CASSETTE BOOKS 1996 National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Washington, D.C. 1996 Spanish Contents Nonfiction Fiction _Spanish_ Nonfiction Catalina la Grande, Emperatriz de Todas las Rusias RC 38823 por Fernando D¡az-Plaja read by Juan Ramirez 2 cassettes Biograf¡a de la princesa alemana del Siglo XVIII quien, a trav‚s de su matrimonio con Pedro III, se convirti¢ en la Zarina de todas las Rusias en 1762, hasta su muerte en 1796. Famosa por sus muchas relaciones amorosas, as¡ como por su habilidad intelectual y sus astucias pol¡ticas que expandieron el imperio ruso, Catalina es considerada una de las m s poderosas mujeres de toda la historia. (Biography of the eighteenth-century German princess who through her marriage to Peter III was the czarina of all the Russias from 1762 until her death in 1796. Famous for her many love affairs as well as for her intellectual prowess and astute policies that expanded the Russian empire, Catherine is considered one of the most powerful women in all of history.) 1990. Comuni¢n RC 40863 por Whitley Strieber read by Juan Ramirez 3 cassettes El autor narra su encuentro con extraterrestres. Strieber cree que su familia y ‚l tuvieron una serie de contactos personales con seres inteligentes y no humanos en mientras viv¡an un aislada caba¤a rural de Nueva York. Contiene descripciones de ¡ndole sexual. (The author's account of an encounter with extraterrestrials. Strieber believes that he and his family have had a series of personal contacts with intelligent nonhuman beings in his isolated cabin in Ulster County, New York. Some descriptions of sex.) 1988. De Mujer a Mujer: Casos y Cosas de Casato RC 40851 por Virginia Sendel read by Maria Pino 2 cassettes ¨C¢mo se pueden quitar los olores de un cuarto? ¨C¢mo se puede quitar la tinta de una prenda? ¨C¢mo se puede impedir que los cordones el‚ctricos se enreden? Las respuestas a ‚stas y otras preguntas aparecen en este libro de m s de mil consejos caseros para conservar energ¡a y trabajo. Los consejos incluyen c¢mo organizar ba¤os, cocinas, armarios, lavaderos y otras  reas de la casa. (How can room odors be eliminated? How can ink be removed from a garment? How can electrical cords be kept from getting tangled? The answers to these and other questions are contained in this book of more than a thousand household tips to save energy and work. Includes advice on how to best organize bathrooms, kitchens, closets, laundries, and other areas.) 1992. GED en Espa¤ol: El Nuevo Examen de Equivalencia de la Escuela Superior RC 40852 por Gin‚s Serr n-Pag n y otros read by Juan Ramirez 8 cassettes Gu¡a en idioma espa¤ol para la preparaci¢n del examen de equivalencia de bachillerato (high school). Incluye consejos de c¢mo prepararse para el examen y modelos de ex menes en las  reas concernientes a las t‚cnicas de escritura, estudios sociales, cinecias, literatura y las artes, y matem ticas. (Spanish-language guide to preparation for the high school equivalency examination. Includes tips on how to prepare for the exam and sample tests in the subject areas of writing skills, social studies, science, literature and the arts, and mathematics.) 1994. Historia de America Latina RC 38821 por German Vazquez and Nelson Martinez Diaz read by Juan Ramirez 2 cassettes Introducci¢n de la historia de Am‚rica Latina desde los tiempos precolombinos hasta 1990. Comenzando con una descripci¢n de la geograf¡a de la Am‚rica Latin de hoy, la historia describe las culturas y civilizaciones prehisp nicas; el descubrimiento, la exploraci¢n y la conquista por los europeos; y la historia de los per¡odos colonial y moderno de Am‚rica Latina. (Introductory history of Latin America from pre-Columbian times to 1990. Beginning with a description of the geography of present-day Latin America, the history describes the pre-Hispanic cultures and civilizations; the discovery, exploration, and conquest by Europeans; and the colonial and modern periods of Latin America.) 1990. El Imperio Romano RC 38824 por Isaac Asimov read by Juan Ramirez 3 cassettes Un examen hist¢rico del Imperio Romano que abarca 500 a¤os, desde Augusto hasta desintegraci¢n final del imperio en occidente. (A historical survey of the Roman Empire encompassing 500 years from Augustus to the final disintegration of the empire in the west.) 1967. Mafiosi RC 38814 por Joseph Salerno y Stephen J. Rivele read by Juan Ramirez 2 cassettes A plumber by trade, Joe Salerno was caught up in the nightmare world of the Philadelphia Mafia. After witnessing a brutal murder, he decided to testify against his fellow gangsters. He describes the violent underworld of the Mafia and details the hardships he has endured in the Federal Witness Protection Program. 