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Book Picks: South American and Caribbean History, Culture, and Society A good holiday is one that is spent among people whose notions of time are vaguer than yours. The Pan American Dream: Do Latin America?s Cultural Values Discourage True Partnership with the United States and Canada This book presents a thought provoking argument: the reasons for the lack of economic development in Latin America lies in its Iberian cultural roots and its destructive view of work, education, time, and authority figures. I don?t agree with Harrison?s assessment that the cultural and economic dominance of the United States in Latin America plays no role in Latin America?s problems. However, I think that Harrison?s call for fundamental moral changes in the region merits attention. After years of reading that Latin America?s poverty is almost exclusively the fault of Yankee imperialism, it is refreshing to read Harrison?s take on the situation. I wonder, sometimes, in light of the Enron crisis and other recent political and economic developments, if the same destructive cultural values that Harrison identifies as stymieing Latin America?s progress haven?t come to roost in the USA as well. Inside Latin America Inside Latin America, published in 1941, provides a fascinating view of life in the region sixty years ago. While it gives an outmoded view of Latin America ? where else are you going to read serious accounts of the local Nazi threat in the region ? it also provides a intimate view of the history of the 1930?s and 1940?s in Latin America than any other book. Nowadays, the Gran Chaco War ? one of Latin America saddest chapter (a bloody battle between Paraguay and Bolivia in 1932?35 over one of the most god-forsaken places on Earth) ? is confined to historic obscurity yet this book brings the horror of that episode to life. It also really gives you a sense of the incredible natural wealth that blessed Argentina and Chile in the decades before the war. This book is easy to find in used library book sales. Odyssey to Ushuaia: A Motorcycle Adventure from New York to Tierra del Fuego Odyssey to Ushuaia is a funny account of the foibles of a relatively young inexperienced motorcyclist trying to interact with two vastly more serious, middle?aged, and experienced drivers. It is also a revealing account of one man?s trip through a complex and beautiful land and the people ? usually attractive women ? that he meets along the way. Sandwiched between the pages are occasional, valuable travel tips for potential motorcyclists and other long term travelers to Latin America. Living in Latin America: A Case Study in Cross-Cultural Communication This out of print book is a slightly pedantic but informative academic look at the cross-cultural communication issues between American college students and host families in Bogota, Colombia. At one level, it is about the foibles of a specific group of students visiting Colombia in the 1970?s. At a more complex level, it is the best primer on how to interact successfully with Latin American, middle and upper class families that I have seen. The Motorcycle Diaries: A Journey Around South America This is one of the few accounts of the formative years of a famous Communist revolutionary that paints a picture of a man with warts rather than a superhuman hero. We learn about how Che deceived people and took advantage of the hospitality of others. We also glimpse his efforts to come to grips with the innate injustice in the world and formulate a vision for a new tomorrow for his continent. Read this account along with Chasing Che.
A well written and informative account of a journalist?s efforts to retrace the route taken by Che Guevara forty years earlier in the Motorcycle Diaries. It paints a picture of the brutal effects of Che?s compelling legacy among Peruvian freedom fighters superimposed by a honest, not always glowing portrait of how turning Che?s legacy upside ? imposing thirty years of radical capitalism -- has effected Chile. On a more superficial level, the book is also a captivating view of one man?s journey to match his wits with a motorcycle. It is not always clear who wins the battle ? Symmes or the bike. Regardless, the book both entertains and informs.
Let?s face it, the history we learned in high school was very ethnocentric. Generally, the interaction between early European settlers in the Americas and the native population is glossed over. The Native Americans are usually either painted as unsophisticated peasants, poor victims of the conquistadores? avarice, or even worse delegated to a one sentence footnote. This book corrects this injustice. We learn how Native Americans contributed to European political and economic well-being, how the foods of the Americas (potatoes and tomatoes) transformed the European dinner table and lifestyle, and how Indians even contributed to democracy and modern corporate governance. After reading this intriguing and well written book, you?ll never look at Native Americans the same way. Looking for History: Dispatches from Latin America Looking for History is the best recap of Latin American politics and economics at the end of the last millennium. Guillermoprieto is clearly a compassionate and knowledgeable observer who has spent considerable time and energy getting to understand contemporary life in these complex lands. Read this book to find out everything you need to know about the election of Vicente Fox in Mexico and for clues into how Castro has managed to hold onto power in Cuba for more than forty years. Streets with No Names: A Journey into Central and South America This book, particularly when juxtaposed with Looking for History, portrays a Latin America that almost seems as far off historically as the one John Gunther described in the 1940s. In Streets with No Names, written in 1991, McGuire visits many lands caught under the strong arm of military dictatorships. Stryker has to bypass Panama under Noriega out of fear for his personal safety; Panama is now a country noted for its relative prosperity and stability. Yet, it begs the question, has democracy really changed these countries that much in past 14 years since this book was published? The sad fact is that most countries are even poorer than at the time of Stryker?s visit.
