Red Gold: The Conquest of the Brazilian Indians and Amazon Frontier by John Hemming follow the colonists and Indians from 1500 to 1760, and 1760 to 1910, respectively, when the great majority of Indians were either pacified or eliminated.The Masters and the Slaves: A Study in the Development of Brazilian Civilization by Gilberto Freyre is the most famous book on Brazil's colonial past.Brazilian Adventure by Peter Fleming is a hilarious account of the young journalist's expedition into Mato Grosso in search of the disappeared Colonel Fawcett.The most captivating of modern naturalists books on Amazonia is Journey of the Pink Dolphins by Sy Montgomery, which is a lively and moving account of some magical experiences during her study of these amazing mammals.Readers with a special interest in the battle for the rainforest should look for The World is Burning, an account of the Chico Mendes story, written by Alex Shoumatoff.Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice by Mark Plotkin touches on history, anthropology and environmental issues as it recounts the search for medicinal plants in the forests of Brazil and Suriname.The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas and Quinincas Borba by Machado de Assis are darkly humorous and deeply cynical stories from Brazil's best novelist.Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon and Dona Flor and her Two Husbands by Jorge Amado are delightful tales set in the exotic tropical north of Brazil.