History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Has history been tampered with?.......2007-10-23

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RAZQNMXM4M9CL Has history been tampered with? Yes, it has! Did events and eras such as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Roman Empire , the Dark Ages, and the Renaissance, actually occur within a very different chronology from what we've been told? Yes, they certainly did!

The history of humankind is both drastically shorter and dramatically different than generally presumed.

Why is it so? On one hand, it was usual custom to justify the claims to title and land by age and ancestry, and on the other the court historians knew only too well how to please their masters. The so called universal classic world history is a pack of intricate lies for all events prior to the 16th century. World history as we learn it today was entirely fabricated in the 16th-18th centuries. It's likely that nobody told you before, but

there is not a single piece of firm written evidence or artefact that is reliably and independently dated prior to the 11th century.

Naturally, after what you've learned in school and university, you will not easily believe that the classical history of ancient Rome, Greece, Asia, Egypt, China, Japan, India, etc., is manifestly false.

You will point accusing finger to the pyramids in Egypt, to the Coliseum in Rome and Great Wall of China etc., and claim, aren't they really ancient, thousands of years ancient? Well, there is no valid scientific proof that they are older than 1000 years!

The oldest original written document that can be reliably dated belongs to the 11th century!

New research asserts that Homo sapiens invented writing (including hieroglyphics) only 1000 years ago. Once invented, writing skills were immediately and irreversibly put to the use of ruling powers and science.

The consensual chronology we live with was essentially crafted in the 16th century by the Jesuits.

The world history was compiled from contradictory mix of innumerable copies of ancient Latin and Greek manuscripts and other irrefutable proofs delivered by late mediaeval astronomers that were cemented by the authority of writings of the Church Fathers.

Early in life, we learn about ancient history. Children love the magical lessons of history - they are like fairy tales. Teachers recite breathtaking stories; very soon We learn by heart the names and deeds of brave warriors, wise philosophers, fabulous pharaohs, cunning high priests and greedy scribes.

We learn of gigantic pyramids and sinister castles, kings and queens, dukes and barons, powerful heroes and beautiful ladies, emaciated saints and low-life traitors.

Ancient history is based documents, manuscripts, printed books, paintings, monuments and artefacts - called primary sources.

The problem is that neither these ancient documents, nor events described therein can be irrefutably dated, moreover they contradict each other for the most part.

When a school textbook tells us that Genghis Khan in year X or Alexander in year Y, have each conquered half of the world, it means only that it is so said in some of the written sources.

There are no answers to simple questions:

When were these primary sources written?

Where and by whom were these sources found?

It is wrongly presumed that ancient and medieval chronicles, written by Genghis Khan's or Alexander the Great contemporaries and eyewitnesses, are readily available. Actually, only sources written hundreds or even thousands of years after the events are there, compiled mostly in the 16th 18th centuries, or even later.

As a rule, these sources suffered considerable multiple manipulations, falsifications and distortions by editing. At the same time,

innumerable originals of ancient documents under various pretexts were destroyed in Europe under various pretexts.

The names of persons and geographical sites often changed meaning and location during the course of the centuries.

Geographical locations became clearly defined on maps only with the advent of printing.

This made possible the circulation of identical copies of the same map for purposes of the military, navigation, education and governance tasks.

Historians from Oxford say: "hey, everybody knows that Julius Caesar lived in the first century B.C.

`Julius Caesar' statement is only a point of view as

there is simply no irrefutable documentary proof that Julius Caesar or any other great name of antiquity ever existed.

Better than that - extremely rare sources that can be reliably dated back to the 10th-14th centuries A D, do not show the polished picture of classical history.

They show a picture both contradictory and confusing.

All methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts are erroneous:

Radio-carbon C14 method produces dating with exactitude of plus minus 1500 years, therefore it is too crude for dating of events in historical timeframe!

The Almagest tractate, which lies as corner stone contemporary chronology, compiled in the 2nd century A D by Ptolemy, the founding father of astronomy, contains astronomical data of 9th to 16th century!

The Bronze Age,that has supposedly began 5000 years ago. Bronze is made of 90% copper and 10% tin, but the technology for tin extraction dates back to 14th century A D!.