1990. El Nacimiento de los Estados Unidos, 1763-1816 RC 38819 por Isaac Asimov read by Juan Ramirez 3 cassettes A history of the United States of America focusing on the original thirteen colonies during their struggle for independence from Great Britain. Covers the aftermath of the French and Indian wars and the period of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. 1974. Nosotros y el Universo RC 38817 por Rafael Decelis Contreras read by Juan Ramirez 1 cassette Un cient¡fico mexicano discute la relac¡on entre el hombre y el universo en t‚rminos cient¡ficos, filos¢ficos y religiosos. El se pregunta: "¨qui‚nes somos nosotros?" "¨de d¢nde vinimos?" y "¨adond‚ vamos?" Luego describe la naturaleza f¡sica de la materia y la energ¡a que componen el universo y ve la continua evoluci¢n del hombre y el universo como copart¡cipes de la Creaci¢n. (A Mexican scientist discusses the relationship between human beings and the universe in scientific, philosophical, and religious terms. He poses the questions, "Who are we?" "Where did we come from?" and "Where are we going?" He then describes the physical nature of matter and energy and looks at the continuing evolution of human beings and the universe as coparticipants in creation.) 1983. Tierra de Nadie RC 40855 por Jorge de Amorim read by Juan Ramirez 1 cassette Una recopilaci¢n de m s de cien poemas l¡ricos y afor¡sticos del autor venezolano-portugu‚s, que se caracterizan por una breve simplicidad musical. Los poemas est n agrupados en secciones, bajo los t¡tulos "A Ning£n Tiempo Nace," "Paisaje (de Aqu¡)," "Eternas y Blancas," "El M s Bello Portento" y "Post-Scriptum." (These more than one hundred lyrical, aphoristic poems by the Venezuelan-Portuguese author are characterized by a brief, musical simplicity. The poems are grouped into sections under the headings "At No Time Born," "Landscape (from Here)," "Eternal and Pure," "The Most Beautiful Portent," and "Post-Script.") 1987. Fiction Antolog¡a del Cuento Hondure¤o RC 38825 editado por Jorge Luis Oviedo read by Juan Ramirez 2 cassettes Twenty short stories by fifteen writers from Honduras, including Arturo Mart¡nez Galindo, Oscar Acosta, Roberto Castillo, and Horacio Castellanos Moya. In a humorous story, "The Resolute Bird's Last Flight" by Jorge Luis Oviedo, a lad takes his attempts at imitating Icarus a little too far. The anthology includes an introductory review of Honduran literature. 1988. Cae la Noche Tropical RC 38820 por Manuel Puig read by Maria Pino 2 cassettes Dos hermanas mayores, Luci y Nidia, que viven ahora en R¡o de Janeiro en un exilio impuesto por ellas mismas, comienzan a narrar este conmovedor cuento a trav‚s de una conversac¡on casual. Ellas encuentran consuelo en el chismorreo inocente, y poco a poco su limitado mundo se convierte en un paisaje en miniatura repleto de relaciones enredadas, enga¤os, violencia pol¡tica, fantas¡a, belleza y una interminable b£squeda de amor. (Two elderly sisters, Luci and Nidia, now living in self-imposed exile in Rio de Janeiro, begin to narrate this poignant tale through casual conversation. They find solace in innocent gossip, and slowly their confined world becomes a miniature landscape replete with tangled relationships, deceptions, political violence, fantasy, beauty, and a never-ending search for love.) 1988. La Casa del Angel RC 38822 por Beatriz Guido read by Maria Pino 1 cassette Ana Castro vive con su padre pol¡tico y su madre religiosa en una gran casa de fin de siglo que tiene la estatua de un  ngel en el balc¢n del primer piso. Ana ha vivido encerrada y protegida, pero en el transcurso de su transformaci¢n de adolescente en mujer, comienza a sentir las fuerzas conflictivas de la vida, el amor y la religi¢n convergiendo dentro de ella. Novela de la autora argentina. (Ana Castro lives with her politician father and religious mother in a rambling fin-de-siŠcle house that has the statue of an angel on the first-floor balcony. Ana has been confined and protected, but as she changes from an adolescent into a young woman, she begins to feel the conflicting forces of life, love, and religion converging within herself. Novel by the Argentinian author.) 