Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent

Book Description

"A superbly written, excellently translated, and powerfully persuasive exposé which all students of Latin American and U.S. history must read."
--Choice

"Well written and passionately stated, this is an intellectually honest and valuable study."
--Library Journal

"A dazzling barrage of words and ideas."
--History

Customer Reviews:

Latino History.......2007-04-05

This history is told from the point of view of the oppressed people detailing the horrible conditions in Chile during the Industrial Revolution.

Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent.......2007-02-07

Keep the good work upp!

A history written not by the victors........2007-01-31

I am rather obsessed with history, and was given the book by a friend from Chile. The nearest book I can think of is Engels' "The Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844" (which I think is fairly well-regarded as a piece of historical reportage of how horrific conditions were during the industrial revolution).

Although a depressing account of how rich peoples exploit the poor, it is a great book (IMO). It was also unusual to read a history written not by the victors, but by the oppressed. What I would really like to see is a chapter written in 2007 detailing the lot of the majority in today's Latin America.

Outdated, bias, full with prejudice and lack of analysis.......2006-09-24

This book is one of the most bias and harmful books ever written on Latin America. The only reason for his success would be it was written in the midst of the Cold War, with the support of all the comunist propoganda. The book have no depth and lacks the most basic historical, economic and social analysis. Written by a bunch of second-rate writers, it hardly scratch the surface, limiting itself to play the victim's role some leaders like Hugo Chavez are trying to play today. There're many serious books out there to waste time with this one. If you're interested with the subject, maybe you should start with a history one, like "The two empires of América".

Trash-book.The bible of latino moron........2006-06-06

I tried to read this trash-book,here in Brazil, about twenty years ago.This book is so bad, that I never finished it.The author is a marxist and knowed faker, ridiculous and Fidel Castro's friend.
The core's idea of this trash book is the fantasy that Latin America became poor, from outside exploration and capitalism.
Nonsense believe.
Before latin America be discovered, slavery, human sacrifice and canibalism were normal day life for all latin-americans.About 98% of indians were unliterate, before european discovery.For the feminists, I must tell that women were sexual's products and work's source in the fake "paradises".I won't discuss massive human sacrifice, slavery,genocides, massives extintion of animals(such as mamouth) maden by "good savages" more.I must tell you that latin American was far worse before european influence, than today.
The fact that capitalism or exploration be, the source of latin-american's poverty is also absurd.Since colonial times, government's taxes, controls, government's robbery are normal in latin America.And this happens centuries ago.
Latin American is poor not from capitalism or exploration, but the lack of them.The most socialist country in Latin America is Cuba, and this the poorest of latin american countries.At the same time, the most capitalist country in Latin America is Chile, who also has the best quality of life.
This book is one of the biggests sources of latin American moronic believes.The autho itself is an expert in ridiculous books.

Upside Down: A Primer for the Looking-Glass World

Average customer rating:

English teacher gives this book a B
Far Left, Well Done, Worth Reading
eh...
Powerful book...
ashamed to be "upside down"

Upside Down: A Primer for the Looking-Glass World
Eduardo Galeano
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312420315

Book Description

In a series of mock lesson plans, the author of the incomparable Memory of Fire trilogy provides an eloquent, passionate, funny, and shocking expos of our first world privileges and assumptions. From a master class in "The Impunity of Power" to a seminar on "The Sacred Car"-with tips along the way on "How to Resist Useless Vices" and a declaration of "The Right to Rave"-he guides us through a world unevenly divided between abundance and deprivation, power and helplessness.

Customer Reviews:

English teacher gives this book a B.......2007-06-27

Modeled on a textbook, Eduardo Galeano's "Upside Down" is an expose of a Southern world hidden (by design and spin) from view of the affluent North. While Galeano's writing style (as always) is brilliant in its description and sarcasm, the fact that "Upside Down" reads like a textbook (complete w/tangential information/anecdotes in boxes interspersed w/in the text) detracts from its power. Topics don't flow smoothly into each other; rather, like an overworn transmission, the next topic clunks into place.

Many other reviewers didn't appreciate Galeano's "sermonizing", but I actually thought the book picked up when the author injected some of his ire and pathos, rather than abstractly reporting facts of the misery and hopelessness which many of our fellow human beings suffer on a daily basis. I felt like he was speaking on my behalf.

Defnitiely not a cheery read, but an enlightening one. Galeano speaks some hard truths that many in the North would rather not hear (The oppression/abuse of common workers; the gluttony of desire that unchecked Capitalism has created; corruption as a way of life in many parts of the world; the hyposcrisy of the "Friends of the Environment" who also happen to be the biggest polluters; et al).