All eclipses contained in manuscripts, like Thucydides one, relating 'ancient' events have exclusively medieval dating. All horoscopes cut in stone or painted in Egyptian temples, like Dendera have exclusively early medieval dating solutions.

Not quite what you have learned in school? Open your eyes, and, you will find sufficient proof to reach step by step the inevitable conclusion that the classical chronology is false and therefore, that the history of ancient and medieval world universally accepted today, is also false. Have a fresh outlook on everything said or printed about "ancient" and "enigmatic" Roman, Greek and Egyptian, medieval as well as all other "lost and found" civilizations.

Antiquity and Dark Ages are phantoms invented in the 16th 18th and polished in 19th 20thcenturies. Human civilization is in fact barely 1000 years old!

This book will change your perception of History forever!
What if Ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt were invented during Renaissance?
What if The Old Testament was a rendition of events of the Middle Ages?
What if Jesus Christ was born in 1053 and crucified in 1086 AD?
Sounds Unbelievable?
Not after you've read "History: Fiction or Science?" by Anatoly Fomenko, the genius mathematician.
Armed with astronomy and computers Anatoly Fomenko turns History into a rocket science.

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

Latin America Transformed: Globalization and Modernity (Arnold Publication)

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Excellent analysis of current issues in Latin America.
Complete, coherent political-economic analysis of Lat. Am.

Latin America Transformed: Globalization and Modernity (Arnold Publication)

Manufacturer: A Hodder Arnold Publication
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0340809302

Book Description

Now in a second edition, this book explains Latin America's economic, political, social and cultural transformations, its association with globalization and search for modernity, and how these transformations are affecting the people of the region. Using a political economy approach to unravel these concepts, the emphasis is placed on interpreting the macro-level structures that frame the transformations taking place. Updated and revised to include more student friendly features, the authors have substantially rewritten the material, including three new chapters, to examine the challenges facing Latin American in the twenty-first century.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent analysis of current issues in Latin America........1999-03-28

The is a most impressive analysis of economic, political, social and cultural life in Latin America. This excellent book offers an holistic approach to understanding these changes, relating them to the wider processes of modernization and globalization. An international group of scholars with impressive credentials and from a wide range of disciplines attempt to contextualize their different disciplinary foci within a broad political economic approach that provides a critical yet balanced view and detailed analysis of the neoliberal policies pursued by almost all countries in the region. They contend that a new political economy is being contructed in Latin America, as national economies become radically reconstructed and transformed, democracy becomes the instituional norm, and new social arrangements are being created. The constestation and alternatives to this new global modernity are also explored. In sum, this excellent book fulfills a much needed market niche for students, scholars, and the educated avid reader, who require an interdisciplinary and contemporary approach to Latin American development.

Roberto Cabello-Argandona

Complete, coherent political-economic analysis of Lat. Am........1999-03-28

Robert Gwynne and Cristobal Kay have put together an impressive and timely analysis of current trends in Latin American Development. The coverage of the countries of the region is excellent, as is that of their economic, political, and social trends...The range of issues raised and the quality of their documentation make this an excellent text for teaching and for research. Prof. Bryan Roberts, University of Texas at Austin

The Politics of Latin American Development

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The Politics of Latin American Development
Gary W. Wynia
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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ASIN: 0521389240

Book Description

This popular introduction to Latin American politics probes behind the current events and reveals the fundamental economic and political dynamics shaping events and driving policy. Using the paradigm of politics as a game, domestic and foreign players are identified and the rules that govern their interaction are described. This analytical framework is then used in detailed analyses of the strategies of development that have dominated Latin American politics. Chapters are devoted to democratic reform, military authoritarianism, and revolutionary politics with detailed examples from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, and Venezuela. This third edition brings all national cases up to date, analyzing the rise of democratic governance as well as the challenges presented by unprecedented foreign debts. Special attention is given to the restoration of constitutional democracy in Argentina and Brazil, and a systematic comparison of the movements in those countries is developed. More information and analysis on Cuba and Nicaragua are provided and emphasis is given to the 1988 election in Mexico. New material on the foreign debt crisis, the Roman Catholic Church, and the armed forces is also given.

