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462 reviews for:
Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent
Eduardo Galeano
4.29 AVERAGE
462 reviews for:
Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent
Eduardo Galeano
4.29 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
A very dense and important book that all people from the Americas should read—especially those with anti-immigrant sentiments living in the United States. Galeano details the pillaging of Latin America by “first-world” countries dating from the 1800s to late 1970s. It took me some time to get through this book, due to the density of detail, but I feel more informed and better equipped to speak on this subject.
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Generally a good book, very informative about the dynamics of [imperialism across Latin American countries. In a way, this book is one of the few that look at Latin America as a whole, and compares policies and strategies used against different countries in the region. It also provides a lot of historical context in a semi-chronological approach (which I truly appreciate when comparing multiple countries).
The biggest downside is the lack of a more thorough analysis of the effects of capitalism in those countries. Not all money is bad, not all foreign ownership equals to colonialism and not all national industry provides an improvement over the private practice. The lack of nuance, of a robust analysis of the movement of capital and labor, and the unilateral usage of left-wing references, make this book not as a good as it set out to be.
6/10. Would not recommend.
The biggest downside is the lack of a more thorough analysis of the effects of capitalism in those countries. Not all money is bad, not all foreign ownership equals to colonialism and not all national industry provides an improvement over the private practice. The lack of nuance, of a robust analysis of the movement of capital and labor, and the unilateral usage of left-wing references, make this book not as a good as it set out to be.
6/10. Would not recommend.
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
So basically I think I really needed a "for dummies" version of this book, even though it is already intended to be for a general audience. I have minimal background in Latin American history and know close to nothing about political economy and so this was very difficult for me to read and absorb anything. I think I got the general take-aways and remember some specific facts/events/patterns, but for the most part, I don't think I got nearly as much as I should have out of reading this book. Also the fact that is wasn't ordered chronologically nor by country made it really hard for me to follow. I wish I was able to appreciate it more because this book has major cultural significance and is clearly a big deal! Can't say I have a desire to reread it one day, but it does make me want to seek out more specific and readable nonfiction books on Latin American history with a specific focus on colonialism, exploitation, and indigenous populations.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
medium-paced
Long recommended to me, and with good reason, Galeano's masterwork of political economy is a comprehensive look at the mechanisms and history of imperialism and resource extraction in Latin America. His writing style is narrative and understandable while having both academic and literary merit. Well worth a read.
challenging
informative
medium-paced