Far Left, Well Done, Worth Reading.......2007-01-12

When I bought "Upside Down: A Primer for the Looking-Glass World" I thought I was buying another of the author's books, a compendium of short stories. Instead, I received a non-fiction primer of observations about how the world works, seen from the Marxist point of view. I am not sure that the author comes from a poverty stricken background -- typically, Marxist writing comes from upper middle class, well-educated persons with bad attitudes. Galeano is obviously a fine writer, in any event, and this book is well-executed around the concept of a series of lesson plans for teaching the reader about the political and financial arrangements that prevail, and about their consequences for human life. Upside Down is well worth reading for anyone of any political persuasion who is open to being informed about how the world may look to persons in the Southern Hemispere, in the shadow of the United States. The illustrations are compellingly macabre skeletal drawings, appearing throughout the text.

eh..........2006-05-30

My senior year i had to pick this book for an economics project... bad choice. I do like how there are boxes placed every so often with little stories/parables/facts etc. thats pretty nice i'll say, but the rest is repetitive bi***in, depressing, whining information that does interest me in the least. i think i'm better off going and reading some harry potter books.

Powerful book..........2006-04-03

Like most of Galeano's work, this is a powerful book. This is so, because it goes to the point, with no hypocrisy and no fear. It is a description of our reality in the third world and in my case, Latin America. He is very clear regarding our worst problem: the corrupted political class that we have to suffer. These gangsters that we have in Govt' in almost every country are worst than the foreign corporations...because they are stealing from their own people..but this we forget....because our second big problem is : bad memory...
Good reading, powerful stuff...

ashamed to be "upside down".......2004-06-04

Upside Down is a shocking and passionate documentation of the world's injustices that our "upside down" First World society has turned our back upon. This book will not merely evoke sympathy and remorse, but will leave you screaming for change. I found myself drawn especially to Galeano's dark humor and satirical, poetic style. Galeano's fiery language left me speechless. However, at times I did become glazed after reading list after list of facts. I found that the most inspirational and telling portions of the book were the rare asides and anecdotes in which individuals' stories were recounted. Galeano shows us the bleak reality that we have accepted- a reality where children toil from dawn to dusk to stay alive- a reality where power is driven by security, money and terror. This book will make you ashamed to be privileged.

Average customer rating:

B... S...
Excellent book!
Libro para lectores incultos e ignorantes
Porfavor ya podemos dejar de hacernos la victima.....
Solo una version. Una cara de la moneda

Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina
Eduardo H. Galeano
Manufacturer: Catalogos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9508950943

Customer Reviews:

B... S..........2006-04-30

El concepto final que el Sr. Galeano busca transmitir es que "Nosotros somos pobres porque ellos son ricos".

Para ello, teje una fantasiosa red de cuentos conspiracionistas, la mayoría de los cuales no tienen fundamento alguno.

La razón de la pobreza en Latinoamérica (vivo en Uruguay y he conocido la realidad de muchos países latinoamericanos) es justamente porque la gente le cree a personajes como Galeano y toma su teoría como una excusa para no tomar la actitud necesaria frente a la vida y en el trabajo. Somos pobres porque mientras nuestros gobernadores evitan el desarrollo con sus políticas marxistas, estos mismos corruptos nos roban y nos dejan en la miseria, escondiéndose detrás de libros como éste y echándole la culpa de la pobreza a "los del Norte".

Hay demasiados casos de países que han sufrido más que Latino América (Europa después de la guerra, Japón, Corea, el mismísimo Chile) que han dejado de lado estas ridículas teorías, se han puesto a trabajar en serio para progresar.

Si este libro fuera un libro de fantasía infantil, le hubiera dado 5 estrellas.

Si quieren leer algo real, serio, recomiendo:
El Manual del Perfecto Idiota Latinoamericano (Plinio A. Mendoza, Carlos Alberto Montaner, and Alvaro V. Llosa)
Cuentos Chinos (A. Oppenheimer).

Lo irónico es que el Sr. Galeano debe estar disfrutando de que su libro esté llegando masivamente al mundo globalizado con sus "destructivas" herramientas como lo es Amazon mismo, y debe estar haciendo su platita a través de este sistema, que es el objeto de crítica de su libro.

POR FAVOR!!!!

Excellent book!.......2005-10-14

The book content was excellent but the print was poor, some pages had missing words or letters.

Libro para lectores incultos e ignorantes.......2004-12-13

jamas he visto tanta ignorancia y mentiras sobre latinoamerica escritas en un solo libro. despues de haber leido este libro me he dado cuenta de donde proviene la miseria que existe en latinoamerica: de la misma gente de medio pelo, vaga e ignorante que cree que los EEUU es la causa de todos sus males. un mensaje para ellos: ponganse a trabajar y a producir cuerda de vagos!
obviamente este libro es otro manifiesto frustrado de un comunismo muerto que no sierve para nada. pura basura propagandistica, que para eso si son buenos los comunistas.

Porfavor ya podemos dejar de hacernos la victima............2003-12-08

Hay verdades en este libro, pero es ridiculo que uno pueda creer que USA es el que a causado todo los problemas de latinoamerica. Japon y Corea del norte vieron intervencion "Gringa" y esos paises estan muy bien. Estan muy bien por la intervencion Americana? no. Pero latinoamerica no esta tan mal por la intervencion Amricana. Y este libro habla de Cuba como si fuera un paraiso cuando todos conocemos la realidad de Cuba, si Cuba es tan maravilloso porque tantos cubanos arriesgan sus vidas por salir de Cuba?
O porque tantos latinoamericanos van hacia USA, porque quieren ir al "dark side" si es el imperio malo?