Krich recognized (for some reason his last book was ten years ago) that the best way to get into the heart of a foreign country is through its passions. In this book, we learn how the Dominican Republic has become the world?s largest baseball training camp and Nicaragua under the Sandinistas held onto their love of the game even during critical shortages of baseball equipment. El Beisbol is an enchanting and unique perspective on the Latin American experience. The Old Patagonian Express Theroux depicts a Latin America that no longer exists with his typical aplomb and acerbic wit. Latin America?s train network sadly has been extensively derailed since 1979 when this book was written. Life among the American expatriate colony in the Panama Canal Zone has gone the way of the trains since the Canal was returned to Panamanian ownership five years ago. Nonetheless, the book is a compelling survey of Latin America. I particularly recommend Theroux?s depiction of his visits to his distant relatives in Ecuador. The Fire Down Below: A Journey of Exploration from Mexico to Chile In the spirit of John Gunther, Harvey creates vivid impressions of the political, economic, cultural, and geographical realities of Latin America in the mid-1980s. His writing is crisp and clear. He encapsulates both the tragedy and the potential of Latin America with compassion and accuracy. I only wish Fire Down Below didn?t seem so dated in the midst of the dramatic changes that have swept the Latin American scene in the last twenty years.
The funniest book I have read in years. Dale?s love life repeatedly thrusts her in the midst of some of the oddest and most hysterical situations ever depicted in any book. Yet, as with all truly worthwhile travel memoirs, the book also provides a lot of food for thought. Wendy Dale manages perhaps more than anyone to capture the quirky and oftentimes complex relationship between the traveler and the act of traveling. There is no better book to read if you want to understand a friend or relative who seems to be afflicted with perpetual ?itchy feet?. In Search of Robinson Crusoe When I picked this book, I was a bit skeptical. I never really liked Robinson Crusoe much and wondered how it could provide enough material for a 300+ page book. Yet, I quickly found that under Severin's skilled hands, Robinson Crusoe?s story took on a new life. I was entranced by the true life stories of the real people that Robert Louis Stevenson used for inspiration for Robinson Crusoe. Who could resist the true story of Selkirk ? a truly disagreeable scalawag ? who (at least until now) scholars believed served as the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe or the story of the Mosquito people of Nicaragua and Honduras who inspired Stevenson's depiction of Man Friday?
When I teach travel seminars, I often tell people that travel is a test. If you are a functional person, travel will help you become an even better person. If you are dysfunctional, then travel can lead you on a slippery slope toward self destruction. Most books explore travel as a means to discovering more about the world and yourself. In Search of Captain Zero, on the other hand, better than any other book I've read, poignantly and powerfully depicts a man (Weisbecker's surfing and drug running friend, Christopher) who starts out on a journey to find the best surfing spot in Latin America and ends up instead destroying every thing he touches. As a powerful counterpoint, Weisbecker explores his own journey from a self-absorbed drug runner into a successful writer and photographer and the colorful yet ultimately childish surfers he encounters on his journey to find Chris. All-in-all, I think this is one of the most powerful looks at the dark side of the male psyche I've ever read.
