Top Ten Travel Books as selected by Ron Mader

Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon

A masterpiece of travel writing, this book journeys along the backroads of the United States. The author says he wanted get to know the little towns and he recalls the extraordinary people who helped guide him toward a greater sense of place.

La Loca de Gandoca (The Crazy Woman from Gandoca) by Anacristina Rossi, Educa Publications, 1999

The New Key to Costa Rica by Beatrice Blake and Anne Becher

This classic guidebook highlights environmental conservation, biodiversity and responsible tourism in the spotlight with practical tips for the traveler. It's one of my all-time favorite books. Several editions ago it introduced a ratings guide to ecotourism lodges based on their commitment to conservation and their fostering of local economies and cultures. The focus of the current edition highlights less the "green" hotels and puts more emphasis on communities.

Green Dreams by Stephen Benz

Moon Handbooks: Honduras by Chris Humphrey

Scratching the Surface: Impressions of Planet Earth from Hollywood to Shiraz by Jeff Greenwald

The Quest for the Other by Pierre Van Den Berghe

Ethnic tourism in Chiapas comes under scrutiny in this well-written tome by anthropologist Van Den Berghe. San Cristobal has long been one of the hotspots on the "Gringo Trail" but never has one book attempted to explore the impact with much depth. Published the same year as the Zapatista Uprising, the book could use an update, but as is, it's an enlightening and engrossing tale.

The Gringo Trail by Mark Mann

The Gringo Trail is a riotous mix of humor and scandal. It documents the travels of three Brits who go to South America for different reasons. The author reviews the tendency of backpackers to stick together in hostels and not mix with the locals. Mann's visit to an indigenous village in Amazon was one of the seeds for Tourism Concern's Community Tourism Directory.