Porfavor, ya es timepo que paremos de hacernos la victima y en cambio de gastar el tiempo culpando al "malo imperio americano", mejor trabajemos para tratar de sacar a latinoamerica adelante.

Solo una version. Una cara de la moneda.......2002-12-16

Podemos decir sin dificultad que este es un libro contra el capitalismo; lo es. O que el autor da una opinión parcial; así lo hace.

En este libro se muestra lo que pretende ser la otra cara de la historia y las noticias: Los datos que no conseguiríamos al buscar en sitios "oficiales" (reportes del FMI, grandes agencias noticiosas y similares). En el libro se dan datos acerca de pobreza, miseria, traición, asesinatos, hambre,...

Podemos estar de acuerdo o no. De cualquier modo, para tener una mejor perspectiva de la situación, recomiendo leer también El manual del perfecto idiota latinoamericano, libro que considero el complemento de Las venas abiertas de América Latina.

Aunque esté de más decirlo, conviene leer ambos libros críticamente, con la cabeza fría, como debe ser con los libros de estos temas.

Las venas... ha sido prohibido en algunos países, aunque está en su 73ra edición en español (2001). La primera edición es de 1970 y la revisión de 1978. Nada cambia de una a otra, sólo algunos datos son añadidos. Esto es una muestra de su gran popularidad, pero cada lector debe decidir acerca de la veracidad de su contenido.

Average customer rating:

One of my all-time favorite books

My favorite book about soccer

Fine writing with or without a game

Soccer: game, passion, art

Pure poetry

Soccer in Sun and Shadow, New Edition
Eduardo Galeano
Manufacturer: Verso
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization

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The Thinking Fan's Guide to the World Cup

ASIN: 1859844235

Book Description

This new edition of Eduardo Galeano's riveting commentary on the history and politics of soccer includes newly written material on the 2002 World Cup, which one quarter of humanity watched. Discussing everything from the leveling of the Twin Towers to the death of the sole survivor of that extraordinary match between British and German soldiers in 1915, one of South America's greatest commentators issues forth on robotic soccer in Japan, the mass-production of the game as a sign of the decline of civilization, the amazing success of Senegal and Turkey, and how Nike beat Adidas.

Customer Reviews:

One of my all-time favorite books.......2007-09-01

I liked the my old paperback edition so much, I bought a hardbound version of the new edition. (The new material BTW is just a continuation of Galeano's commentaries this time centered on the 2002 World Cup tournament. Older version just went up to the 1998 tournament.)

Any discussion of Galeano's writing must begin with his inimitable style. For lack of a proper genre, I call his writings "mosaicos", as each little vignette is like an individual tile in a larger, greater picture. Sometimes this format can be a bit disjointed, but in "Soccer Sun Shadow", it works because the Reader understands that the vignettes are organized chronologically. Galeano does have some vignettes about the origins of the game and its spread to the far-flung corners of the world by British imperialists, but by and large the narrative begins with accounts of games/goals/players from the early 1950s. Since Galeano is Uruguayan, he also has a decidedly Latin American bias (so don't expect to be reading about European teams of the era).

I'm 42 years old and a fan of soccer; some of the stories/players mentioned I had never heard of, so it was refreshing to hear a bit of this history. Once Galeano's narrative caught up to my earliest memories of the game (1970/1974 World Cups), I felt like I was talking to an old friend about a subject we both love. I think that's why I like this book so much: it blends my love of literature (I'm an English teacher) with my love of soccer, and it does it so poetically, so precisely, with such quick turns of language, it is a distinct pleasure to read and reminisce.

I'm not saying you should buy two copies of "Soccer Sun Shadow" (like I did), but if you buy one, I'm sure you'll enjoy the read.

My favorite book about soccer.......2007-08-08

This is a beatifully written little book about the world's greatest game. When I come across people who just can't udnerstand why soccer is the favorite sport (in all countries but the US) I give them this book to read.

It is actually a series of elegant little essays -- (it doesn't neccesarily need to be read in order).

Fine writing with or without a game.......2007-01-06

There are few books of non-fiction whose writing transcends the subject matter, but this is such a book. I am not a soccer player but this book made me a fan of the game and a fan of Galeano. He puts us on a field, in the stands, at the goal, in the sun, and under the shadows. He transports us into the game and celebrates its mystique and passion and sadness. And, amazingly, he does it in as few words as possible, giving us just a few paragraphs at a time but creating huge panoramas of emotion with those words. I'll tell you how much I love this book: it sits on my night stand, ready for me to read a paragraph or two and be transported by a magical game and a writer of similar power.

