Discoveries...Vietnam: A 21st Century Awakening

As with other editions in Jim and Kelly Watt's high-def filmed Discoveries… series, a combination of stunning visuals and an easy, laidback pace make this entry an almost perfect armchair tour of Vietnam, with a structure that emulates a visitor's likely itinerary instead of sounding like a “gee whiz” travelogue. Discoveries...Vietnam: A 21st Century Awakening illustrates how the country has rebooted its struggling economy—from the Mekong Delta in the south to the Chinese border in the north—by capitalizing on the tourist trade (4 million visited last year, and tourism is growing by 7 percent annually); government leasing of prime real estate for private development (which, among other things, supports world-class surfing at China Beach and Da Nang); and generally embracing free enterprise. Places visited here include spectacular Halong Bay (with ancient caves and limestone karst formations); the many attractions of Hanoi (including its Water Puppet Theatre and the Vietnam National Academy of Music); and the metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), where millions of “motos” (we'd call them “scooters”) serve as the primary form of transportation. Added to the mix is information about rice production and the ao dai (the traditional form of women's dress), as well as interviews with students who talk about their plans for the future. A 21st Century Awakening is one of three new titles in the Discoveries…Vietnam series; the others are Rice Baskets to World Heritage and Historic Treasures. Informative and enjoyable, this is highly recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block)