Caribbean Books

"Emancipation Still Comin'" is a fascinating exploration of the role of theology, particularly theories of liberation theology, in Caribbean socioeconomic development. A weighty subject indeed; and while a lesser talent may have been tempted to intimidate readers with bombast and didacticism, the Antiguan-born author captivates his audience with seasoned prose, borrowing liberally from popular Caribbean colloquialisms. He persuasively delivers the central theme of "Emancipation": that religion, among the most powerful tools of subjugation employed by colonial masters, also contains the seeds for social and economic liberation of the oppressed. Already considered essential reading for the Caribbean progressive, "Emancipation" belongs in the global pantheon of theological literature. It is a masterpiece.

"Topics of this important collection range broadly over the origins of sugar plantations and the planter's world, the relations between the British West Indies and the North American colonies, the character of slave societies, slave family life, and slave resistance, the process of emancipation and the transition to other forms of labor in the 19th century, and the nature of island and regional identity.

Craton writes well, and he makes major contributions to historiographic debates and methodology. He combines the traditional historian's care over sources with the cross-disciplinary approaches of the new social history. This is a convenient and valuable collection. Highly recommended..." -Choice

Maxine Schur's Enchanted Islands: Voices And Visions From The Caribbean is a beautifully organized and illustrated journal with a motif showcasing through paintings and quotations the joy and mystery of the Caribbean. Whether embarking upon a Caribbean cruise, or just armchair traveling with your own thoughts and observations, Enchanted Islands is an ideal, highly recommended repository for personal experiences, reflections, and memories.

This book has given me an overall understanding of the historic economics of Cuba and how their present economic situation has evolved. It also helped me form an understanding of the economic dynamics of the U.S. and Cuba. Dr. Fernandez has researched and written an important historical book which is interesting to read and easy to understand. I highly recommend this book for any student of Carribbean history and/or economics.

D.H. Figueredo edits the 2-volume ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CARIBBEAN LITRATURE, an even more specialized set recommended for college-level collections already strong in Caribbean culture. The region's diverse cultural influences and history have led to a unique literary tradition and ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CARIBBEAN LITERATURE examines these influences and traditions, reviewing the lives and works of major Caribbean authors. Here are over seven hundred entries contributed by over 20 experts covering genres, works, themes and more.

Verity Smith has compiled a work that will stand the test of time for years to come. As a starting point, this tome is indispensible to the serious scholar of Latin American Literature, rivaling Foster's Handbook of Latin American Literature.

Does culture matter for the economic and social development of a nation?

V. Storr certainly believes it does. And in his "Enterprising Slaves and Master Pirates," he places culture as the most important factor in this contribution to the understanding of economic life in the Bahamas.

Contra most economists, Storr provides readers with a "thick description" of Bahamian economic life instead of the vogue - and ersatz - "thin" interpretation of "econometrics," or the method most historians have done away with "cliometrics." Storr sets the stage for his "thick description" by speaking to the work of Ludwig von Mises and Max Weber. These intellectual lions, and Storr, aver that practitioners of the social sciences ought not to ape the methods of the natural sciences due to the social sciences being causal-interpretive. And hence, the social sciences should be focused on meaning (verstehen), not naive correlation.

In this work, Storr develops Kirznerian entrepreneurship by calling attention to a few ideal-typical attributes of the successful entrepreneur: Awareness and Discovery. In so doing, Storr makes known that while entrepreneurs are omnipresent, the numerous and varied opportunities open to them are circumscribed by culture. Moreover, and perhaps unwittingly, Storr provides insight into why the descendants of Bahamian "enterprising slaves" and "master pirates" outperform blacks born and raised in the United States.

This is an excellent work. The price is very high, but if you enjoy Weberian/Misean socio-economics, Enterprising Slaves and Master Pirates is a must own!

The world lost an innovative and articulate feminist-womanist thinker when Gloria Anzaldua died May 15, 2004 The author, editor, or co-editor of numerous books, Anzaldua was elevated to international prominence in 1982 through publication of "This bridge called my back: writings by radical women of color".

It made the then-radical proposition that women of color could not prioritize or negotiate among their various community identities-needing an ideology intersecting EVERYTHING. It also established Anzaldua as a major theoretical force to be reckoned with. Social justice movements could not create real change until acknowledging how they also benefit from hierarchies and subordination.

However, Dr Analouise Keating (Associate Professor of Women's Studies, Texas Woman's University) also lost a close friend; somebody sharing her vision of an America where interconnectedness was not `extra' but the norm. This intensely personal and political collection of writings pays tribute to Anzaldua, showcasing her empowering visions. Compiling this collection of writings was a way for Keating to work through the personal and professional pain of having lost Anzaldua.

I also enjoyed the essay by Carrie McMaster. Carrie and I were in the Texas Woman's University Women's Studies MA program together, sharing many critiques of disability, politics, and power. Even some women calling themselves `feminist' have very limited view of disability and consequently do not wish to recognize us as equals. McMaster conceptualizes women with disabilities as intrinsically being nepantlera because we have so many `outside' identities to navigate in the world. Rather than limiting us however, such positioning consequently necessitates the conceptualization of an alternate world where people do not have to negotiate and/or section themselves off.

Analouise Keating is an academic and a prolific writer, but `dry' and `impartial' are certainly not adjectives for this book. I never personally knew Anzaldua myself, but this work intentionally engenders a high degree of intimacy. Readers are encouraged to dig beyond sound bites and caricatures to understand who Anzaldua really was, what she thought, and was accomplishing. Like any good tribute, this tome commemorates their friendship throughout.

I appreciate that this same tribute is so accessible to general audiences. Despite Keating's very intense personal stake, this book is not her `vanity project' or personal indulgence. The book's approach and substance genuinely honors Anzaldua through being accessible to the largest audiences possible. Because writing about a departed friend is very hard, the project is especially consciousness-raising. Academics will enjoy this work, but grassroots organizers and people simply trying to figure out where they fit into this world also need to read it.

Son pocos los escritores que dominan la palabra como lo hace en gran Oliverio Girondo. Su poesía transciende el tiempo y es un llamado a un entendimiento universal con la misma. Este es un libro para leer una vez al año. La profundidad de sus versos es sorprendente, poesía descrita por poesía.

Creo que es un libro que combina una excelente trama con un mensaje que todos debemos retomer, sera verdad todo lo que las ONGs y Cinetificos fanaticos nos dicen sobre las cosas que nos ocurren a diario?