One of the best biographies I've ever read. Extraordinarily detailed and well researched. Yet, the writing is crisp enough to keep you reading all 800+ pages. After reading this book, you'll understand why, though Che was killed at a young age, he become the most compelling revolutionary of the 20th century. My only complaint: I think the part of the book detailing Che's military exploits in Cuba could have been shortened. The book works best when it talks about Che's upbringing, trip around South America, and post-revolutionary government experience. Freshly Squeezed Toast: Twenty-odd Years of Travel in Latin America If you ever take a class in travel writing, one of the first rules you'll discover is to avoid sounding as if you are publishing a journal of your trip unless you have something powerful to say along the way. While I understand this advice, Freshly Squeezed Toast violates this rule on every page (it is just a series of diary entries without any real point of view) and somehow remains worthwhile nonetheless. Perhaps, it is because this type of book is so seldom published, that it seems fresh and intriguing or maybe the travel editors are wrong. I don't know (or really care) why. I just know that I like this book. Haiti and the Dominican Republic
Cuba Waiting for Fidel: An American in Cuba Waiting for Fidel is a highly entertaining and very revealing look at Cuba in the mid 1990s. By entering the country illegally, Hunt manages to capture the surrealistic nature of life in contemporary Cuba better than any other travel memoir to the region. Waiting for Fidel is a sad view of a country that is slowly falling apart. Yet, it simultaneously conveys a real sense of love and passion for the country. Well worth reading, though I suspect that the Cuba in these pages would appear different to travel traversing the country today.
Well written and researched, Pitching Around Fidel captures the two pronged nature of Cuban baseball. On one prong, Cuban baseball lacks adequate financial support and is the victim of seemingly irrational changes imposed by the Cuban government that seem almost designed to keep the sport from reaching its potential. On the other, by separating the game from the pervasive commercialism that plagues the game in the USA, Cuban baseball captures the original spirit of the game ? camaraderie, team spirit, and fair play ? better than anywhere else on Earth. While one can?t help but share Price?s love for the spirit of Cuban baseball, you also share the frustration of the game?s players. Pitching Around Fidel explains both why many Cuban baseball players have defected and why many players want to remain in the country even though Cuba is no longer able to sustain the game (or anything else for that matter) anymore.
Miller is one of my favorite writers about Latin America (see later reviews for On the Border and the Panama Hat Trail). Relying on careful research and engaging interviews with a wide range of Cubans, Miller presents a fair and compassionate view of this often unfairly maligned country. Love or hate Cuba; everyone, after having read this book, will want to get on the next plane to visit this sensual and surprisingly joyful country. Enduring Cuba Bran delves deep into the history and culture of Cuba to reveal a complex, unflinching panorama of this contradictory country. She creates a powerful picture of the Cuban psyche -- intelligent, educated, fun loving, and thought provoking. Ultimately, Enduring Cuba destroys any allusions that you may have that Cuba is a ?worker?s paradise?, but it leaves an indelible impression.
A lyrical, magical memoir of a childhood spent in a country that no longer exists ? pre Castro Cuba. Eire, though not objective, offers a rare and power picture of life in Cuba immediate before and just after the revolution. He also encapsulates the sense of overwhelming anger and loss that pervades Cuba?s exile community more than forty years after the revolution.
Baker maintains that while he expected to find Cuba a ?worker?s paradise?, he has over time come to dislike the revolution. While this is true, Mi Moto Fidel is not an angry book. You sense that Baker still harbors a begrudging respect for Castro?s ideals. He has just spent enough time in the country to see the underside of the revolution. Regardless of his view of government, the book oozes with love for the people, the rhythm, and the Cuban way of this life while providing a great front row seat on the ultimate male fantasy bike ride.
Dancing with Cuba is a compelling memoir of Guillermoprieto's six month foray into Cuba as a Mexican-American teacher of modern dance. Well written almost lyrical, the book works on two levels. On one hand, it is a wonderful story of a young, shy woman's gradual transformation into a more mature lady. On the other, Dancing with Cuba is a perceptive look at the successes and failures of the Cuban revolution and Guillermoprieto's ideological struggle to understand, and begrudgingly accept, some of the revolution's precepts.
Sailing to Hemingway's Cuba The book follows Schaeffer's efforts to find Hemingway's ghost in Cuba. While a seeming flotilla of articles have been written on this theme, no one does a better job of recreating Hemingway's life in Cuba. Under Schaeffer's skilled hand, you really understand the details of Hemingway's time in this magical and tragic place. If this book were just about Cuba (and Key West), I'd give it a star. Unfortunately, though, I can't because the first part of the book about Schaeffer's trip to Cuba isn't nearly as interesting as the rest.
Puerto Rico
A powerful memoir of the transformation of a Puerto Rican girl from a small girl raised in the relative serenity of rural Puerto Rico to a true Neoriqueno (New York-Puerto Rican). Santiago captures the trauma and the lessons of living a truly bi?cultural experience while presenting a realistic view of the love and squabbles that characterized her often traumatic childhood. Colombia
The Fruit Palace reads like an action packed novel written about a na?ve shadow participant in the complex, multifarious world of the Colombian drug trade. Nicholl presents a harrowing picture of a drug trade poised to invade the very heart and soul of an entire nation (unfortunately, the drug trade has probably invaded Colombia even more since he wrote this book). This is one of those rare books that grips you from the first to the last page. Bravo, Nicholl!
