Masters Of The Living Energy by Joan Parisi Wilcox (2004, Paperback, Revised)

If you're looking for information on the Q'ero, MASTERS OF THE LIVING ENERGY is worth buying. It is a very good resource, comprised of interviews with various Q'ero paqos and chapters summarizing Andean beliefs about honoring Mother Earth, the mountain spirits (apus) and other manifestations of the divine. There is also a very interesting section on the opression of the Q'ero (and other Andean people) by cruel hacienda owners and how the Q'ero were finally freed from this abuse. Overall, this book is quite fine--there isn't much material out there about the Q'ero, and the author is honest in admitting what she does and does not know. PW is not an anthropologist or a scholar. She is a good listener and a person of considerable sensitivity who has gained the trust of the Q'ero, and these qualities inspire her interview subjects to open up and share valuable information. If you have ever tried to interview Quechua-speaking people yourself (I have!), you know that crossing the language/cultural divide can be a considerable challenge, particularly with the reclusive Q'ero.