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Best overview of Latin American politics yet available
Something to bear in mind:
Captures Latin America in a nutshell

Latin American Politics And Development
Harvey F. Kline
Manufacturer: Westview Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0813343275

Book Description

"This excellent time-tested text continues to be a lucid--and the best--single volume introduction to the complexities of Latin American politics." (G. Pope Atkins, United States Naval Academy)

The only text organized on a country-by-country basis that represents all Latin American countries, Latin American Politics and Development offers instructors maximum flexibility in organizing courses.

Customer Reviews:

Best overview of Latin American politics yet available.......2004-09-09

This book is simply the best compilation of political profiles of Latin American countries. It is NOT guided by Wiarda's philosophy, as one would infer from a posted comment here. This collection is written by several authors, leading specialists for each individual country. The array could not be more eclectic. I had the privilege of being both a student of Wiarda's and another contributor in this collection. And I can tell you, unequivocally, that their perspectives on South American politics are quite different. One being more of a pessimist (Wiarda) insofar the historical, immutable traditions that have entrenched itself in Latin America and the other being an optimist, who has great faith in low politics, the transformation at the grass-roots level (informal politics) and who spends much time abroad doing just that virtually every year. You simply cannot put this textbook in the same class as Hunt (who indeed works one major theme throughout his work) or with other authors who have produced far better scholarship than Hunt AND who approach US-Latin American foreign policy (which incidentally, Wiarda/Kline's book is NOT about foreign policy but intended for comparative politics, so it really should not be compared to Hunt, nevertheless...) such as Schoultz and Carothers. But on the comparative politics note, this book simply surpasses an often-assigned textbook by Skidmore/Smith in both content and style. Look elsewhere in vain; this is the best compilation book you are going to find in the market.

Something to bear in mind:.......2004-01-09

Despite his considerable knowledge on the subject of latin american affairs, one must remember that Mr. Wiarda himself has been involved as a D.C. insider, advising multiple administrations and normally favoring the right-wing, "top-down" style of democracy (read, sub-fascism) that is friendly to U.S. business interests. Consider also how he justifies this approach: while U.S. citizens normally favor a kind of Lockean form of government, by their very culture latin americans are more Rousseau-esque, in that they require a strong Leader to look up to. (Somehow it never occurs to people who are backing fascists that it might be that the Lack of a more open, "lockean" government is what contributes to the instability and insurection that they are trying to crush.) Considering that this is the kind of ideology that has infected U.S. foreign policy towards our southern neighbors for more than one hundred years (see Hunt, "Ideology and US Foreign Policy"), it might actually be a good read, if only to get a better understanding of how such supposedly intelligent and well-meaning people can make and justify such terrible decisions; however, if you want the truth about latin america, look else-where.

Captures Latin America in a nutshell.......1998-01-31

Wiarda and Kline have done an outstanding job of drawing together comprehensive, compact histories of Latin American countries. Moreover, in their introduction they have encapsulated and explained most of the historical forces that still affect and shape Latin America up to the present day. This book is for anyone, whether casual reader or serious student, who wants to understand Latin America as a whole, or any country in Latin America in particular.

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"Modern Political Economy" in Latin America

Debt, Development, and Democracy
Jeffrey A. Frieden
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
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ASIN: 0691003998

Book Description

In the 1970s and 1980s the countries of Latin America dealt with their similar debt problems in very different ways -- ranging from militantly market-oriented approaches to massive state intervention in their economies -- while their political systems headed toward either democracy or authoritarianism. Applying the tools of modern political economy to a developing-country context, Jeffry Frieden analyzes the different patterns of national economic and political behavior that arose in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela. He argues that variations in official borrowing policies and responses to lending cut-offs imposed by foreign creditors are best explained not by international but by domestic factors, particularly lobbying by powerful interest groups. This book will be useful to those interested in comparative politics, international studies, development studies, and political economy more generally.

