Monkeys Are Made of Chocolate: Exotic and Unseen Costa Rica by Jack Ewing
Take an inside look into the rainforests of Costa Rica! This book unveils the ways in which animals, plants, and people interact in one of the most prolific and diverse ecosystems on the planet.
Tropical Nature: Life and Death in the Rainforests of Central and South America by Adrian Forsyth and Ken Miyata
This readable book, appropriate for middle school as well as high school students, takes a story-driven approach towards explaining symbiotic rainforest relationships. Highly recommended.
Green Phoenix: Restoring the Tropical Forests of Guanacaste, Costa Rica by William Allen
This book tells the story of a group of Costa Rican and American scientists who set out to save tropical rainforests in the northern part of the country. It shows that not only can we prevent the destruction of rainforests, but we can restore them.
Costa Rica: A Traveler’s Literary Companion edited by Barbara Ras
A collection of short stories written by Costa Rica writers, organized by region of the country.
When the War Was Over: Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge Revolution by Becker, Elizabeth
A history of modern Cambodia over the last 40 years. If you intend to read only one book about Cambodia, read this one. Informative and beautifully written, Becker's book humanizes the tragedy of Cambodia without ever losing sight of its context.
A History of Cambodia by Chandler, David P.
A detailed history of Cambodia, from the early civilizations of Funan and Angkor, to the early 1990s. Chandler is arguably the West's foremost authority on Cambodia.
Focusing on the Angkor Temples: The Guidebook by Petrotchenko, Michel
An extensive and up-to-date overview of the Angkor temples, making it an indispensable companion for travelers with its 384 pages of information, over 880 illustrations, and detailed maps.
The White Man’s Burden by Easterly, William
A thought-provoking, cynical look the West’s well-intentioned but highly flawed approach to foreign aid and international development. Readers will come away with a clear sense of how orthodox methods of poverty reduction do not help, and can sometimes worsen, poor economies.
Beautiful Hero: How We Survived the Khmer Rouge by Lau, Jennifer
Recounts the harrowing tale of a family's survival in the brutal conditions of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, led by the indomitable spirit of their mother, who is hailed as the Beautiful Hero. The narrative delves deep into the genocide that decimated a third of Cambodia's population.
Spirit Worlds: Cambodia, The Buddha And The Naga by Coggan, Philip
An absorbing study of Cambodian religion and beliefs covering everything from the role of monks in everyday life to beliefs in ghosts, gods and shamans.
The Buddha And His Teachings by Nārada, Mahāthera
This treatise, written by a member of the Order of the Sangha, is based on the Páli Texts, commentaries, and traditions prevailing in Buddhist countries.
How Pol Pot Came to Power by Kiernan, Ben
A detailed study of Khmer communism. Kiernan, formerly the head of the Cambodian Genocide Program at Yale, is one of the foremost authorities on the Khmer Rouge.
Crossing Three Wildernesses by Oeur, U Sam
U Sam Oeur recounts his experiences coming of age in Cambodia during the Pol Pot era, focusing on the political events and changes that shaped both his own life and the development of his country.
Sideshow by Shawcross, William
Heavy but essential reading for anyone wishing to understand America's role in setting the stage for the Khmer Rouge.
Leaving the House of Ghosts by Streed, Sarah
A mixture of refugee accounts and essays about Cambodia and Cambodian exiles, this book stands out for its vivid descriptions of the obstacles faced by refugees in the U.S.
First They Killed My Father by Ung, Loung
A valuable memoir of a child's view of genocide. It is also a wonderful tribute to those members of the Ung family who died during Pol Pot's homicidal regime.
Stay Alive, My Son by Yathay, Pin and Man, John
Pin Yathay's book was one of the first refugee accounts of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, and it remains one of the best. It is heartbreaking and absolutely compelling.
A Few Drops in the Cambodia: Stories from a Relief Effort
A documentary exposing the regrettable gap between health NGOs’ intention to help and the reality ofmaking this happen.
