187 Reasons Mexicanos Can't Cross the Border Undocuments 1971-2007 Juan Felipe Herrera City Lights: 352 pp., $16.95 paper The U.S.-Mexico border is a 2,000-mile geopolitical line that runs from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, slicing through 10 states, two deserts, at least four different regional accents and at least three different philosophies on how to cook meat, all while changing shape from rivers to rocks to ranch fences to wooden posts to menacing metal walls rigged with electronic sensors. In his new book, "Hyperborder," Romero attempts to sidestep the debates and lay out an accessible, and handy, gallery of tables, charts, maps and photographs that illustrate the border region's complexities and its impact on U.S. and Mexican life.