Customer Reviews:

"Modern Political Economy" in Latin America.......2001-06-05

Frieden's "Debt, Development and Democracy" is a rational-choice analysis of economic group interests (the "demand side" of political economy) in Latin America that seeks to explain widely differing political and economic outcomes in five countries who faced nearly identical external economic conditions. By holding the external financial environment (foreign lending) constant across the five cases, Frieden can explain two kinds of divergent outcomes (economic policy and political change) through his independent variable: the political interaction of economic interest groups acting rationally vis-a-vis the state to maximize their interests.

Frieden's argument rests on the assumption that foreign loans were liked a pie to be divided. When the pie was large, during the lending spree of 1965-1982, economic interest groups in each of the five countries determined the distribution of the pie based on their political competition for capital. Since these groups were acting to maximize their economic interests, Frieden analyzes these interests in order to explain their impact on the first dependent variable: economic policy during the borrowing period. He finds that the most significant factor determining interests was the nature of national labor-capital relations. In the three cases where labor-capital relations were calm (Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil) various "sectors" of the economy squabbled over the pie, resulting in interventionist economic policy and political cleavages that cut across the labor-capital divide. The winners in this battle for government largesse were the economic sectors that were strongest in two key areas: asset specificity and concentrated organization. But in the two cases where labor-capital relations were contentious, (Argentina and Chile) Frieden shows that capitalists across all sectors recognized their common interest and refrained from sectoral squabbling by forcing the state to eschew interventionism and protect the business climate by liberalizing markets.

After 1982, when the pie began to shrink, it was the nature of these established interest group/state relationships that determined Frieden's second dependent variable: each country's political response to the financial crisis. In the 3 sectoral countries, plus Argentina (where class conflict had subsided and sectoral cleavages therefore rose to prominence), the politically powerful sectors realized their common interest by joining forces to overthrow the regime or government (or the "policy orientation" in the case of one-party Mexico) that could no longer protect their economic interests. But in Chile, where class conflict still seethed, Frieden argues that the entire business community made a rational choice to maintain its pro-regime stance, feeling that they had more to fear from a resurgence of the left than they did from the government's inability to meet their economic demands. This explains the fact that Chile is the book's only case where authoritarianism survived the debt crisis.

Frieden offers two kinds of evidence to test his theory: quantitative and qualitative. The qualitative evidence, showing the behavior of interest groups vis-a-vis the state, is made up of interviews with key players in each of the five countries, plus numerous citations from other studies, both historical and contemporary, that ostensibly use qualitative data. The quantitative data is primarily made up of statistics on Frieden's key antecedent condition, foreign lending (to illustrate the similar nature of debt conditions across the five cases) and also his economic dependent variable: well-organized and asset-specific sectors pushing for state intervention in the economy (to illustrate the fact that sectoral economies spent their foreign loans in statist ways, while the two other cases spent their money in more "liberal" ways). Fewer statistics are needed for Frieden's political dependent variable, political change after the debt crisis, since most observers would agree that Chile changed much less than the other cases (although some would say that Frieden's "policy orientation" variable in Mexico is meaningless, since the PRI never lost its grip on power. But if Frieden were to admit that Mexico did not experience political change after the debt crisis, then his argument would be falsified).

Frieden makes it easy to assess the logical completeness of his rational choice argument by himself bringing up possible alternative theoretical interpretations of his data. While this is an admirable attempt at fair and open social science, it also gives us easy access to the deficiencies of his approach. Frieden himself admits that the behavior of interest groups cannot account for all changes in political economy, but then goes on to assert that "trends toward or away from democracy are largely a function of political actors' evaluation of which institutional arrangement will best serve their interests, not of structural characteristics of developing societies" (137). While this is a bold statement, it robs all other variables (international economic conditions, institutions, the state, ideology, strategic interaction, etc.) of too much of their explanatory power. To argue that economic interest groups alone can determine the nature of economic policy and the extent of political change is an overstatement of their individual capabilities, and Frieden probably knows it. Rational choice assumes too much omnipotence on the part of particular groups and individuals, and too much power to act in their collective interests. Nonetheless, Frieden's explanation is parsimonious, and sheds much light on heretofore ignored factors in the development/democracy relationship.

