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Summary: Lida takes the scariness out of Mexico City
Comment: David Lida observes, in his book "First Stop in the New World", that "what differentiates Mexico City from many other places in the relative ease with which a foreigner finds his place". That will come as a surprise to many who think of a scary, polluted sprawl teetering on the cusp of chaos and corruption. Lida, a resident journalist for nearly two decades, found his place by rambling through its countless neighborhoods, hanging out in cantinas, and talking to people about what it is like to live in a city where everyday survival can be a chancy matter of whatever, whenever, however. The book brims with personal experiences and each is put in a knowledgeable context of Mexico's unique history, culture, politics and economics. Lida succeeds is making this "emphatically Mexican city" seem less daunting by making it more comprehensible as a template for 21st century urban civilization.
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Summary: Informative and much more...
Comment: Not a bad read, especially for those interested in physical, political, economic details surrounding this great metropolis that is Mexico City. Great insight on the Mexican character although nothing new. Still, I recommend it to those in search of more than the usual tourist trap descriptions.
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Summary: An Honorary Chilango
Comment: It is a city of many eye sores, bedlam, corruption, extreme poverty, and social dysfunction. And yet, as David Lida shows us in this wonderful book, Mexico City is one of the great cities of the world, and not simply because of its wonderful museums, archealogical treasures, and splendid restaurants. Lida finds wonder in the crowded subway cars, the cheesy flea markets, the debauched cantinas,and the aromatic food stands. The people that he writes about are also full-blooded and real. The government functionaries that pour into the central district in their polyester suits, the drag queens that perform in seedy bars, the taxi cab drivers (some good, some not so), and the many drinking companions that he meets along the way, are all worthy participants in this great endeavor (city and book). For the many of us who have an "amor amargo" (bittersweet love) with this most complex city, Lida has done a masterful job of capturing that affection.
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Summary: Fun! Go to Mexico City! Maybe You Won't Even Die!
Comment: The bland homogenization of NYC may make for a boring holiday (unless you like the homey convenience of the Starbucks next door to the Duane Reed next door to the Chase Bank), but at least you won't have to worry about being kidnapped. Typical daily news from D.F., and not just in Alarma!:
"Fernando Marti, the son of a prominent businessman, was snatched on a Mexico City street in June and found dead last week, even though his family paid the ransom his captors demanded.
Several policemen have been detained for questioning in the death. Prosecutors believe they may have supplied kidnappers with information about the victim.
Last week, thieves robbing a bus on a highway north of Mexico City got mad when passengers didn't hand over possessions quickly and shot and killed a 5-year-old boy."
Charmed, I'm sure! Mexico is great!!
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Summary: A street-level panorama...indeed!
Comment: David Lida's vivid and fascinating word portraits provide a sense of intimate clarity for the myriad sights and scenes of La Capital. He has a real feel for the big picture of such an immense and tumultuous metropolis, as well as an adroitness for rendering closely observed D.F. moments and depicting the divers characters that inhabit its streets and colonias.
A hilarious yet poignant account of an afternoon spent in the company of a group of borrachos in a cantina is just one among several highlights, as is the chilling tale of his own kidnapping.
He presents a vision of Mexico City that is affectionate yet unsentimental. His love for the place is clear-eyed and his knowledge is hard-earned. He manages to cover it all: from Tepito to Polanco, from discussions of various art[s] scenes and popular culture to distinctive local religious practices and social/sexual mores, from Carlos Slim to faded night club singers. Lida is a true urban cicerone.
Chris Humphrey's "Moon Mexico City" and Jim Johnston's "Mexico City: An Opinionated Guide..." are both fine books and excellent aids for the English-speaking visitor trying to cope with Chilango-land. "First Stop in the New World..." is indispensable as a means of more deeply understanding it and will be a permanent addition to the city's literature.
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