Soccer: game, passion, art.......2006-06-07

This book by Eduardo Galeano wants to show much about the experience of soccer, an international phenomenon of the masses that is fabulous business and demanding sport, but above all, a game with the potential of poetry. In ancient times, 'poiesis' (Greek word) had some power over the ear and thus over the feeling and thought of peoples, back when the written word was in its infancy. 'Poiesis' was life therapy. Nowadays not all of us appreciate poetry, and we moderns certainly do not have that ancient sense of 'poiesis' as "creation"; for us poetry is more or less pretty words, written, barely experienced and poorly recited. Something like that happens with soccer. When Galeano writes in the Introduction, "a pretty move for the love of God," he encapsulates everything he tries to express in this book of the passion for soccer, and invites us to share this yearning reading the histories and legends he documents, in search of that playful, passionate art.
Enjoy!

Pure poetry.......2006-04-08

Galeano's book remains the most lyrical and whimsical book ever written about soccer / football. He is one of the few writers who has managed to both embody and describe the spirit of the beautiful game at the same time. Wonderful to have such a talented writer and spirit give the game the treatment it deserves. A rare book...

Genesis (Memory of Fire Trilogy, Part 1)

Average customer rating:

Very hard to stop reading the entire Trilogy
The beginning of a great adventure...
Noble savages for beginners
History of the Americas told in a unique style
A history of the Americas to learn from

Genesis (Memory of Fire Trilogy, Part 1)
Eduardo Galeano
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0393317730

Book Description

From pre-Columbian creation myths and the first European voyages of discovery and conquest to the Age of Reagan, here is "nothing less than a unified history of the Western Hemisphere . . . recounted in vivid prose."--The New Yorker . A unique and epic history, Eduardo Galeano's Memory of Fire trilogy is an outstanding Latin American eye view of the making of the New World. From its first English language publication in 1985 it has been recognized as a classic of political engagement, original research, and literary form.

Customer Reviews:

Very hard to stop reading the entire Trilogy.......2007-06-20

I originally purchased the first volume of this Trilogy (Memory of Fire). After reading a few pages of the first volume, "Genesis", I rushed to get the remaining two volumes.
Galeano has an amazing ability to write, even with translation, in a compelling and magnificent historical-fictional style. The narrative flows from year to year over the centuries in these volumes and gives the reader a wealth of knowledge that reshapes many of the "historical" accounts he or she has been taught. I suspect that is the case whether one is a citizen of the United States or not.
Certainly, for the North American reader os Galeano's Triology, whether we are reading about the 1400's or 1900's, each page surprises. His work spans an immense ammount of time and the reader, perhaps not an historian, is amazed at the degree to which he or she has been utterly swept through history.
Not an historian, myself, it is perhaps enough to say that the literary quality of these volumes is compelling. I have read the three volumes, given my set away to someone who had not read it, purchased it again and read it yet again.
Accusations of "bias" against the work, which has its foundations in historical evidence, are improper. It is perhaps enough to say that Galeano writes from a distinctly Latin American perspective.
These volumes in a poetic fashion, despite some of the terrible events of the history they record.

The beginning of a great adventure..........2006-08-23

Here begins Eduardo Galeano's "Memory of Fire," a landmark experiment in historical writing that deserves to be much better known, especially in the United States. Galeano begins his history of the Western Hemisphere with a section of tales and episodes from Native American mythology. Undated, they suggest the timelessness of myth, a time and place outside of what we have been taught to call 'history.' With the arrival of Columbus, "history" proper, in the European sense of the word, begins. Galeano, however, continues to tell his tale in myth-like vignettes, a kind of nonfiction magic realism that continues through the next two volumes, bringing the story of our terrible and beautiful side of the planet up to 1984.

Noble savages for beginners.......2004-06-07

This book was written 22 years ago, at the peak of a much needed, multiculturalist, revisionist second look at the human species, which we're moving past now. The deconstruction of history has been achieved and it's time to put it back together in all its complexity.

But if you missed a peak into that world, in which natives are all good and invaders/immigrants all savage (save one), with Jesus as their Fuehrer, this is the book.

(That's what most of history is, by the way, one people invading another. Even the Spanish were once conquered, enslaved and missionized!)

I've read some of Galeano's sources in the original, and his fictionalization [he doesn't claim direct translation] puts the worst possible spin on situations taken creatively out of context. Example: Pope Paul III declared in 1537 that, even though they're not mentioned in the Bible or the writings of the ancients, the Americans were human beings. The reader is supposed to be aghast. But that conversation never even took place among Protestants! Good thinking, Paul III! There's a reason Latin America has all the Indians.

The Spaniards often behaved atrociously, but where are the 100,000 victims of the Aztec temple of doom? The wailing of all those children can still be heard in the chronicles. Europe did not conquer Paradise; American natives were and are adults, allying their nations with whomever sought to defeat their enemies.

When you paint people as good or bad, all the color is washed out of history, all the humor, the accidental delight, the love stories, the tragic misunderstandings and internecine squabbles - all of who we are. The "story" is excised from "history." The true sorrows of man's universal inhumanity to man ring hollow in Galeano's imaginary world.