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University of California anthropologist, Carol A. Smith, reviews Williams' work

The environmental repercussions of export agriculture

Export Agriculture and the Crisis in Central America
Robert G. Williams
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0807841544

Book Description

Before social unrest shook the region in the 1970s, Central America experienced more than a decade of rapid export growth by adding cotton and beef to the traditional coffee and bananas. Williams shows how the rapid growth contributed to the present social and political crisis, examines the causes of the export boom and who benefited from it, and shows the impact of the boom on land use, the ecology, and the conditions of life in the rural areas.

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University of California anthropologist, Carol A. Smith, reviews Williams' work.......2006-02-11

University of California anthropologist, Carol A. Smith, reviews Williams' work in the International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, "What took place in Central America calls for comparative research. The most useful and original comparisons have been done by Robert Williams, an economist who uses sociological, historical, and ethnographic methods in his research. Robert Williams's Export Agriculture (1986) observes that cotton and cattle production for export expanded hugely in all five countries and led to significant dispossession of peasants everywhere, including Costa Rica. But the five Central American states handled peasant protest quite differently, with both Costa Rica and Honduras carrying out land reform and expanding services while the three other states responded with repression and militarization-which led to war. In States and Social Evolution (1994), Williams examines the social and economic factors that led to two different kinds of states in Central America-the three revolutionary countries being controlled by rigid oligarchies, the other two being led by more open political groups. (Williams) finds an explanation in the social and political relations created by the coffee export economy, the first major post-colonial export in the region, which played a critical role in state formation."

The environmental repercussions of export agriculture.......2001-11-06

Williams' book deals with the issue of export agriculture in Central America and its repercussions on the economic, ecological, and social well-being of this troubled region. Williams divides the book into three parts, according to the main exports of Latin America. First, Williams deals with cotton's emergence as a cash crop and its positive and negative aspects. Second, Williams deals with cattle and the effects it has had upon the land and the men who till it. This book is interesting in the way it views the cash crops in an economic light and in the ways they affect farmers, large
farmers, and the working class.

The environment has blessed Central America with some of the best land anywhere on earth. Central America's pacific coastal plain, for example, is ideal for growing cotton. The ecological consequences of growing cotton, however, are quite severe. The stress on the soil is severe, considering this crop is not for subsistence. While the law requires that the land be cleared as to protect the land, it is nearly inevitable to prevent the volcanic soils to be vulnerable from wind and water erosion. In the rainy season, however, thunderstorms take their toll on the soil since they make the land prone to flooding. This damage is in addition to the fact that the best lands are used for the production of cotton, while simultaneously polluting the coastal eco-system. The fertility of the soil was short lived in Central America, since after four or five years of consecutive cultivation the light soils of the coastal plain began to lose their natural fertility. This, in turn, led to the need to use chemicals to yield more crops per acre of land.

In regards to cattle, Williams argues that the emerging demand for beef in the United States as a result of the fast food business precipitated the need to make subsistence plots in Latin America land for cattle grazing. For institutions like the World Bank, AID and IADB cattle was seen as a pragmatic, quick way to achieve export led growth. By most accounts, this land was carved from Central American forests. Swidden agriculture (slash and burn) practiced by indigenous allowed for the land to be regenerated after the patch had been abandoned. Under modern methods of forest clearing, the land is almost always relegated to remaining fallow. Modern methods of clearing have allowed for flatlands below the grazing grounds to become subject to flooding. Williams concludes that for those privileged enough to gain access to bank credit, the beef export boom meant a quick way to expand their fortunes, while for those who planted for survival it spelled impending doom.

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Terrific

Impasse in Bolivia: Neoliberal Hegemony and Popular Resistance
Benjamin Kohl , and Linda C. Farthing
Manufacturer: Zed Books
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Binding: Paperback

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A Concise History of Bolivia (Cambridge Concise Histories)

ASIN: 1842777599

Book Description

This book explores the tensions between markets, democracy, neoliberalism, state restructuring and citizenship. In this regard, the balance of citizen rights has been shifted away from providing citizens with social rights to privileging the property rights of private, mostly transnational, firms. Bolivian Stalemate throws light on the reasons and processes behind the rising opposition in country after country in Latin America to the currently fashionable, internationally prescribed economic development strategy of neoliberalism.

