TIME AMONG THE MAYA: TRAVELS IN BELIZE, GUATEMALA, AND MEXICO Ronald Wright Markham (Ont.), Viking, 1989. 451pp, cloth, $25.95 ISBN 0-670-82737-1. CIP Grades 12 and up/Ages 17 and up Reviewed by Louise Griffith. Volume 17 Number 4 1989 July Time Among the Maya is a distinguished travel memoir about the author's experiences with the Maya, the remains of their civilization, and the activities of present-day Mayans. Although it is not suitable as a high school text book, high school, college, university and public librarians will want to purchase it for their collections. Readers who value a thoughtful, detailed and authoritative treatment of a fascinating topic will want to purchase a copy. The attractive cover suggests the theme of the book, an interesting encounter with the Maya of old. The Mayans had a very complicated, sophisticated system of reckoning time. The author incorporates this system into the chapter heads as well as the text so that "time" in the title has a dual meaning. The book is a travel diary with entries for every day. These entries are amusing and descriptive accounts with wry social comments and vivid descriptions of the squalor of the towns and the beauty of the countryside. Wright tells of the effects of tourism and recent government policies such as the introduction of electricity. Sometimes he gives lucid explanations of the historical or political background for unrest or injustice. Scholars can find information about specific places or topics by using the index. There is also a glossary of local terms and a lengthy bibliography. Time Among the Maya is a fine contribution to the rather sparse world of Canadian travel writing. Let us hope for more from Ronald Wright. Louise Griffith, Agincourt, Ont.