History of the Americas told in a unique style.......2004-01-30

The author has drawn from many sources to compile this beautifully written history of the Americas, told in a couple of hundred short chapters, each a mini story of a legend or historical event presented in chronological order. Part one of the book, called "First Voices" recounts ancient legends and creation myths of the first peoples of the Americas, later comes contact with Europeans - the "discovery" years then conquest. Volume One of the trilogy takes the reader up to 1700 and recounts more stories from South America than the Caribbean or North America, though all parts of the Americas are touched.

Wish now I had read this more slowly, rather than reading this straight through like a novel, a few of these chapters a night would have been better, so many horrific stories of cruelty, oppression and genocide one after another were hard to absorb, overwhelming greed is really the theme. Such a waste of human knowledge and experience, the destruction of the ancient books of the Mayans by the Catholic church was a loss for all humanity.

A history of the Americas to learn from.......2002-10-21

This is the poetic telling of the story of the colonization of the western hemisphere. In that it is focused on recreating that which was lost, it is a one sided retelling, but unlike another reviewer suggests, in this book, not all Europeans are demonized because of some politically correct guilt on the part of the author inspired by a trite view of the noble savage. Indeed, the actors in the vignettes related (men, women, Indians, Europeans, entire cultures, religions) are full of remarkable moral complexity and depth. Reading Genesis, one is left saddened at the tremendous loss, enriched by the sight of the magical colors Galeano pulls out of the air as he reconstructs lifestyles so thoroughly forgotten by modern culture, and finally embarassed by our darker human nature. In the end, it is the rapacious greed that destroyed so much that is indicted in this book. The writing is never heavy-handed despite the obvious ease with which one could attack the European practices; rather the author allows the stories of injustice to unfold and gives the reader the opportunity to understand how this has shaped the world we live in. This book is recommended reading for anyone who has forgotten what a great story history is.

Average customer rating:

Joyously renews and rebirths the sense of wonder
GREAT!
Reflection on life's journey
Further Ruminations by Uruguay's Galeano
A beautiful and lyrical book

Voices of Time: A Life in Stories
Eduardo Galeano
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312426828
Release Date: 2007-03-29

Book Description

In this kaleidoscope of reflections, renowned South American author Eduardo Galeano ranges widely, from childhood to love, music, plants, fear, indignity, and indignation. In the signal style of his bestselling Memory of Fire trilogy--brief fragments that build steadily into an organic whole--Galeano offers a rich, wry history that is both calmly philosophical and fiercely political.

Customer Reviews:

Joyously renews and rebirths the sense of wonder.......2007-05-31

So simple. yet so deep. Of the ordinary yet so dearly educating and inspiring. Each story but a page or less. Each story a lifetime. Each story connecting to each story. Life connecting to life. And such simple but poetic prose. I heard Eduardo Galleano speak on democracynow.org and never knew of him before. I bought this book soon after - what a Joy! Viva Galleano!

GREAT!.......2007-05-13

Arrived as promised. It was a gift, so I didn't read it. Though my friend was very pleased to receive it. It was a book he'd been looking for and wanted to have. I was able to find it on Amazon very quickly and the price was very reasonable!

Reflection on life's journey.......2006-12-27

In an insightful collection of memories, acute observations and multicultural folklore, Uruguyan writer Eduardo Galeano has recorded a witty and compassionate view of human nature in "Voices of Time: A Life in Stories."

Throughout this intriguing compilation of 333 vignettes, averaging several paragraphs, and none longer than a page and a half, Galeano has weaved together moments of his life, along with those of history, into an assortment of revelations and discoveries that can tug on the readers' heartstrings, or propel them into disappointment over the state of world affairs.

While it would be impossible for an author, even one of Galeano's stature, to make every story poignant, he does manage to have more hits than misses. His first stories center around the beginning of man's time on earth, when blue algae, after a million years, decided to turn green, and "...bit by bit, the green algae begat lichens, mushrooms, mold, medusas, and all the color and sound that came later, as did we, to unsettle the sea and the land."

Galeano's description on man's time on earth is equally thought provoking: "...the first human gesture is the embrace. After coming into the world, at the beginning of their days, babies wave their arms as if seeking someone. Other doctors, who work with people who have already lived their lives, say that the aged, at the end of their days, die trying to raise their arms. And that's it, that's all, no matter how hard we strive or how many words we pile on. Everything comes down to this: between two flutterings, with no more explanation, the voyage occurs."

Galeano has earned an international reputation as a fearless commentator on our social and political lives. The winner of the first Lannan Foundation Cultural Freedom Prize in 1998, he is one of Latin America's foremost writers, as well as a distinguished journalist and historian. He is the author of "Upside Down," the "Memory of Fire" trilogy (for which he won the 1989 American Book Award), "Open Veins of Latin America" and many other works.

