This guide is designed for discriminating travellers and first-time residents who want to penetrate beneath the surface of what they see, and who want more from a guidebook than a list of hotels and museums. In addition to informed descriptions of Mexico's most popular destinations and a wealth of practical advice (language, driving, shopping, safety), this guide provides the reader with a perceptive understanding of the historical roots and contemporary realities of Mexican society, religion, and politics. Written for the curious non-specialist, its informative chapters point out the specific sites and everyday occurrences that demonstrate its themes. Insightful sections on race and class, family and gender, and Mexican concepts of time and space are the result of the author's own extensive experience in Mexico. This is the ideal 'companion' for the inquisitive traveller who wants more than a guidebook.