Bombhunters
This film documents rural Cambodian farmers clearing their own lands of UXO (unexploded ordinance). These Khmers risk their bodies to survive for the safety of their families and to make an income selling the UXO metals.
Churning the Sea of Time: A Journey up the Mekong to Angkor
As the title explains this film involves the director’s journey up the Mekong starting from Vietnam, through Cambodia to Phnom Penh and over the Angkor temples.
New Year Baby
A Cambodian-American’s personal quest to understand her parents’ experience during the Khmer Rouge and their escape through Thailand to America.
Sentenced Home
Three Cambodian-American former Khmer Rouge refugees find themselves unwillingly deported to Cambodia. This documentary follows these immigrants over three years struggling with unjust and controversial deportation policies.
The Killing Fields
An Oscar-winning film from the 1980’s about an American journalist and his Khmer assistant as they experience the period of Khmer Rouge from America, Cambodia and Thailand.
The Flute Player
During the Khmer Rouge regime, over 90 percent of the country's traditional musicians were killed. Arn Chorn Pond - a survivor of Cambodia's genocide, an internationally recognized human rights leader is a talented musician. Today Arn is striving to heal the deep scars of his wartorn past by bringing Cambodia's once outlawed traditional music back to his people.
Out of Africa by Isaak Dinesen, pen name for Karen Blixen
Told from the perspective of a white settler, Blixen writes a fictionalized account of the African colonial experience in the early twentieth century. This is one of the most popular books written about Africa and was later turned into a movie starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford.
Lonely Planet Tanzania
Basic overview of the culture, history and art of Tanzania. This book is a general travel guide that is good for background info and browsing.
The Challenge for Africa by Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and founder of the Green Belt Movement
The author, in her uniquely impassioned and empathetic perspective, analyzes the most egregious “bottlenecks to development in Africa,” occurring at the international, national, and individual levels--cultural upheaval and enduring poverty among them. Maathai deftly describes what Africans can and need to do for themselves, stressing all the while responsibility and accountability.
Masai Days by Cheryl Bentson
Documents the author’s six-year relationship with a group of Maasai villagers. The author provides a respectful account of villagers whom she describes as “warm hearted, proud, and tenacious.” Bentson presents her compassionate perspective on a people who regard cows as currency and resist new ways of life.
Stains on My Khanga by Sandra Aikaruwa Mushi
Anthology of poems by a Tanzanian author. It is written honestly and manages to balance an allure of innocence with the harsh realities of knowledge and experience.
Claiming Civic Virtue: Gendered Network Memory in the Mara Region, Tanzania by Jan Shetler
Shetler’s exploration of these oral traditions and histories opens exciting new vistas for understanding how women and men in this culture tell their stories and assert their roles as public intellectuals―with important implications for research in African and gender studies, and the history of ethnicity and nationalism.
To Stir the Heart: Four African Stories
This book, co-written by two popular African writers, explores relationships between men and women with a focus on women’s rights and explores the topic of tradition versus modernity in African cultures.
The Worlds of a Maasai Warrior by Tepilit Ole Saitoti
Memoir that recaps the life of a man from Tanzania who was born in a traditional Maasai society, through his studies in Europe and America, and back to his home in Tanzania.
The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novagratz
Tells the story of a woman who left her successful career to understand global poverty and the challenges facing our interconnected world.
Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
Explores the oppression of women in Africa and Asia, telling amazing stories of women who have turned their oppression into opportunity.
Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah
Delves into the lives of three characters in Zanzibar, unveiling a tapestry of ambition, betrayal, love, and cultural clashes. Set against a backdrop of post-colonial upheaval, Gurnah's prose masterfully explores themes of identity and hope, weaving a poignant and unforgettable tale.
Chasing the Leopard Finding the Lion by Julie Wakeman-Linn
This is a coming-of-age story set in Tanzania. It follows the adventures of Emma, an American teenager who discovers her African heritage and embarks on a transformative journey filled with self-discovery, cultural exploration, and the search for identity across continents.