"Voices of Time" follows the writing style he perfected in "Memory of Fire" by using sentences in a hypnotic poetic rhythm that mixes irony and moral judgment. Alas, Galeano doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of life, and the outcome of his tales don't always contain the bright uplifting finale we want our life to possess, as in the story, Father.

"Vera stayed home from school and spent the entire day indoors. At dusk, she wrote her father a letter. He was in the hospital, quite ill. She wrote, "You must like yourself, take care of yourself, look out for yourself, spoil yourself, forgive yourself, love yourself, cherish yourself. I'll like you, I'll take care of you, I'll look out for you, I'll spoil you, I'll forgive you, I'll love you, I'll cherish you." Hector Carnevale lasted a few days more. Then, with his daughter's letter under his pillow, he departed in his sleep."

Images of the art of Peru's Cajamarca region accompany many of the stories, leading the reader into deeper retrospection. According to Galeano, these works, painted, etched, or carved anonymously, were collect by Alfredo Mires Ortiz in the course of many years of exploration and discovery. Some of them are thousands of years old, but look as fresh as if they were made last week.

The vignettes in "Voices of Time" have many meanings, literally and symbolically. Galeano has bared his life's soul for all to see, and the view is quite remarkable.

Further Ruminations by Uruguay's Galeano.......2006-07-09

For readers who bask in the repeated perusals of Eduardo Galeano's books, such as the endlessly entertaining and informing 'Centuries of the Wind', then buying and reading 'Voices in Time: A Life in Stories' will come as no surprise. Galeano's Spanish thoughts are beautifully translated by Mark Fried and as is the case in all translations of books of other languages, the translator owns a significant portion of the success of the book.

Galeano continues his idiosyncratic manner of writing in brief bits and pieces of thoughts, responses, fits of anger, musings on beauty, and responses to the world in which we struggle to live. The short 'stories' contained in this volume began as newspaper quips and the 'VOICES OF TIME' is more a compendium of various excerpts rather than a novel. Galeano writes with mischief, humor, rancor, anger, and philosophical views about subjects that range form global importance such as the war in Iraq, the vanishing species of our planet, of poets (Isaac Asimov and Rafael Alberti) and of family and friends.

At times the brevity of Galeano's style can become annoying (there are 333 stories in this book of almost the same number of pages!), and the quality of what he has to contribute on his subjects varies from invigorating to dull excesses. But for those who love Galeano's lyrical style of dropping petals on the surface of the pond that serves as the matrix for thought, VOICES OF TIME will not disappoint. Not as strong as his previous work, perhaps, but even mediocre Galeano is a treat! Grady Harp, July 06

A beautiful and lyrical book.......2006-07-08

Eduardo Galeano is possibly one of the most important writers working in today's marketplace. His committments to idealogical matters, his belief in poetry, his unique narrative voice, his willingness to speak out again oppression -- all of these make him a strong and vital writer.

His prose is tremendous. Buy this book! Then, buy the Book of Embraces, Memory of Fire, and Soccer in Sun and Shadow. I've loved his work for years, and every new book is a joy.

Memory of Fire: V 3: Century of the Wind (Memory of Fire, Vol 3)

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An Encyclopaedia compiled by whirlwinds!
Galeano's narrative music laughs at death.
Now and Then a Great Book Happens
A Remarkable Cultural History Tour
Literary History

Memory of Fire: V 3: Century of the Wind (Memory of Fire, Vol 3)
Eduardo Galeano
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0394757262
Release Date: 1988-03-12

Book Description

The third volume of Galeano's highly praised history of the Americas offers us our own turbulent century, from its first apocalyptic intimations to the age of Reagan.

Customer Reviews:

An Encyclopaedia compiled by whirlwinds!.......2007-10-13

Once again, the incredible output of Latin American fiction has restored my faith that somehwere in the world great authors are writing great books that truly challenge tradition, by both distilling and dissolving it. I have given up on the English language, whose prestige guardians at Granta keep serving up 'best of' lists comprised of insincere fairy dust distributors. Blah on them! Galeano is worth a thousand David Mitchells.

The third and final volume in the unforgettable 'Memory of Fire' trilogy, Galeano has succeeded in turning the epic of social injustice and rendered it into journalistic entries that disarm the reader with their pithy, headlinish insight. Like Pavic's "The Dictionary of the Khazars", the confrontation between imagination and history plays tug of war with the documentation that claims to create stability. Galeano has created a whirlwind of history, morality that, ultimately, puts on trial the very fabric of the twentieth century. It's a brilliant one man's J'accuse! in an era of indifference. Galeano brings both inventive style, but more importantly a compelling ethical vision, to a masterpiece. Art can challenge operative modes of thinking in a way that journalism cannot -- and Galeano puts to task both these talents, artist and journalist, in interrogating the aftermath of 'a century of wind'.

Excellent. Goes to the realms and edges where so many phoneys pretend to go.