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Terrific.......2007-09-29

This is an excellent, comprehensive account of the forces that lead to the ascencion of Evo Morales. Morales himself is not the focus, instead the authors examine the history of liberalism (as a social order) and neoliberalism (as an economic order) in Bolivia. They aptly relate the effects of liberalism to the clamour for change.

Mission Possible: The Latin American Agribusiness Development Corporation

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A Chronicle of a Creative Company Combating the Cold War

Mission Possible: The Latin American Agribusiness Development Corporation
Robert Ross
Manufacturer: Transaction Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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A Chronicle of a Creative Company Combating the Cold War.......2000-10-24

The author documents the inception and extraordinary success of a small company that challenged the Cold War and sprung into becoming an accomplished enterprise. The author also managed to take a snoozing subject destined for insomniacs and transformed it into a charming book for history buffs and students of economic development and international business management. Readers for generations to come will continue to benefit from this company history and this authors wisdom.

The Puzzle of Latin American Economic Development

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A useful textbook.
A Completely Finished Puzzle

The Puzzle of Latin American Economic Development
Patrice Franko
Manufacturer: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0742524663

Book Description

Fully revised and updated, this text provides the basic economic tools for students to understand the problems facing the countries of Latin America. In this second edition, Patrice Franko analyzes challenges to the neoliberal model of development and hig

Customer Reviews:

A useful textbook........2007-01-12

This is probably the most useful all-round textbook on Latin American economic challenges currently on the market. An important strength is its comprehensiveness: unlike some alternatives, Franko does not dwell on issues of macroeconomic management to the exclusion of important socioeconomic issues such as education, health, rural development, and inequality. The book is evidently designed to support a one semester course, and could be used for either advanced undergraduates or graduate students.

Franko's text is not without its weaknesses. The updating of macro developments from the first edition was undertaken somewhat randomly. Discussions of different viewpoints on Latin American development issues sometimes make overly schematic use of stock figures ("the structuralist", "the neoliberal") that risk becoming caricatures. There is no discussion of the so-called "Washington Consensus" as a whole (indeed the term does not appear in the index). And Franko discusses the thesis of secular decline in commodity prices in an uncritical manner that suggests she may be unaware of recent more skeptical analyses. This said, the book does not suffer from obvious systematic biases, and makes a good-faith effort to present different viewpoints without forcing them down the reader's throat.

A Completely Finished Puzzle.......2001-02-10

"The Puzzle of Latin American Economic Development" is, most of all, an incredible clear book. By beggining with a review of the differences between the concepts of economic development and economic growth, Patrice Franko places the study of the Latin American economy in its appropiate framework. The analysis of the historical evolution, while simple, gives a solid overview of many of the roots of the current economic and social problems of the area. Finally, her wide analysis of typical areas of economic development such as agriculture, health and education highlights problems that are sometimes forgotten by the political actors. It is an indispensable book for those who want to get initiated in the fascinating subject of Latin American Economic Development.

Investor Protection and Corporate Governance: Firm-level Evidence Across Latin America (Latin American Development Forum) (Latin American Development Forum)

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Investor Protection and Corporate Governance: Firm-level Evidence Across Latin America (Latin American Development Forum) (Latin American Development Forum)

Manufacturer: World Bank Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 082136913X

Product Description

Investor Protection and Corporate Governance analyzes the impact of corporate governance on firm performance and valuation. Using unique datasets gathered at the firm-level - the first such data in the region - and results from a homogeneous corporate governance questionnaire, the book examines corporate governance characteristics, ownership structures, dividend policies, and performance measures. The book's analysis reveals the very high levels of ownership and voting rights concentrations and monolithic governance structures in the largest samples of Latin American companies up to now, and new data emphasize the importance of specific characteristics of the investor protection regimes in several Latin American countries. By and large, those firms with better governance measures across several dimensions are granted higher valuations and thus lower cost of capital. This title will be useful to researchers, policy makers, government officials, and other professionals involved in corporate governance, economic policy, and business finance, law, and management.

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