1955. Cuentos de Amor con Humor RC 38818 editado por J. Vicent Marqu‚s y otros read by Juan Ramirez 1 cassette Ten short stories by well-known Hispanic authors including Silvina Ocampo, Jos‚ Miguel Oviedo, Horacio Quiroga, Camilo Jos‚ Cela, and Manuel L. Alonso. The stories treat the theme of erotic love and its humorous or ironic consequences. In "Pigmalion," by Manuel V zquez Montalb n, a man seduces a woman by introducing her to intellectualism, only to have the tables turned on him in the end. 1988. De Duendes, Brujos, y Sue¤os RC 40861 por Luis Jos‚ Trelles read by Juan Ramirez 1 cassette Nueve historias cortas del autor uruguayo describiendo situaciones fant sticas que surgen de la locura y la muerte. En "Historia de malevos," un hombre paga caro por su curiosidad acerca de un sombr¡o cliente en un bar; en "Homo Sapiens," un improbable sobreviviente se enfrenta al mundo del postholocausto; y en "Metamorfosis," el fantasma de un muerto encuentra una forma ins¢lita para escapar de los confines de su casa. (Nine short stories by the Uruguayan author, depicting fantastic situations arising out of madness and death. In "A Story of Malefactors," a man pays dearly for his curiosity about a somber customer in a bar; in "Homo Sapiens," an unlikely survivor faces a post-holocaust world; and in "Metamorphosis," a dead man's ghost finds an unusual way to escape the confines of his house.) 1991. Irene, la Valiente RC 40853 por William Steig read by Juan Ramirez 1 cassette La se¤ora Buend¡a, costurera pobre, acaba de terminar de hacer un bello traje de baile para la duquesa, pero est  muy enferma para irlo a entregar. Por lo tanto, Irene, su hija, cari¤osamente pone a la se¤ora en la cama y se va al palacio en medio de una terrible tormenta de nieve. El viento le arrebata el traje y lo piedre, pero ella sigue luchando, perdida, con fr¡o y aterrada de decirle a la duquesa lo que pas¢ con el hermoso traje. Para preescolares, hasta segundo grado. (Mrs. Buend¡a, a poor seamstress, has just completed a beautiful ball gown for the duchess but is too sick to deliver it. So Irene, her daughter, lovingly puts her to bed and starts off for the palace in the midst of a vicious snowstorm. Irene loses the gown to the wind, but she struggles on, lost, cold, and too frightened to tell the duchess what has happened to the beautiful gown. For preschool-grade 2.) 1991. El Mar Rojo RC 40857 por Rafael Courtoisie read by Juan Ramirez 1 cassette Trece historias cortas del autor uruguayo describen escenarios apocal¡pticos de gente destruida o corrompida por la sociedad o el mal uso de la tecnolog¡a. La obra de t¡tulo presenta una visi¢n de pesadilla de la sobrevivencia en un mundo postholocausto, donde el agua contaminada adopta el simbolismo b¡blico del Mar Rojo. Otras historias incluyen "El Trofeo," "La Revuelta," "Erat¢stenes," "La Tormenta" y "Persistencia del D‚bil." (Thirteen short stories by the Uruguayan author depict apocalyptic scenarios of people destroyed or corrupted by society or technology gone awry. The title story presents a nightmarish vision of survival in a post-holocaust world where contaminated water takes on the biblical symbolism of the Red Sea. Stories include "The Trophy," "The Uprising," "Eratostenes," "The Storm," and "The Persistence of the Weak.") 1991. M s All  del Horizonte RC 38816 por Joaqu¡n Aguirre Lavay‚n read by Juan Ramirez 3 cassettes Historical novel by the Bolivian author chronicles the adventures of Francisco de Orellana, the Spanish conquistador who discovered and explored the Amazon. In 1529 the young Orellana joins up with Francisco Pizarro and sets out for the New World. After witnessing the destruction of the Inca Empire, he goes in search of glory and gold in the dense Amazon jungle, where he meets a unique fate. 1979. La Monta¤a de Luz RC 38815 por Emilio Salgari read by Juan Ramirez 3 cassettes In order to regain the favor of the rajah and prevail against evil prime minister Parvati, Indri sets out to recover the Kohinoor diamond from the temple of Pannah. In this daring enterprise, he receives help from his old friend, Toby Randall, the famous tiger hunter of southern India. Adventure novel for high school and older readers by the nineteenth-century Italian author. 