Puerto Rico, Borinquen Querida

A great coffee table book. A good start to a quality conversation.

This book was a gift from my brother for the holidays. Being a native from Puerto Rico, I believe this book is invaluable for those of us who have been raised in Puerto Rico and like many others, like Mr.Labrucherie expresses in his book chapter "Jibaro", have pursued a more progressive lifestyle in the mainland. Nowhere have I read a book about Puerto Rico, its history and culture, that illustrates the true essence of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican as this book does. The author has an amazing ability of providing insight about the Island not only for the tourist but particularly to us that have lived there and are away. In its own way an analytical review of the Island's background, the book has been written in such a way that not only you learn but mostly you navigate through the book. When you finish each chapter, you feel that you have become part of the story told. Of course, the photography is superb, taking you to the heart of the topic for an extraordinary display of the profound beauty of Puerto Rico. A real pleasure and joy to read. Thank you, Mr. Labrucherie, for making me fall in love with my Island all over again. Cheers, for a fantastic photojournalism and writing exceptional gift!

I've been travelling to the islands of the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, for over 25 years, and I have quite a collection of coffee-table books on the region. This author is a master of getting "inside" the county, the people, the culture, the history. Incredible pictures -- this man is a true artist. (The photo notes say he took over 15,000 pictures to put the book together!) The text is chock-full of info, for those who actually take the time to read this sort of book. Actually, I had not intended to read the text, but I started reading a bit here and there and ended up reading it cover-to-cover. This book covers it all -- I couldn't recommend it more highly.

In a word, Wow! This is a superb "portrait" of this island. The photographs are absolutely stunning. But this isn't just a "postcard" view of Puerto Rico -- there's lots of coverage of the people, history, and culture, too. The author-photographer has been traveling to Puerto Rico for over three decades, and it shows both in his photographs and his extensive text, which gives a solid but concise presentation of Puerto Rico's history in a very readable way without being dry. (Kind of National Geographic style.) And the picture captions are in-depth, presenting little gems of info about the picture subject matter if you're in too much of hurry to read the whole text. I've lived in Puerto Rico, and this has the feel of an insider's view, not just someone who has breezed through the island and shot a few pictures.

This stunning book reflects pure professionalism and attention to detail as well as a love and devotion to the island and people of Puerto Rico. The more than 100 photographs are magnificent. There are aerial shots of pristine, remote regions of the island and startling close-ups of both plants and wildlife. Then there are the photos of the bustling metropolis of San Juan, including the narrow streets of beautiful Old San Juan, the noteworthy architecture of Ponce, and, of course, the burgeoning tourist resorts. Last but not least are the stars of the book -- the people of Puerto Rico in their great variety of personality, background, and station in life. An added feature is a substantial amount of historical material that accompanies the photos, thereby providing virtually two books in one. Certainly this work is both an enticement to visit Puerto Rico and a happy reminder of past visits.