Galeano's narrative music laughs at death........2006-08-23

"Each day of life is an unrepeatable chord of a music that laughs at death." So Eduardo Galeano tells us in this, the final book of his "Memory of Fire" trilogy. The culmination of his experiment in history writing, this volume tells the history of the Western Hemisphere's 20th century in a series of vignettes that range from beautifully poetic to brain-burningly horrifying, from the torture chambers of Latin America's right-wing dictators (too often brought to you courtesy of the USA) to a little town in Central America called Yoro where, from time to time, it rains fish. You will end this book weeping with rage and joy. (And I mean that literally. This book is quite a ride.)

Now and Then a Great Book Happens.......2006-05-12

Eduardo Galeano is a thrilling writer! (And very quickly one must add that his translator Cedric Belfrage is also gifted!) CENTURY OF THE WIND is a kaleidoscopic history, very much appropriately influenced by the sociopolitical beliefs of the author, of the Americas - South and North, and in that order - from the turn of the century 1900 to the last entry in this book in 1986. Reading it is an experience in history, in the fantastical events that have sprouted everywhere in every venue in a century more filled with inventions and collisions and bright lights and devastations than any preceding it.

Galeano's style is journalistic (he began his rigorous and controversial career as a journalist and editor before turning to books), and in a most readable fashion he takes us through specific events in each of the years of the 1900s and reports and comments on such divers topics as Thomas Edison, Fidel Castro, the Panama Canal, vaccinations in Brazil, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, agrarian reform, wars, revolutions, Frida Kahlo, religion, Evita, Ernest Hemingway, dictators, the Beatles, fellow authors of South America - the list is endless.

Galeano can say more in a paragraph or two than most commentators or historians can in an entire book. This is tasty writing unearthing many concepts that have passed unknown to many of us. Reading this fascinating book raises more questions than a multitude of reading groups or college courses and it is a must for the libraries of those who love to be challenged while being entertained! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, May 06

A Remarkable Cultural History Tour.......2005-11-25

Eduardo Galeano's "Century of the Wind" (1988) stands on its own merits as one of the finest cultural histories ever written. From Pinochet to Presley, the author chronicles the dark undercurrents of South and North America in a compelling, cross-cutting narrative. An indispensible book that belongs in every library.

Literary History.......2003-03-05

This book was completely mesmerizing and beautiful in its portrait of human nature and the history of two continents. Galeano unfolds the story of the Americas in the 20th century with his magnificent story telling which makes the book difficult to put down or to forget. Each snipet tells of the experiences of various Americans from poor Indigeneous folk to the heads of state. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially to people in the U.S. who should develop a better understanding of their sister countries to the south. Galeano is neither pessimist, nor optimist but rather chooses to reveal the naked reality of human experience and conduct from the most avaricious calousness to the most magnanimous heroism.

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Embraces in the middle of disconfort
Summer Reading Review
Abrazos,Si!
Book of Embraces
What the heck?

Book of Embraces (Norton Paperback)
Eduardo Galeano
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0393308553

Customer Reviews:

Embraces in the middle of disconfort.......2007-01-29

The epicenter of small tornados. Sad, funny, intriguing, depressing and completely unique way of writing reality. Galeano has an special eye to see what most people cant. How can he catch on an eye of a blink so many characters? simple characters from the country towns, from the cities, simple BUT rich people. Off course... in every shining story you will also find the dark side. This book is life itself. Dark and Bright to live sometimes in yellow, sometimes in black and sometimes in grey. Nothing is perfect, this kind of embraces also have thorns. But if you want to feel through your heat, undoubtedly... this is the book for you.

Summer Reading Review.......2006-08-25

The fact that Eduardo Galeano's The Book of Embraces defies conventional categorization is indicative of its sometimes fragmented and always unpredictable content. Its combination of short texts with seemingly unrelated and shocking illustrations was a welcome break from traditional forms. My sister, who read Galeano in high school, recommended this book one night when I asked her to suggest something different for my new book club. Unfortunately, I immediately disregarded her suggestion and did not pick up this book until a year after our initial conversation.

Galeano has been criticized for his lack of organization and rambling style, yet the "random" musings is literature in its purest form. The author demonstrates his ability to passionately write in several styles and on varied topics while still maintaining a common uniting thread. A majority of the short texts come back to military dictatorship throughout Latin America and particularly within the author's homeland, Uruguay. All of the stories reflect the disconnected reality of people away from their country of birth. Galeano's exile forced him to confront a lifestyle completely different from what he had previously experienced. Galeano's writings are therefore permeated by a sort of nostalgia for Latin America before political forces altered it beyond recognition. Another uniting feature of the book is the inclusion of sections entitled "The Walls Speak." The fleeting nature of graffiti mirrors the book's impulsive origins. Galeano writes what he feels on whatever is on his mind, much like the authors whose mysterious scrawls he has accumulated. Some poignant phrases include: "'Everybody makes promises and nobody keeps them. Vote for nobody.'" And "Here we sit, watching them kill our dream.'"

