decades-long attempt to construct thousands of miles of railway—and, later, highway—to ‘link the Americas.’” —The Wall Street Journal
The Wildlife of Costa Rica, A Field Guide
by Twan Leenders, Robert Dean, Jim Zook, Fiona Reid
This guide includes 450 of the most common, interesting and charismatic mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and arthropods that you are likely to encounter. Each has exquisite full-color illustrations.
Tropical Nature
by Adrian Forsyth, Ken Miyata
A lively, lucid portrait of the tropics as seen by two uncommonly observant and thoughtful field biologists. Its 17 marvelous essays introduce the habitats, ecology, plants and animals of the Central and South American rainforest
Tropical Plants of Costa Rica
by Willow Zuchowski
Organized by habitat, this photo guide to 400 species has chapters on popular destinations, including Monteverde and Tortuguero.
Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How it Transformed Our World
by Mark Pendergrast
Coffee is such an integral part of our culture these days; it is a part of our breakfast routine, it is used as an excuse to get together with friends, a popular "pick-me-up" drink, a status symbol...the list goes on and on. Despite worldwide consumption, most people do not realize the important part coffee has played in shaping international economies, spurring revolutions, and molding cultures. Pendergrast provides an interesting historical overview of coffee, from its discovery in Ethiopia many centuries ago, to its wide ranging socio-economic impact around the world.
Where Tapirs and Jaguars Once Roamed: Ever-Evolving Costa Rica
by Jack Ewing
Another winning work by Jack Ewing-- author of "Monkeys Are Made of Chocolate: Exotic and Unseen Costa Rica." Ewing blends fiction and scientific evidence to describe the geological birth of Costa Rica millions of years ago, then fast forwarding to the arrival of the country's first indigenous peoples and beyond.