A truly frightening portrayal of kidnapping victims trapped in a battle between a drug lord and a government determined not to cave into the demands of kidnappers. Extremely well paced and brilliantly reported, News of the Kidnapping is one of the most bizarre and moving stories I?ve ever read about contemporary life in Latin America.
Killing Pablo is one long roller coaster ride. You are constantly thrilled by its hundreds of fast paced, elaborate twists and turns and marvel at its artistry. Yet, unlike a roller coaster ride, you feel like the ride will continue forever. You wonder if the real life twists and turns were worth the trouble and whether you are more in danger at the end of the ride than at the beginning. The only things you know for sure are: Bowden is a masterful storyteller and life isn't as simple as a roller coaster ride. Ecuador
A compelling, thoroughly researched analysis of the efforts to save the Galapagos Islands from its own success. Told from the viewpoint of several long term island residents, Plundering Paradise is the story of how corruption, overdevelopment, and poverty threaten the island?s existence. It is also the story of several heroic people dedicated to ensuring that the Galapagos thrive in the future. Sadly, it is hard to tell which side will win the struggle. Yet, at least there is hope. Regardless who wins or loses, D?Orso?s book is a great introduction to all the forces that are lining up to shape the islands? future.
First off, let?s dispel a myth. Panama hats are not from Panama ? they?re from Ecuador. To find out why they are called Panama hats, plus the story of the head topper?s history, design, construction, and distribution, read Miller?s book. Along the way, you?ll also get a thorough, entertaining, and well written panorama of contemporary Ecuadorian life. Evolution?s Workshop: God and Science on the Galapagos Islands Larson presents a fascinating history of these islands and their role in the development of Darwin?s theory of evolution. Read this book to understand how science both contributed to the island?s near destruction and survival. Sweat of the Sun, Tears of the Moon: A Chronicle of an Incan Treasure While Sweat of the Sun and the Lord of Sipan (see Peru section below) are not related in any way, they both stand together in my mind. Both books read more like a novel than other travel memoirs. You find yourself flipping pages frantically to find out what happens next. You also learn a lot about both Incan and modern Andean culture along the ride. Plus, you get a real sense of why people get gold fever and how this fever can ruin everything.
Living Poor dares to poise one of mankind's greatest mystery: Why are people like those living in the impoverished, beach town of Rio Verde, Ecuador poor? While ultimately he doesn't really find the answer to this mystery (though some of his theories pause the reader to think), the story of his attempts (some successful; many not) to come to grips with the poverty that plagues the village during his four year stint as a Peace Corps volunteer in the village in the 1960s, has slowly evolved into a classic travel memoir for good reason. Both he and the people of the village are imminently human, full of foibles and faults yet likable and sympathetic to the core. Peru
Wright meticulously weaves compelling portraits of modern Peru against the backdrop of its grandiose and complex Incan history. Cut Stones is one of the rare travel books that is both encyclopedic in its historic detail and easy to read. By the end of the book, I dare you to not want to don a backpack and see Peru for yourself. Trail of Feathers: In Search of the Birdmen of Peru Shah?s journey in search of whether the ancient Peruvians could fly began when he sees a 16th century Spanish text that talks about Incan flying through the jungle and ends with a trip, seemingly out of the 1960?s movie classic Deliverance, to the Shuar tribe, a legendarily brutal tribe, who use drugs to induce visions of flight. Along the path, Shah exhibits a contiguous, childlike glee while revealing many little known yet intriguing facts about Peru. All?in?all, Trail of Feathers is a fun, compelling read.
