An odd little book about a former ballet dancer dancing tango in Buenos Aires. The author describes herself as blonde and beautiful. She marries and divorces an Argentine man, but it's all in the background of her consuming tango obsession. With disjoint time and amost hallucinatory digressions into the emotions brought to the surface by tango, this reads a bit like "Trout Fishing in America" if it were tango instead of trout. There is a flip book built into the pages where a tango turns first into a violent attack and then into sheets of falling paper. This low-tech animation wordlessly caputures the themes in the text.

Taylor's _Paper_Tangos_ is a great example of how autobiography and ethnography can come together to 'write culture'. The text is introspective, reflecting the nature of the Argentine culture at the time that Taylor lived in South America. In this respect, she was involved in 'participant observation'; it seems that everyone hid from society at the time (lots of scary terrorism going on). In _Paper_Tangos_, she finds refuge in the 'underground' tango culture, and discovers much about her past as she learns about the dance and social practices.

If you become Taylor's 'dancing' partner, and read this book on its own terms--outside of genre traditions and 'rules'--you may, like me, appreciate it for the unique perspective that it offers. This book has inspired my own writing and approaches to both memoir and ethnography. And the little flip book it really cool too!!

QUICK REVIEW
This is a fairly good book about the discovery of dinosaur eggs (and a few other fossils) in Argentina and what scientists learned from studying them. An interesting book.

FULL REVIEW
This book is written about a couple of things. Mainly it is the story of what a group of paleontologists discovered at a site in Argentina. They found a number of incredible fossils (some of which had never been seen before) and were able to piece together a picture of what Sauropod dinosaur embryos looked like and what happened to them. They mostly unearthed eggs but they also stumbled across two other skeletons. Overall it was amazing what they found. But the book is also about other things. Within the overall story we are given a history of other dinosaur fossil discoveries as well as lessons on different types of dinosaurs and their classification. We are given a timeline of when dinosaurs lived and some background on how paleontologists collect fossils. All of these things make up the book, so it is not just a simple telling of the story of the discovery. The book isn't fantastic but it is pretty good and generally keeps the attention of the reader. This is the kind of book where if you think you'll be interested in it, there's a good possibility you will but if you aren't interested in it and don't think you'll enjoy it you almost certainly will not. For readers who think they'll be interested, the authors do a good job of taking you through the story by the excitement of discovery. You follow along with them as they come across one great find after another. Sometimes they get a little too technical for the average reader but at other times they don't give as much technical information as the reader may want. And the authors rely a little too much on evolution to try to explain things that aren't full understood. Instead of just saying scientists don't know how something happened or that they can't figure out the whole story, they try to squeeze things into the box of general evolution just because they don't have any other answer at the moment. There are also some slow parts while they go off on a tangent now and then, but it basically flows pretty well and if the readers feel somewhat interested they probably will enjoy this book.

In a highly readable account, the authors describe a 1997 scientific expedition to Patagonia, in the desolate, remote region of central Argentina, which results in the discovery of tens of thousands of fossilized dinosaur eggs. Some of the eggs contain the first fossils of embryonic dinosaur skin ever found. In the full flush of discovery, the team of scientists dub their new find 'Auca Mahuevo,' as a pun on the volcano Auca Mahuida around which the field is located, combined with 'mas' 'huevos' or more eggs, in Spanish.

By means of a number of questions, which the authors then proceed to answer in successive chapters, the reader is lucidly lead on the path of scientific discovery. For example, in one chapter, the authors ask and answer: "What Were We Searching For and How Did We Decide Where to Look?" There is one exception to this lucidity, however. In one chapter the authors feel it necessary to provide a primer on dinosaurs, in order to establish all the possible species whose eggs these could be. In my opinion this chapter was a total flop. If you are a dinosaur maven, it was probably unnecessary, and if you are not, as is my case, it was far too technical and dragged on and on. At the end of the 1997 expedition we are treated to the spectacle of an overflow press conference, with all types of media imaginable in attendance.

Next, a 1999 expedition to Auca Mahuevo is described. In this expedition more evidence about egg laying patterns is gathered and another startling fossil discovery is made. a completely new species of dinosaur is found, and the fossil is collected and named: Aucasaurus garridoi. Finally, a 2000, Y2k expedition is described.

