Caribbean Books

In its tenth edition, this mammoth tome is rightly considered to be the "bible" of Cuban Studies. It both covers a wide breadth of political subjects and has an equally wide variety of contributors. Anyone wishing one-stop shopping for understanding the last 40 years in Cuba and Cuba-American relations will find this to be a beneficial purchase.

This book has become a classic for all of us who study Cuba's history and society. However, I must also recommend the book for any student of social and cultural anthropology interested in cross cultural interactions and acculturation ("transculturación" in Ortiz's own words. It is incredible that his ideas on this subject have been mostly ignored by the United States anthropological community, despite the strong support Ortiz received from Bronislaw Malinowsky. I highly recommend it.

This book provides a very interesting critique of the successes and failures of the Cuban revolution from an Anarchist perspective. In this book we learn how the Cuban people have been deprived of their political freedom. In addition, Dolgoff points out how the people are largely marginalized from making decisions in the workplace, and how the workforce is just as demoralized as the oppressed masses in many capilatist societies. This is a rare book. It's a must-read.

The Cuban Revolution: Years Of Promise is an insightfully co-authored historical documentation of Cuba's revolutionary strive for independence from an undesired government by Teo A Babùn (frequent guest commentator with CBS, CNN, CNBC, CBN, the BBC, and the German Television Network. National executive director of ECHO-Cuba) & Victor Andrès Triay (Cuban-American Historian at Middlesex Community College and acclaimed author). Delving deep into the previously unseen terrain of the Cuban revolutionaries, The Cuban Revolution reveals sights and insights never before released for an eye-opening and educational affect. The Cuban Revolution is very highly recommended to all non-specialist general readers, particularly though to readers with an interest in the firsthand happenings of the Cuban Revolution.

The book does an amazing job of supplying both sides of the story for this generation of Cubans. It offers strong opinions for and against the Revolutionary state of Cuba. Each chapter is a seperate interview with someone who has a relation to the argument. It begins with Cuban citizens, and then moves on to those that are state side and even some second generation Cuban Americans. The book has the depth of peoples lives as they unfold before you. From the stories of the day of the revolution to stories of revoltion, it brings home points you won't have thought of.

I was drawn to this book firstly through its title.
Since many books on caribbean pop culture tend to be either too theory ridden or journalistic, I was impressed with this work's ability to ride in the liminal space between academia and the everyday, so to speak.

Here is an author who seems to really know the subject matter and whose approach reflects passion and even an anxiety to take Caribbean criticism to new levels. Although the book makes reference to other more established critical approaches to Caribbean pop critique, it doesn't fall into the trap of labouring over them, instead it demonstrates how far Caribbean culture has advanced and the distance that criticism must be prepared to go to catch up. Given the work done on Contemporary culture studies at University of the West Indies, this book marks a new trend in some respects, chief among which must be the attempt to unhinge cultural critique from the pole of overworked methods rooted in postcolonialism, gender, marxism etc.

Here is a work that is prepared to chart its own course, so to speak. Its discussion of leading-edge subjects such as AIDS, gospel, Internet, Technology etc makes this book easily the most creative and daring work so far on Caribbean culture in the 21st Century.

For me "Culture @ the Cutting Edge" helps to invigorate criticism about Caribbean society. In the future this text might very well be regarded as one of, if not the defining work that marks the active entry of the UWI School into the robust domain of first world cultural production.

If it's a 'traditional' travel guide you're after, with bus times and hotel prices, then this book isn't for you.

But if you really want to get inside the Costa Rican mindset, then it's fantastic. I read this book before I visited the country and it really helped so many things about how the Ticos behave make sense to me.

The writing style is fun, and I love how the author has peppered the whole book with little personal stories and experiences to illustrate her points.

I'd strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to do more than just scratch the surface of the country - especially good for anyone going to spend a long holiday in Costa Rica or even move there.

This is truly the best adaptation of a movie I have ever read. I've given copies to all my children (aged 5-12) and even my close friends. There is just something about the writing that makes this book come alive. It's even better than the movie.

Las horribles pesadillas sobre un asesinato brutal que se repite noche tras noche es lo que une a Salomon Rulfo, Raquel y al Dr. Ballestero a buscar el origen de este llegando poco a poco a descubrir una situación insolita. Trece Damas o Brujas que viven eternamente cambiando de cuerpo que usan la poesía como armas de poder para hacer y deshacer a sus anchas en el mundo de los mortales pero que a su vez estan en pugna entre ellas por una lucha de poder y supremacia.
Una novela muy bien escrita donde hay una mezcla de novela policiaca, de fantasia y terror muy bien entrelazada que capta la atencion y curiosidad del lector desde el principio.

I read a lot of books on Haiti, this is the best one I have seen on Haiti's history between 1990 and 2005. Well-written and researched, with strong analysis. It is important for anyone interested in understanding Haiti today, but it is equally important for understanding current U.S. foreign policy. The excellent explanation of how the U.S. undermined and overthrew Haiti's democracy in 2004 applies to similar U.S. efforts in Venezuela over the last 8 years, and current efforts to undermine democracy in Bolivia.