Reviews for A Cultural History of Spanish America: From Conquest to Independence - Mariano Picon-Salas -...

The average rating for A Cultural History of Spanish America: From Conquest to Independence - Mariano Picon-Salas -... based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-12-22 00:00:00 Michele Sebastian This is the happier version (or possibly the antidote to?) of Death in the Park. This book tells the tale of evolving NPS strategies and policies regarding visitor-wildlife interaction at Yellowstone National Park. If I may editorialize, this is an easy preparative read that families could read and discuss prior to visiting any area where they are likely to interact with wild animals. With the best of intentions, picnickers regularly share food with ground squirrels and other cute, gregarious animals without ever considering the goiters or other things to which these dietary additions contribute--ultimately, and surprisingly quickly, contributing to the death of the animal. That said, the book is about animals more than it is about Yellowstone, and I recommend it as a readily-accessible introduction into how to be a better sharer of our planet. Having recently returned from Yellowstone and personally witnessed countless instances of potentially-fatal visitor stupidity, I can attest to the fact that many park visitors seem to check their brains at the entry gate. Admittedly, we've come a long way since the 1950s and 1960s when visitors were permitted to feed wildlife (esp. those adorable bear cubs) from the self-deluded safety of the family station wagon. As a consequence, animals were habituated to human presence and came into campsites, dumpsites, etc. for a handout. With time, this quickly led to the "removal" (a euphemism for destruction by shooting) of many bears annually. As stated eloquently by Mike Leach, executive director of an up-and-coming consensus-seeking, non-profit known as Yellowstone Country Guardians, "A fed animal is a dead animal." Check this book out, it just might possibly save lives. Ours and the animals'.

Review # 2 was written on 2012-04-22 00:00:00 Sarah Brown Well-written, fast-paced, and witty. A history of Yellowstone I was actually interested in and finished! Go Alice!