1982. La Muerte M s Aplaudida RC 40854 por Jorge Luis Oviedo read by Juan Ramirez 1 cassette Un fatalismo humor¡stico trasciende estas diecis‚is an‚cdotas fant sticas acerca de generales, presidentes y la corrupci¢n del poder en el t¡pico pa¡s latinoamericano. En la obra del t¡tulo, una multitud se junta en una plaza para aplaudir el discurso del presidente, pero el aplauso mayor es para la bala del asesino. En "Cementerio de Piedras," la furia reprimida de la gente encuentra una salida colectiva espont nea. (A humorous fatalism permeates these sixteen fantastic anecdotes about generals, presidents, and corruption of power in a typical Latin American country. In the title piece, a crowd gathers in a plaza to applaud the president's speech, but the greatest applause is for the assassin's bullet. In "Cemetery of Stones," the people's suppressed rage finds a collective, spontaneous outlet.) 1992. El Mundo Alucinante RC 38813 por Reinaldo Arenas read by Juan Ramirez 2 cassettes Fact and fantasy are interwoven in this novel on the life of Fray Servando Teresa de Mier, the nineteenth-century monk and adventurer. Imprisoned in Spain, Servando escapes to return to his native Mexico and to fight for independence. Depicted as part hero, part fanatic, and perennial exile, Servando epitomizes the New World spirit of freedom at the mercy of corruption and exploitation. 1982. El Parque Jur sico RC 40859 por Michael Crichton read by Juan Ramirez 4 cassettes Algo anda muy mal en el Parque Jur sico situado en una remota isla de la costa de Costa Rica. Visitantes y residentes son atacados por animales de aspecto extra¤o, que los hieren gravemente dejando detr s una saliva pegajosa. Los animales son clones de dinosaurios fabricados por una firma de ingenier¡a gen‚tica. Acuden asesores a la isla para resolver el problema, pero pronto todo el mundo acaba luchando por su vida. Lenguaje injurioso. (Something is terribly wrong at Jurassic Park on a remote island off the coast of Costa Rica. Visitors and residents are being attacked by strange-looking animals that maul them and leave behind a sticky saliva. The animals are dinosaurs cloned and raised by a genetic engineering firm. Consultants are brought in to solve the problem, but soon everyone is running for dear life. Some strong language. Bestseller.) 1991. Querida Familia RC 40858 por Aline Pettersson read by Maria Pino 1 cassette Cuando un extra¤o llega a alojarse en la casa de Sara, Julia y Soledad, el precario equilibrio entre las tres mujeres se destruye y la atm¢sfera relativamente tranquila de su hogar cede el paso a una serie de pasiones devastadoras. Esta novela de la autora mexicana describe la agitaci¢n que yace invisible detr s de las puertas cerradas de una familia "decente." (When a stranger arrives to take up lodging in the house of Sara, Julia, and Soledad, the uneasy equilibrium among the three women is destroyed, and the relatively tranquil atmosphere of their home gives way to a series of devastating passions. This novel by the Mexican author depicts the turmoil that lies unseen behind the closed doors of a "decent" family.) 1991. La Vida In£til de Pito P‚rez RC 40860 por Jos‚ Rub‚n Romero read by Juan Ramirez 1 cassette (Reissue) Los problemas de Pito P‚rez comienzan en la infancia, cuando le niegan la leche de su madre y cuando sus hermanos mayores se quedan con todo el dinero de la familia. Se escapa de casa y va creciendo de una aventura picaresca a otra, convirti‚ndose en la personificaci¢n del antih‚roe amoral y borracho que simboliza la clase baja de la sociedad mexicana. Una novela cl sica mexicana. (Pito P‚rez's troubles begin in infancy when he is denied his share of his mother's milk. His older brothers keep all the family's money for themselves, and he eventually runs away from home. He grows up constantly on the move from one picaresque adventure to another, becoming an amoral anti-hero and drunkard. Classic Mexican novel.) 1991. La Vuelta de Don Ver¡dico RC 40856 por Julio C‚sar Castro read by Juan Ramirez 1 cassette El autor uruguayo, cuyo nombre de pluma es "Juceca," presenta una serie de an‚cdotas humor¡sticas y extravagantes narradas en el lenguaje coloquial de los campesinos que aparecen, m s o menos, como figuras permanentes en el Bar El Resorte. Por ejemplo, el caso de un hombre que compra la sombra de un omb£ sin el  rbol, los peligros de un baile sin m£sica, y el resultado de una casa construida de cuero. (The Uruguayan author, whose nom de plume is "Juceca," presents a series of humorous and outlandish anecdotes told in the colloquial language of the group of campesino types who appear, more or less, as permanent fixtures in the El Resorte Bar. Witness the case of a man who buys the shade of an ombu tree without the tree, the dangers of a dance without a band, and the outcome of a house built of leather.) 1992.