Brazil is a land of superlatives. It has the biggest freshwater fish and the rivers to go with them, the largest jungle and the greatest number of species. It makes the world's best music and throws the world's wildest party. This land where primeval meets modernity teems with life -- and what makes life worth living -- and nothing is done in moderation.

Travelers' Tales Brazil shines a light on a country where the commingling of cultures -- of indigenous tribes, the Portuguese colonists, the West Africans -- has created a people who are unafraid to embrace life. The Brazilians have a word -- saudade -- that means a longing for what could have been. It's a feeling as universal as the sun, but in Brazil no one, including the traveler, allows saudade to interfere with the moment. For the traveler, though, it's a feeling that lingers long after leaving Brazil.

Notable authors include: Joe Kane, Petru Popescu, Bill McKibben, Diane Ackerman, Paul Rambali, Steven Berkoff, John Krich, Augusta Dwyer, and Alma Guillermoprieto.