"mean woman" has this enchanted amusement park funhouse quality, all mixed up with circus music and kaleidoscope perspective shifts...and this is a novel addressing brutal dictatorship, personal and political tyranny and exploitation...at once delightful, provocative, disturbing and, mostly, astonishing. borinsky is a fine, fine writer, who presents her own brand of fiction with authority and style.

When I think of Patagonia, I think of the Natural Wonders of a place that has seen little human intervention. This book has magnificent pictures and in interesting text about the geography and wildlife of Patagonia.

A great read! In this masterfully woven novel, Johnny Payne brings his engaging protagonist into 3-dimensional life in a variety of settings I found surprisingly fascinating, including the worlds of boxing and horse racing. We encounter a rich diversity of characters here as well, including an ex-wife who is writing a novel as we read, using the life of the protagonist as her subject. The plot of NORTH OF PATAGONIA is satisfyingly complex, and the reading is easy. I couldn't put this book down!

This book is about Patagonia, the southern part of South America. Windswept, cool, rainy or dry, depending on one's location, Patagonia is the uttermost realm of the Earth. This book, out of many, is the best I have ever seen on the area.

The writers, Paul Theroux, and the late Bruce Chatwin, are both very well acquainted with the region, Each writer has a differing style, and each writer's commentary therefore varies. Yet, both harmoniously intertwine into a fascinating mesh. In addition to each capturing the essence of the land and the harsh climate in his own way, both writers present fascinating vignettes on Patagonian history, culture, and people.

You will learn about the origin of Patagonia's name, its role in Shakespeare's plays, its history of sheltering Welsh nationalism, its ground sloth fossils, Butch Cassidy staying in hiding there, its glaciers and fiords, etc., etc., etc.

All of this is superbly complimented by Fred Hirschmann's stunning color photography. In four-color format, these photographs form the most excellent composite for a book since Eliot Porter's masterpiece on the lost Glen Canyon. Again and again, I return to these photos for their inspiration and beauty.

Most of us will never visit Patagonia and taste the local calafate berry. But if we can't, this book is the next best thing. I prize this book very much and recommend it to the hilt.

Nunca Mas, (Spanish for "Never Again") Is the official report of the Argentine National Commission on the Disappearance of persons (CONADEP).

During the late 70's and early 80's, between 15,000 and 30,000 people were kidnapped, tortured and murdered in the name of "National Security" under the worst military dictatorship in Argentina's history. These people were 99% innocent civilians considered dissidents by the military, paramilitary, and the police.

How can such thing happen? Think of it as a kind of a go-amok witch-hunt. Something akin to the US McCartheism during the 50's, except the coutry is not a democracy, rule of law is virtually non-existent and instead of losing your job for thinking in a certain way, you (and in many cases all your family) lose your life.

In 1983, after democracy was restored in the coutry (following Argentina's rout in the Falklands War) the newly elected democratic government led by Raul Alfonsin appointed a national commission to investigate the mass disappearances.

This book, the published work of that commission, is the authoritative source on the tragic events. It is based on the 50,000 pages of original testimonies of families and survivors given before the commission.

It includes a Prologue by the chair of the commission, Ernesto Sabato and a terrifying yet revealing introduction by Ronald Dworkin.

As proven over and over throughout history, such unbelievable things can happen anywhere and those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it. Those who care should do themselves a favor and read this book so tragedies such as this one, the blackest period in Argentina's history, would never happen again.

This book describes very well the adventures of a little girl on the pampas, in Argentina. It also would provide a great learning time and enjoyment. Teachers in multicultural communities would be delighful to read it and they can be confident about the truth of the descriptive pictures and message. As an argentinean person, I highly recomend this book for everybody who likes to learn about other places in the world.

Very well written and documented book on Argentina's situation. The author digs into History looking for the origins to the present problems. Indispensable to all who want to understand the origin, development, interrelationships, probable forecasts and possible solutions to Argentina's difficulties. Contrary to the typical journalists' approach --which focus on short time-scales-- and more along the lines of an Arnold Toynbee or Ezequiel Martínez Estrada, but from a predominantly un-romantic economic perspective, it is shown that the present situations don't have to be traced to the latest administrations --which anyway contributed and aggravated the debacles-- but are rooted deep into History.

I only have two regrets concerning the work, which don't diminish its usefulness. The first is that the participation of international parties in taking advantage of the local Argentine faults is not exhaustive (although this does not pardon the Argentine actors). For example, the US economic boycott of the 1940s is not mentioned. This intervention partially explains why the government of the time resorted to ISI (Import Substituting Industrialization).

The second regret is that there is not a constant update (annual? in a website?) of the book, including the latest developments.

A short review in the magazine _Nature_ (9 Oct 97, p 557) has a cool picture and says "gripping read and lavishly illustrated." END

This is a monumental work by an author who made six trips to Argentina, and also traveled to Spain and Panama, while researching this book. The author refers to Juan Peron as the most remarkable and enduring leader in Latin American history. The author proceeds to describe this remarkable career, following Peron from his humble birth in rural Argentina, to his military training, to the Presidency (1946), exile, and return to Argentina in the early 1970s where he would die in office. Brief mention is made of Isabel's tragic and short reign as President after the death of her husband. Extensive information is also available regarding Peron's relationship with Eva Peron ("Evita"), with a few chapters devoted to her. A section of photographs is available as well.

The author's description of Juan Peron is comprehensive and complex, and may therefore be best suited for someone already very familiar with Peron and contemporary Argentine history. If you are looking for a more brief and succinct historical rendering of Peron's career, you may want to look elsewhere, perhaps to JUAN AND EVA PERON by Clive Foss. My favorite biography of Juan Peron is PERON AND ENIGMAS OF ARGENTINA by Robert D. Crassweller. Crassweller explains in PERON AND THE ENIGMAS OF ARGENTINA that Peron was a product of the "Hispanic Creole" tradition, and that all his successes and failures can be seen within the context of that culture, and in many ways were *shaped* by that culture. In fact, Crassweller argues that Peron's real talent was his keen insight into the culture, his keen intuition in understanding how to reach out to and unify as many different segments of Argentina as possible. While Joseph Page does attempt to provide cultural insight, he does not succeed to the extent that Crassweller does.

Joseph Page comes to a conclusion that may surprise many: that Juan Peron was a pacifist at heart; "He steadfastly rejected violence as an open instrument of policy." Page also points out the irony that Peron, once considered by some as a "South American Hitler," would have never plunged or plundered his country into war, and that it was the men who ousted Peron who went on to kill thousands of people.

This brief volume succintly describes the background and current state of the Argentine labor movement, along with providing valuable analysis of the Argentine economic situation. Recommended for all serious investors in Argentina.