Reviews

"The Gringo's Hawk is the personal memoir of of a varied and remarkable life. Jon Marañón was an idealistic American who became a landowner on the southwest coast of Costa Rica. Marañón found himself confronted with one crisis after another ranging from chicken hawks, to termites, to adjudicating peasant disputes, to conflicts with other landlords who felt Marañón paid his peasants too much. He fervently battled with Costa Rican government to stop the slow degradation of the environment, and worked with scientists to understand more about the migration patterns of whales. The Gringo's Hawk is the compelling, highly recommended autobiographical story of a unique, candidly presented, and singularly fascinating life."  
- Midwest Book Review

"Like Henry David Thoreau before him, Marañón exhibits an appreciation of wilderness that is always informed by the perspective of civilization and a view of civilization that is only achieved by freeing oneself from its comfortable embrace. The Gringo's Hawk is the story of one exceptional man coming to terms with one exotic place and the people who inhabited it...In the end Marañón's memoir is about discovering the world outside ourselves and trying to find our proper place in it." 
- Craig W. Allin, Ph.D., Author of Politics of Wilderness Preservation

About the Author

Mr. Marañón entered the rainforests of Costa Rica as a young adult looking for adventure. His primary goal was to "explore the jungle." Thirty years later, he remains in Costa Rica and is now considered to be an expert in marine biology and conservation. Among his endeavors and accomplishments are the following:

• He played a significant role in establishing protected marine areas and protected coastal marine areas and removing a well known island from the possession of the Ministry of Security and including it in the National Parks Service. Thereafter, he helped create a management plan for the island.

• He has been appointed to and worked on environmental Costa Rican government committees and was declared an honorary member of the National Parks Service of Costa Rica by presidential decree.

• He has had a long-time fascination with whales and worked with scientists and researchers to establish an entirely new understanding of the migratory habits of Northern and Southern hemisphere Humpback whales. At the time of publication of The Gringo's Hawk, this research is ongoing.

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