What are the true rain forests? Are they, as most of us picture them, "humorless, mysterious places, filled with exotic plants," or are they in fact replete with bon vivants, all "sitting like Bambi in the bullseye of western media attention, unable to figure out what the fuss is all about?"Brian Alexander's quest for rain forest truths leads him to some disenchanting discoveries. The rain forests of the world (he surveys six of them) do not have heroic natives fighting capitalist oppressors, nor idealistic eco-scholars seeking miracle cures from exotic flora. In fact, some rain forests are not even hot. He does discover a parade of lively and memorable people, places, and adventures that makes Green Cathedrals a book to savor, learn from, and enjoy. (6 1/4 X 9 1/4, 220 pages, color photos)