Other topics throughout the book include consumerism, extreme poverty, faith in God, and immigrant life. Galeano frequently uses social commentary to espouse his views on everything from homogenization in "Television/3" to morality in "The System/2." "Television/3" explores the effects of Americanization on Hispanic culture: "We eat imported emotions as if they were canned sausages while the young children of television, trained to watch life instead of making it, shrug their shoulders." "The System/2" discusses duality as a cultural practice: "Double language, double accounting, double morality: one morality for speech, another morality for action. The morality for action is called realism. The law of reality is the law of power."

Unfortunately, my school curriculum does not offer any works by Latin American authors; even 100 Years of Solitude is left out. In addition, there are few history classes that give any South American history. Knowledge of the extreme conditions during different military dictatorships is necessary at a school with a large population of South American immigrants. Therefore, reading The Book of Embraces gave me an opportunity to experience literature that is a testament to my own Hispanic roots. The story of my family is part of the brief history included in Galeano's meditations. I highly recommend this book to my peers in particular, because its intensity will awaken American teens from their rut of comfort and overabundance.

Abrazos,Si!.......2004-09-10

No one on this planet can write like Eduardo. And other writers have had the good sense not to try. Oh yeah the way he puts a book together is all his own- but please don't be put off by it because you never saw anything like it before. What Eduardo has to say is always something very special- here is a guy who writes with his whole heart and soul, with all his passion too. One of the greatest joys of this book is sharing it with your friends- there are so many little stories you know somebody will love. And what a nice surprise it is when they discover this incomparable writer, and can then go and start reading his other books. Of which there are plenty, and all great.

Book of Embraces.......2003-11-30

This book was required for my daughter's high school English class. It made little sense to us. The thoughts may be beautiful, as described by others, but they were disconnected and incoherent. I wondered if the writer had some form of mental illness or something was lost in translation.

What the heck?.......2003-09-02

WHile Galeano had some great ideas, he did nothing to link these which made it seem too random to truly enjoy.

Sahel: The End of the Road (Series in Contemporary Photography, 3)

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Excellent book from an excellent photographer!
great but too real
Art & Selgado
Riveting imagery

Sahel: The End of the Road (Series in Contemporary Photography, 3)
Sebastiao Salgado , Orville Schell , Fred Ritchin , Eduardo Galeano , and Lelia Wanick Salgado
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0520241703

Book Description

In 1984 Sebastião Salgado began what would be a fifteen-month project of photographing the drought-stricken Sahel region of Africa in the countries of Chad, Ethiopia, Mali, and Sudan, where approximately one million people died from extreme malnutrition and related causes. Working with the humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders, Salgado documented the enormous suffering and the great dignity of the refugees. This early work became a template for his future photographic projects about other afflicted people around the world. Since then, Salgado has again and again sought to give visual voice to those millions of human beings who, because of military conflict, poverty, famine, overpopulation, pestilence, environmental degradation, and other forms of catastrophe, teeter on the edge of survival. Beautifully produced, with thoughtful supporting narratives by Orville Schell, Fred Ritchin, and Eduardo Galeano, this first U.S. edition brings some of Salgado's earliest and most important work to an American audience for the first time. Twenty years after the photographs were taken, Sahel: The End of the Road is still painfully relevant.
Born in Brazil in 1944, Sebastião Salgado studied economics in São Paulo and Paris and worked in Brazil and England. While traveling as an economist to Africa, he began photographing the people he encountered. Working entirely in a black-and-white format, Salgado highlights the larger meaning of what is happening to his subjects with an imagery that testifies to the fundamental dignity of all humanity while simultaneously protesting its violation by war, poverty, and other injustices. "The planet remains divided," Salgado explains. "The first world in a crisis of excess, the third world in a crisis of need." This disparity between the haves and the have-nots is the subtext of almost all of Salgado's work.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book from an excellent photographer!.......2007-10-12

The book "Sahel: The End of the Road" is a rare example that shows how can a photojournalist produce excellent fine art pictures!!!

great but too real.......2007-05-13

I think Sebastiao Salgado is a great photographer. All the black and white pictures are in duotone color, which make them look very professional. Something this book has is that you can see through people and at the same time look to a picture with great composition, so you can feel the picture and at the same time admire it's appearance. I just think the pictures are too sad for me, you can see the real people suffering so much.

Art & Selgado.......2007-03-26

I was keen to obtain this book for my son, but was aware that copies were not easily obtainable. I was thrilled to locate it on Amazon and then to receive it well ahead of the estimated time frame. The condition was excellent as described, and they arrived very well packaged. Thank you

Riveting imagery.......2005-09-18

One of the most potent books on the human experience. I got a lump in my throat while viewing this collection of prints. Sebastiao Salgado is a master at using value to capture shape and texture in his subject matter.

True Crime: Rodolfo Walsh and the Role of the Intellectual in Latim American Politics

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True Crime: Rodolfo Walsh and the Role of the Intellectual in Latim American Politics
Michael McCaughan , and Eduardo Galeano
Manufacturer: Latin America Bureau
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 1899365435

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