Lord of Sipan has all the ingredients of a great fiction novel. The cast of characters is straight out of a Hollywood script. Cruel smugglers, backed by manipulative international collectors, who try to foil the Peruvian archaeologist attempt to richest Incan tomb in history on their soil. Heroic archaeologists, led by the larger than life Walter Alva, who steadfastly unearth the tomb in the midst of chaos. Poor grave robbers who want to seize the gold jewelry to finally get a foothold on the "good life". Yet, it is all true and thanks to Kirkpatrick powerful combination of good storytelling and research skills, you won't be able to put the book down. Andes
Though the Traveler?s Guide is over thirty years old, it has stood the test of time. It is one of those rare travel books that helps travelers to understand and appreciate a different culture rather than dryly evaluating accommodations and restaurants. The Traveler?s Guide today remains an infinitely readable and informative overview of Andean folk traditions, arts, and culture. I wish more guidebooks were like the Traveler?s Guide
While ostensibly a story of one man's fascination with a long buried Incan town, White Rock is actually an extremely detailed and well researched story of both Incan and modern Andean history. Nowhere else can you learn so much about the history of this part of the world in such an easily palatable format. Thompson is a consummate explorer, researcher, and story teller. A great read. Bolivia In Bolivia I am always amazed how travelers continuously wax poetic about Bolivia?s rich geographic diversity, Indian culture, and spirituality. After reading In Bolivia, I wonder if these travelers went to the same country as Eric Lawlor. The Bolivia he saw was corrupt, incompetent, violent, and petty. His anger about the absurdity of Bolivian life is palpable on every page. Yet, his portrait of this country is compelling and thought provoking. I can?t wait to visit Bolivia myself to reach my own conclusions about this enigmatic country. BRAZIL, VENEZUELA, GUYANA, AND THE AMAZON Brazil
Why is this Country Dancing? is a penetrating, revealing portrait of one of the world?s most intriguing and enigmatic nations. Krich makes you want to don a carnival costume, shake your hips, and move to the beat. He also accurately describes the tragedy and the potential of Brazil?s diverse and contradictory history, people, and culture. Capital of Hope The Capital of Hope is a well written, comprehensive history of the transformation of Brasilia from a distant dream into a modern reality. Many observers comment of the soullessness and artificiality of Brasilia. Only Shoumatoff reveals the dramatic story of the City?s founding and the powerful role that Brasilia symbolizing the country?s hope for a better tomorrow. After reading this book, you may not love Brasilia but you will respect it.
The Brazilians is an encyclopedic, well balanced, and ultimately compelling portrait of one of the world?s most exciting, yet little understood, nations. Pace, unlike most authors who take on the ambitious goal of writing a portrait of an entire country, succeeds. By the end of the book, you really feel like you understand Brazil. Why does Page succeed where most other authors of this genre fail? I think it is because that, while Page doesn?t shy away from revealing Brazil?s dark side, his passion for Brazil is palpable on every page. It is this passion that makes this book both fun to read and highly informative.
From its surprising opening story of Robb?s near death during a robbery in Brazil to its final pages, Robb artfully weaves two stories at once. The first is his emerging and complex love affair with this tempestuous yet sensual country. The second is a thorough and engaging background of how the object of his affection ?Brazil itself ? came into being. Caution: Don?t read this book while you?re on a diet. Robb?s sensuous, almost erotic, descriptions of Brazilian food are bound to make you hungry. The World is Burning The World is Burning is a well written and researched story of Chico Mendes, a Brazilian rubber tapper, who led the growing, yet imperiled, efforts to save the Amazon during the late 1980s. Chico Mendes's death at the hands of a corrupt, and cruel, local landowner became an international cause celebre that ignited the country's powerful ecological imagination. Shoumatoff's deft writing makes the search for the killer seem like a political thriller rather than an academic treatise. Venezuela and Guyana
A heroic story of a na?ve, young women thrust into a decaying hacienda by her mentally depraved and completely incompetent husband. Teran?s transformation from a shy, helpless, tragic fish out of water into a sage, tower of strength who saves a seemingly doomed hacienda from total decay is epic and inspiring. The Hacienda is also a lyrical paean to the beauty, simplicity, and tragedy of rural Latin American life. A Week in Porlamar A surprisingly rare book. Instead of being a story about the life lessons or adventures on a foreigner in another land, this is merely a story of a couple's week vacation to Margarita Island, Venezuela. McMahon is a typical tourist -- she is more interested in the perfect cocktail than learning anything profound about the history, culture, and society. Yet, the book is fun to read -- witty, cleverly written and entertaining -- and you can't help but smile at the couple's hijinks. Searching for El Dorado gives you a front row seat on Herman?s journey to discover how a modern day gold rush affects the life of Guyana ? a little known, sparsely populated, yet incredibly diverse nation. Following gold miners, government ministers, and gold company officials, Herman uncovers a seemingly age?old story about how the search for gold, ultimately impoverishes, not enriches, most of the lives it touches. He also, along the way, tells the fascinating story of the modern day gold industry and gives you a rare glimpse into life in one of South America's most hidden, yet alluring, corners. Amazon River
One of strangest stories I have even read. No other book so meticulously details the horror that follows the initial contact between ?primitive? tribes and modernity. Darkness in El Dorado reads almost like Conrad?s Heart of Darkness; only it?s true. Darkness recounts the shocking tale of scientists with larger than life egos who catapult a relatively passive tribe into a violent maelstrom of competition, disease, and near destruction for the anthropologist's political agenda. After reading this book, you?ll never view anthropology the same way again.
