 | The Ticos: Culture and Social Change in Costa Rica by Mavis Hiltunen Biesanz
Buy new: $16.01 / Used from: $13.17 Nice intro to the culture of Costa Rica.
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 | The Costa Rica Reader: History, Culture, Politics (The Latin America Readers)
Buy new: $17.12 / Used from: $10.38 Great collection of shorter writings, covering a wide range of issues. Something for everyone.
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 | The History of Costa Rica: Second Edition Revised
Buy used from: $24.00 Basic intro, has a clear political bias but hits its marks.
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 | Historical Dictionary of Costa Rica by Theodore S. Creedman
Buy new: $70.00 / Used from: $26.05 A great resource, quick descriptions (in English) of all the key names, places, events from the colonial era to the 21st century.
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 | Jade in Ancient Costa Rica
Buy new: $9.95 / Used from: $31.31 For those taken with the ancient art of the country, and the astonishing use of Jade.
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 | Costa Rica Before Coffee: Society and Economy on the Eve of the Export Boom by Lowell Gudmundson
Buy new: $20.95 / Used from: $16.00 Pivotal work that describes the transformation of the 1900s, when coffee reshaped the country.
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 | From Popular Medicine to Medical Populism: Doctors, Healers, and Public Power in Costa Rica, 1800–1940 by Steven Palmer
Buy new: $23.95 / Used from: $7.95 Medical history is a booming field, and Costa Rica is a fascinating case study about the development of public health.
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 | A Brief History of Central America by Hector Perez-Brignoli
Buy new: $18.76 / Used from: $3.06 Perhaps the best intro history to the region, with coverage of the entire area.
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 | Central America: A Nation Divided (Latin American Histories) by Ralph Lee Woodward Jr.
Buy new: $39.95 / Used from: $17.00 A classic, although the heavy emphasis on political history might not be for everyone.
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 | Historical Atlas of Central America by Carolyn Hall
Buy new: $99.95 / Used from: $82.00 Big, great resource with spectacular maps that show changes in political boundaries, nature, population....
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 | Guide to Costa Rican Spanish by Christopher Howard
Buy new: $9.95 / Used from: $5.75 Great starting point for the peculiarities of Tico Spanish.
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 | The Green Republic: A Conservation History of Costa Rica by Sterling Evans
Buy new: $24.95 / Used from: $9.95 Great study of how Costa Rica became the green country it is today.
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 | Costa Rican Natural History
Buy new: $45.31 / Used from: $34.98 The starting point for Costa Rica's natural wonders. Broad coverage... absolutely essential.
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 | A Neotropical Companion by John Kricher
Buy new: $23.10 / Used from: $14.00 Absolutely critical work on Costa Rica's natural resources (along with other, similar countries'). And a GREAT read with lots of asides and humor.
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 | Tropical Nature: Life and Death in the Rain Forests of Central and South America by Adrian Forsyth
Buy new: $9.89 / Used from: $3.49 Another classic in the field of natural history.
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 | A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica (Comstock Book) by F. Gary Stiles
Buy new: $26.37 / Used from: $14.95 The Bible. If you don't have this book, you clearly don't love birds.
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 | The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide by Richard Garrigues
Buy new: $19.77 / Used from: $20.28 A nice, portable companion with great illustrations.
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 | Reef Fish Identification: Baja to Panama by Paul Humann
Buy new: $29.16 / Used from: $23.16 Nice guide for beginners, GREAT photos.
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 | Culture Shock! Costa Rica: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock! Guides) by Claire Wallerstein
Buy new: $10.85 / Used from: $8.99 Great series for those who want to stay a little longer... or to more successfully navigate Costa Rican culture.
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 | Costa Rica - Culture Smart!: the essential guide to customs & culture by Jane Koutnik
Buy new: $9.95 / Used from: $5.74 Very similar to the above.
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 | Moon Living Abroad in Costa Rica by Erin Van Rheenen
Buy new: $13.57 / Used from: $9.50 Another useful guide to long-term residency
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 | Student in Central America, 1914-1916 (Publication (Tulane University Middle American Research Institute)) by Dana Gardner Munro
Buy new: $10.00 A great memoir by a noted scholar who lived as a student in Costa Rica at the turn of the last century. Things don't change.
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 | Costa Rica: A Traveler's Literary Companion by Oscar Arias
Buy new: $10.17 / Used from: $0.68 Costa Rican literature barely registers in the US. A nice collection of some highlights in good translation.
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 | There Never Was a Once upon a Time (Discoveries) by Carmen Naranjo
Buy new: $11.05 / Used from: $5.45 Important work by one of the few writers to garner international attention.
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| La Loca De Gandoca/ The Madwoman Of Gandoca by Anacristina Rossi
Buy new: $89.95 / Used from: $26.37 This work set Tico society abuzz when it came out, a major work that looks at the dark side of Costa Rica Green.
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 | Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $0.01 The most recognized work of fiction taking place in Costa Rica, inspired by Isla del Coco.
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 | Treasure Island (Enriched Classics Series) by Robert Louis Stevenson
Buy new: $4.95 / Used from: $1.50 Isla del Coco also inspired this classic--several pirates were known to have buried loot there.
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 | Island of the Sharks (Large Format)
Buy new: $13.49 / Used from: $5.36 Great video of underwater wonders of Isla del Coco.
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 | Jurassic Park Adventure Pack (Jurassic Park/ The Lost World: Jurassic Park/ Jurassic Park III)
Buy new: $18.49 / Used from: $14.44 Movie version of the famous novel.
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 | Vamos! Salsa and More from Costa Rica by Cantoamerica
Buy used from: $13.21 Great intro to Costa Rican pop music. Cantoamerica is a major group.
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 | De Costa Rica
Buy new: $15.99 / Used from: $37.47 Another key to Costa Rican music.
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 | Frommer's Costa Rica 2009 (Frommer's Complete) by Eliot Greenspan
Buy new: $12.99 / Used from: $8.20 Great guide for visiting, and my own current favorite travel series.
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 | Costa Rica (Country Guide) by Matt Firestone
Buy new: $14.95 / Used from: $13.07 Another solid choice. Formerly my favorite series, more for adventurers.
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 | Fodor's Costa Rica 2009 (Fodor's Gold Guides) by Fodor's
Buy used from: $10.00 Another good guide.
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 | Travelers' Tales Central America: True Stories
Buy new: $14.00 / Used from: $0.79 Another great book if traveling, short vignettes of personal experiences, good and bad.
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