On the whole, this is a very enjoyable read, with only a few dull spots, and I recommend it to you.

"An Absence of Shadows," by Marjorie Agosin, is a significant volume by this important Chilean author. "Absence" contains the texts of two previously published volumes (1988's "Zones of Pain" and 1992's "Circles of Madness"), together with new work. The poems have been translated into English by Celeste Kostopulos-Cooperman, Cola Franzen, and Mary G. Berg. The book is presented in bilingual format, with the Spanish originals and English versions on facing pages.

In her preface, Agosin explains that this book commemorates the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. Agosin notes in the preface that poets "have become the voices that ask for compassion for the voiceless victims. They see beauty amidst the horror and find the courage to speak against injustice." The poems in this book exemplify this mission.

Some of the most striking selections in this book include "The Obedient Girl," about a girl who encounters the general who tortured her family; "The President," a bitter satire of military dictatorship; "El Salvador," the story of a Jewish woman from that troubled nation; and "Anne Frank and Us," in which the speaker notes that the iconic title figure "visits me often." I recommend this book to those interested in women's studies, Latin American literature, Spanish language poetry, or human rights issues.

This collection is an excellent introduction to Borges, and clearly shows how he revolutionized the short story and became the pater familias of a new genre classification.

"The Aleph"--Like most of his stories, this one is brief but packs a lot of information into its short length. (For those who don't read outside of SF, imagine a J.G. Ballard condensed novel with more connections and a higher sense of the fantastic. Hmm, that was a worthless description. It is hard to find a match for Borges in the genre, because he was always succinct, and could never have survived in the dog-eat-dog world of pay by word.) The gimmick is simple--the aleph is to space what eternity is to time--but the method by which the author discovers it is unusual. I like Borges because his approach to a fantastic concept is unlike any found in the genre. Genre writing seems to emphasize the gimmick, in mainstream writing it is simply one part of the landscape against which the characters are placed. Only in Borges do all elements seem equal, similar in concept to his own aleph, to return in a style similar to Borges himself.

"Streetcorner Man"--A first-person tale of one night in the barrio, when the ones who talk big get their comeuppance by the quiet ones. OK, but I like my stories to have a little something more.

"The Approach to aI-Mu'tasim"--A review of a fictional book which reads, again, like a condensed novel, only in this case it truly is one. The literary device is ingenious, allowing Borges to comment on literary criticism at the same time he is creating literature.

"The Circular Ruins"--One of Borges' favorite subjects is the concept of infinity, another is creation. Here he bends the two together in a story that is also a metaphor for the process of setting and achieving goals.

"Death and the Compass"--A logic problem to a mystery story, almost like Poe. Poe, though, would have stretched it out to twice its length.

"The Life of Tadeo Isidoro Cruz (1829-1874)"--I did not quite follow this one. At one point I thought that maybe Cruz was going to be killing his own father, but instead he goes to the aid of himself?

"The Two Kings and Their Two Labyrinths"--A fable, or a sermon, that addresses what is a labyrinth. Highly appropriate subject for a Borges collection.

"The Dead Man"--A gaucho story. Think of it as a Louis L'amour story with Argentines and Brazilians instead of Mexicans and Texans. Okay, but it's still a western at heart.

"The Other Death"--This is what I look for in Borges: a fantastical study of memory and history, reality and dream. Pedro did not act like a hero in the battle... or did he?

"Ibn Hakkan al-Bokhari, Dead in His Labyrinth"--Another great story of mazes and mystery. Borges has an unusual way of framing his tales, usually with an objective third person narrator, that shortens the stories tremendously. I guess he did not get paid by the word.

"The Man On the Threshold"--Another mystery, but not quite as fantastic as the others. Some Of these stories are morality or revenge plays, that do not require much speculation.

"The Challenge"--A rehash of some of the gaucho themes, certainly my last favorite of his tropes. What I find interesting is the references to other stories flirt makes this seem like a reference article instead of a story.

"The Captive"--A short short about a boy captured as a young child by natives. Borges here formulates a question about the nature of memory.