I can't heap enough praise on this book. It is memorable, compassionate, compelling, and -- best of all -- important. Plotkin poignantly reminds us that the rain forest and its shamans are vital to our survival as a species. I have seldom learned so much about a topic as I did reading this book. Read this book! Chile
Desert Memories starts out as a well written travelogue and ends up a haunting story of Dorfman?s efforts to come to grips with the death of a friend in a desolate prison in the stark North Chilean desert at the hands of Pinochet?s goons. Interspersed throughout the book is a fascinating history of the rise and fall of Chile?s mining industry and ghost towns. A Nation of Enemies: Chile Under Pinochet A Nation of Enemies is one of those rare academic studies that reads like a novel. Carefully researched and surprisingly evocative, Constable and Valenzuela describe a brutal dictatorship that paradoxically paved the way for Chile to become a neo-liberal economic model. My Invented Country: A Nostalgic Journey through Chile Allende pens a lively, intelligent memoir of a woman who lived an extraordinary life. In My Invented Country, Allende comes to grips with her conflicted views of Chile and ultimately her adopted country ? the United States. My only qualm ? Allende is too harsh on Chile. Dorfman?s Heading South presents a kinder and, I think, more balanced view of the differences between Chile and the United States. Travels in a Thin Country: A Journey through Chile On one level, Travels in a Thin Country is an entertaining and intelligent journal of one woman?s journey across one of the world?s most geographically diverse and stunning lands. On another, the book is one of the best surveys of the history and culture of a Latin American country penned by a tourist I have ever read. Eight Men and a Duck Eight Men and a Duck is a highly entertaining story of one rag-tag group of sailors efforts to test Thor Heyerdahl?s theories by sailing from Chile to Easter Island (2000 miles) on a reed boat designed to look like an ancient Incan raft. Along the way, readers discover some interesting and informative tidbits of information about Heyerdahl and Easter Island (note: most scientists disregarded Heyerdahl's theories years ago) as well as embark on the ultimate comic adventures of eight highly motivated yet somewhat naive sailors efforts to tame the not so pacific waters of the Pacific Ocean.
The Last Cowboys is a compelling, and somewhat scary, look at modern gaucho life. On one hand, you admire these strong-willed yet imperiled keepers of a storied culture. On the other, you can help but be repelled by their raw violence against each other (and even worse against themselves). Nonetheless, in Reding's capable hand, you can't help but be mesmerized by this vanishing, yet vibrant, culture. Paraguay
One of the most meticulously researched and complete portraits of a country that I?ve ever read. Gimlette imparts an indelible sketch of a country that while wracked by violence or corruption seems surprisingly placid and good natured to the outside observer. He delves deep into its tragic history and unearths compelling stories of hundreds of oddballs from across the globe who have migrated to Paraguay to forge a new life in the midst of one of the most unforgiving places on Earth. A must read! Argentina Evita: A Biography of Eva Peron How can you describe Evita Peron? Madonna, whore, tyrant, saint, destroyer, creator, and victim. All are accurate; none are adequate. It is only after reading this comprehensive and dramatic book that you can begin to come to grips with Evita?s legacy and her life.
As sophisticated and dramatic as the city it describes, Bad Times in Buenos Aires is one woman?s funny and moving story of her life in a city poised on the brink in the early 1990?s of a dramatic transformation to a boom town. Sadly, we now know that Buenos Aires?s boom sputtered to Earth with tragic results only a decade later. After reading Bad Times, we aren?t surprised that the city once again failed to meet its potential. However, like France, we can?t help but love this city?s compelling mixture of arrogance and romance and hope that it will finally meet its potential some day. Notes
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