This map guide you easily through this hectic city. Touristic spots, office buildings, hotels and shopping malls can easily be found in all districts. Also the terminals of the LRT (light rail transit) is very usefull. On a seperate index you find the names of the most important streets and offices, together with the reference where to find them on the map. A pity that the paper is very thin and that the map is not plastified. All in all this map made me feel at home on my last trip to Manila.

As to contents, this book clearly described the history and culture of the indigenous cultural communities in the Province of Palawan from the logging concession era to the formulation of the environmental plan for the sustainable development of the province, while focusing on the behavior and condition of indigenous cultural communities. This gave me a better understanding of how the indigenous people, especially the Bataks, the Palawans and the Tagbanuas, struggled and adapt to the coming of various groups of migrants having completely different culture.

Since I am most interested in the study of the "Palawan" tribal group who mainly inhabits the both margins and isolated areas of the Mt. Mantalingahan Mountain Range, I was able to get good insights in Chapter 7 (Tribal Displacement, Deculturation and Impoverishment) of the book. This chapter could serve as one of the reliable basis for planning and policy formulation of development managers and policy makers, respective.

In terms of the style and technique in writing, the author was able to make reading of the book easy and manageable. Links between chapters were harmoniously done.

The author's mastery of the subject is indeed admirable. Dr. Eder's experiences in living with the indigenous people themselves, greatly contributed to the good understanding of the culture and social status of the various indigenous societies.

However, the book should have also considered some angles on local governance and environmental management. Probably, this could be another good book in the pipeline.

I would like to congratulate the author, publisher and marketers of this book for it brings a well-researched information for the use researchers, development managers and policy makers interested on the development of indigenous people. And especially at this point we are within the UN Decade of Indigenous Peoples amking the publication of this book very timely, too.

This book is not what I was looking for. I give it a 4 of 5 stars because it give me some insite to the 'Pilipina' (as the call them selves) at work and why they seem to be a polite people. I was looking for is dealing with the Philippina people on a personal basis. For the business person working or visiting the Philippines it is a highly recomended book. Thanks Amazon.com

The recent updated reprint of Peasants in the Hills is not only the first major social-anthropological, historical research on the Buhid of Mindoro island, Philippines, it is also in the words of the Dean of Philippine Anthropology, the late Dr. Mario D. Zamora, "one of the few post-martial law studies by anthropologists dealing directly with the subject of forced or direct change by the Government...The tremendous data she collected...and analyzed (historical,economic,social,political,etc.) are refreshing and undoutedly useful to planners,development specialists, social scientists. Prof.Gavin Alderson Smith,noted Canadian Anthropologists writes, "There is no doubt in my mind that what is contained in these pages is a most sensitive and detailed piece of ethnography." Unfortunately, owing to limited publicity of the first edition of the book, a colleague who visited her in Mindoro island while she was doing fieldwork there, and with whom she shared generously her notes on the Buhid, claimed his work, published in 1986,Sacrifice and Sharing in the Philippine Highlands:REligion and Society among the Buid of Mindoro,as the first ethnography on this group.Such of course is a wide claim,as he (Thomas Gibson) relied heavily on Lopez Gonzaga's written and published works on the Mangyans, especially their ethnohistory.

This is the best "field" guide on Philippine Birds I've seen so far. I've quoted "field" because the book is too big to bring with you for birdwatching. The color plates are numerous and can give you an idea of how the birds look like. Though, I would prefer real pictures over colored illustrations. Nevertheless, this book is the best buy for Philippine birdwatchers until a book with real pictures come by.

The cooking of Southeast Asia always fascinated me and this was the first book on Philippine cooking that I used. While the book is by no means "pretty"(the paper isn't of the best quality, no photographs--although the illustrations are well done) the content is excellent. The authors give a lot of anecdotal and historical information about the various dishes featured which sort of educates the reader about the Filipino way of life as well. Filipinos love to eat, I've heard, and this book proves it. If you love to eat, you have to love to cook as well.

This book gives the tourist 'in spe' a good guide about the Philippines. Excellent maps, good but short descriptions of the touristic sights, interesting background information about the country and its people and lots of practical guidelines... not even to mention the perfect and amazing photographs. The average tourist will be satisfied to plan his trip. The 'off the beaten track' adventurour will still be hungry.

This book is definitely a scholarly level book that is aimed toward those taking a somewhat intellectual look at the "plight of the Filipino." The book is written very well, and seems to be fairly neutral when analysing the historical elements of how the Philippine Islands have progressed in the last couple centuries.

The book is quite good and offers a lot of information to provide a fairly well-balanced view of the PI. Many would say it is too high-level, meaning, too general, but, for those that are wanting a peak into the political climate, as well as how the filipino has struggled to "become," then this book is definitely for you.

If you are looking for light reading, this book isn't for you. Anyone intersted in Filipino, Filipino tradition, marrying a Filipina/Filipino, this book will give you a much needed advantage to understanding the culture, by understanding its historical context and the struggle of becoming a unified nation.

I highly recommend it..

"Preludes to Victory" is an excellent book of its type: A personal document of a sailor's experiences in the U.S. Navy of World War Two. It points out something overlooked by most naval historians; namely, that the Battle of Leyte Gulf was intended to end Japanese resistance on Leyte, but this did not happen. It was left to the "small ships"--the APDs (fast landing ships) and destroyers--to bring an end to the campaign by the landings at Ormoc Bay on the west coast of Leyte.

I'm buying another copy of this book because I don't want to loan my copy out. Stewart travelled to the Philipines in the 50s to carry out further research related to his psychology thesis. I'm not qualified to comment on the theory he was testing/formulating. My imagination was caught by his lyrical prose, the amazing descriptions of people and landscape, the obvious self-awareness and wry wit and the fact that he faced real danger. The book left me envious - he travelled in a time prior to most modern communication technology and, while travelling, was often completely immersed in local tribal culture and dependent on local guides. Most of the time he was short of money and this triggered some amusing and ingenious strategies. It's one of the books I've categorised as 'to be read every few years'.