John Price's review on Amazon:
Travel Advisory : Stories, December 20, 2002
David Lida has crawled deep inside the collective conscious of modern Mexico and America, turned on a glaring flood light and revealed to all the ugly side of both cultures. Having lived in Mexico City for 7 years, I found myself predicting the disturbing curves of some of Mr. Lida's stories.

His stories are an affront to the tequila doused illusions of so many middle aged American expats living in Gringo enclaves within Mexico. I applaud him for this brave reversal of the "happy go lucky" stereotypes of Mexico, so often conjured up in the writings of foreigners.

Mexico is a dark, mysterious and deeply complex culture incapable of stereotyping. Mr. Lida understands this by neither mocking Mexico nor glorifying it. Mexicans have lived under an oppressive but flexible rule for 700 years, first at the hands of Aztec royalty, later the Spaniards and now the Meztizo elite. 700 years has bred a level of cynicism that both handicaps Mexicans and serves as a source of comic relief. David Lida's book understands the cynic behind every Mexican smile.

If you really want a taste of Modern Mexico, read this book. ( )