First Stop in the New World: Mexico City, the Capital of the 21st Century

by David Lida

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
110	6	249,652	(3.91)	2
The definitive book on Mexico City: a vibrant, seductive, and paradoxical metropolis-the second-biggest city in the world, and a vision of our urban future. First Stop in the New World is a street-level panorama of Mexico City, the largest metropolis in the western hemisphere and the cultural capital of the Spanish-speaking world. Journalist David Lida expertly captures the kaleidoscopic nature of life in a city defined by pleasure and danger, ecstatic joy and appalling tragedy-hanging in limbo between the developed and underdeveloped worlds. With this literary-journalist account, he establishes himself as the ultimate chronicler of this bustling megalopolis at a key moment in its-and our-history.… (more)

all members

▾Members

Recently added by

Kiramke, bgbaumgart, zmagic69, JandJLibrary, sdevans4, SusanaCanseco, Greenfae, MedMike

▾Tags

▾LibraryThing Recommendations

▾Member recommendations

00
The Mexico City Reader by Rubén Gallo (wademlee)
wademlee: _Mexico City Reader_ represents multiple voices on modern Mexico City (and more native voices), but _First Stop in the New World_ is great for those that prefer a single voice with an outsider, but sympathetic, perspective. Neither are guidebooks.
00
Down and Delirious in Mexico City: The Aztec Metropolis in the Twenty-First Century by Daniel Hernandez (omargosh)

▾Lists

None

▾Will you like it?

▾Conversations (About links)

No current Talk conversations about this book.

» See also 2 mentions

▾Member reviews

date ▼ | votes

Showing 1-5 of 6 (next | show all)

Interesting and a good way to whet my appetite for a return visit. I fear some of the suggestions are already out of date, however. (

)

Kiramke | Jun 27, 2023 |

Lida tries to be Joseph Mitchell, detailing life in DF. Some low life, some mid-level. Mixed in with journalistic details on crime, cabbing, machismo, sex, food and politics. Nice read for visitors, especially long-term ones. Getting dated--some things are different. Well a few. Lido has a website that punches out similar vignettes http://davidlida.com/ (

)

kerns222 | Aug 24, 2016 |

One of the better books I've read on Mexico City. I'm not sure if it is because the author's time period of coverage overlaps with my own visits to the city, or if it is that the writing is both journalistic and personal at the same time. The book can be read as a collection of essays, and short chapters are interspersed among the major ones that give a more 'slice of life' portrayal. Not a tourist guide, but a good look at how everyday Mexico City denizens live in all socioeconomic classes. I would recommend this along with _The Mexico City Reader_.

wademlee | May 23, 2010 |

An impassioned and comprehensive survey of Mexico City circa 1995-2005. (

)

jacoombs | Apr 30, 2009 |

Wonderful. Insightful. An insiders look at one of the most chaotic, dynamic and vibrant cities in the world. Through a series of short vignettes David Lida provides the reader with an interesting if not poignant and colorful image of Mexico City. He has vividly captured the multi-layered complexity of the city and made a very, very large city approachable and human. A must read for anyone interested in Mexico or interested in trying to understand America's neighbor to the South. (

)

kalypso619 | Nov 28, 2008 |

date ▼ | votes

Showing 1-5 of 6 (next | show all)

▾Published reviews

no reviews | add a review

▾Other authors

» Add other authors

▾Series and work relationships

▾Awards and Honors

Distinctions

San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year (Nonfiction – 2008)

view history

▾Common Knowledge

You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.

For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.

Canonical title

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

People/Characters

Important places

Mexico City, Mexico

Important events

Related movies

Epigraph

Dedication

First words

Quotations

Last words

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Original language

Canonical DDC/MDS

Canonical LCC

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (2)

Avenida Presidente Masaryk

Polanco, Mexico City

▾Book descriptions

The definitive book on Mexico City: a vibrant, seductive, and paradoxical metropolis-the second-biggest city in the world, and a vision of our urban future. First Stop in the New World is a street-level panorama of Mexico City, the largest metropolis in the western hemisphere and the cultural capital of the Spanish-speaking world. Journalist David Lida expertly captures the kaleidoscopic nature of life in a city defined by pleasure and danger, ecstatic joy and appalling tragedy-hanging in limbo between the developed and underdeveloped worlds. With this literary-journalist account, he establishes himself as the ultimate chronicler of this bustling megalopolis at a key moment in its-and our-history.

▾Library descriptions

No library descriptions found.

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

Haiku summary