"Borges and Myself"--Here, as in "Isidore Cruz" above, Borges talks about the nature of identity. When you look at how others perceive you and realize that that is not how you perceive yourself is a crisis of identity (as in here), or how people might perceive a younger version of you. I often look at my current life and wonder. There is no way that Glen circa. 1980 could have ever dreamed of becoming the Glen of 1998. Thoughts and hopes and goals are all so mutable. The funny thing is that I will reread these words 10 or more years from now and be struck by the same strangeness.

"The Maker"--A discussion of what it means to go blind, nominally about Homer, but also about Borges' own condition. I had not realized that Borges had gone blind before his death.

"The Intruder"--Borges says that his mother, who he dictated this story to, hated it, and I can see why. It's not something I would recommend to any woman, as it is quite misogynstic. However, it is an incredible story, and a fairly straightforward one for Borges, about friendship and brotherhood.

"The Immortals"--A science fiction tale, strangely incongruous here. Well done, but it seems much more dated than almost everything else in this collection (stories from 1933 to 1969).

"The Meeting"--Clever little tale about people and weapons. Almost a trick story, because the title refers to something other than what you expect.

"Pedro Salvadores"--Short short about dictatorships and living "underground" (actually, both literally and figuratively). Borges had a real knack for the short short, never an easy thing to write.

"Rosendo's Tale"--To come almost entirely full circle, this tale is a sequel or antidote to the second story, "Streetcorner Man." The gaucho here is more realistic, not so macho, and I find myself appreciating this more because of having seen the Hemingway-ish earlier story.

Finally, there is an autobiographical essay at the end, for those of us who wonder how Borges evolved (as Borges himself does in "Borges and Myself").

I found the book relatively easy to follow and well thought out. There is a good discussion of economic, political, and social problems and developments, helping the reader to fully understand the events of the day, providing an excellent introduction to Argentina's history.

This book will tell you all the secret relationships between the US & Argentine governments before the Argentine recovery of the Malvinas (to the British: Falklands) Islands. It tells a story of secret 'favors' being exchanged in Central America between the Reagan Administration and the military dictators of my nation. It comes complete with data showing how the changes in the US budget 'forced' the US government to seek assistance from Argentina. And how the Argentines put their experience, in the repression of dissent within Argentina, to work for their American "masters" objectives. I personally think that the book shows how the unaware American People are capable of sustaining a government that overseas undoes all its' domestic policies and steps on the American ideals of freedom, equality and legality (while implying that that is the only way to support those ideals).

If you're seeking an understanding of why the "right" has had such an influence on Argentine, this book may be a good source to increase your knowledge. It is a series of several essays covering various topics with regard to the Argentine Right from its conception around 1919 to its collapse in 1982 when the loss of the Falklands War triggered the fall of the Junta that had ruled since 1976. You will do yoursef a great largess if you skip the first chapter which was written by David Rock. Rock while totally accurate in his essay does not accomplish what the writting of history is really for, and that is to increase understanding. He writes an ego driven introduction to impress the reader with his vocublary and uses far too much "history-speak" jargon; the editors should have have stopped this but choose not to. However, the rest of the book is very well done. It's difficult to understand the democratic Argentina of today without knowing something of its reactionary past.

Piglia muestra que es un explorador de nuevas formas narrativas, pero la lectura de este libro y de otros suyos nos deja ver a un autor que no se deja leer con facilidad, que es críptico; debe ser leido con mucha atención, con papel y lapiz en la mano para seguir sus tramas y personajes y eso no es un virtud en un escritor.

David Rock informatively reviews the late 19th century and 20th Century developement of the Nationalist "Movement" in Argentina. He explores the motives behind it and the relation it had with European contemporary politicians, philosophers, and artists. This book is politics, but it also shows the influence the Nationalist ideas had on Argentine culture.

This monograph is a detailed analysis of the ecology, distribution, and biogeography of the mammals of Salta Province, Argentina, an area of great habitat complexity. Habitats range from high Andean deserts to rain forests to lowland deserts and the Great Thorn Forest. The mammals of each habitat are discussed, and the faunas among the habitats are compared. Information on the ecology of each species is presented. Several biogeographic and evolutionary patterns of colonization, speciation, and coexistence are clarified. More than 100 species are considered.