John W. Sherman is a historian with expertise in twentieth-century Mexico. Sherman earned his Ph.D. at the University
of Arizona in 1994 prior to returning to his native Ohio to assume a professorship at Wright State University.
Review
"Beautifully crafted, wonderfully contentious."
--Donna J. Guy, professor of history, University of Arizona
"A spirited introduction to Latin America-a region of ever-increasing importance for the United States. It
covers the essentials: from Columbus to Cardoso, the Inca to the IMF, while providing some new and innovative insights
besides."
--Peter Henderson, Dean of Liberal Arts, Winona State University
"Just when I'd given up on Latin American history texts, along comes Latin America in Crisis. Sherman's provocative
text abandons the tedious, under-analyzed master narratives that have tortured, confused, and misinformed generations
of undergraduates. Instead, Latin America in Crisis provides the kind of explosive, in-your-face writing that gets
students talking and makes teachers think. It's about time!"
--Robert Buffington, assistant professor of history, Bowling Green State University
Perseus Books Group Web Site, January, 2001
Summary
Latin America in Crisis builds a clear-eyed consideration of the fundamental economic and political realities
of Latin America today onto a framework of introductory history. It is a concise core text for Latin American survey
courses that require both a historical perspective and an attention to contemporary issues. In its focus on patterns
of political and economic inequality, and its concomitant concerns for human rights, Latin America in Crisis is
also a book with a point of view. Chapter 1 offers a basic overview of theories explaining Latin American poverty.
Chapters 2-4 sweep across the contours of history till the mid-twentieth century. Chapters 5-7 focus on political
and military dimensions of revolution and counterrevolution through the 1980s. Chapters 8-10 interpret media-driven
democracy, international financial institutions, and human rights in Latin America today.
