"This second anthology, Other Visions of Colonial Rio de Janeiro, represents a significant addition to the research on the subject published by Jean Marcel Carvalho França. I must say that the first, Visions of Colonial Rio de Janeiro, had already impressed me with the number and variety of accounts it contains. In fact, I must confess something in this regard: in my home library there are a good number of books by travelers and missionaries who passed through Brazil, or who were here. Incidentally, I have been collecting these works for a few decades (many...) and had the pretension of knowing the subject reasonably well. Isn't it true that I found, already in the first anthology, and now in this one, names I hadn't heard of?! It was even a bit humiliating, but on the other hand, and modesty aside, for me it was a good indication of the value of these two anthologies, and of the care and depth of the research Jean Marcel carried out. This way, it is not impossible that a third volume will emerge, which would be great for all of us who feel a special attraction to the works of travelers. But that's not all. The reader will certainly enjoy the accounts, and enjoy reading, which doesn't always go hand in hand. Now, reading shouldn't just be a source of knowledge—it should also be a source of pleasure. And that's what happens in both volumes. The information about the authors of the accounts and the bibliographies also deserve praise. I hope that both will serve as an incentive for other scholars, or Jean Marcel himself, to consider researching accounts related to other cities and provinces, such as Bahia, Pernambuco, Pará, Amazonas, and, in fact, the others as well. As a São Paulo native, I was even a bit jealous, but I recognize that the others deserve priority, as there isn't much about São Paulo in the colonial period (it might even be my ignorance...). In any case, it doesn't hurt to dream." - José Mindlin
