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Mexico's fate is encreasingly entwined with that of the United States. In this book, Castaneda examines the key issues in Mexican life: the impact of emigration, the relationship between politics and economics and the cultural changes taking place as Mexico moves closer to the United States. He also examines the United State's changing perceptions of Mexico and the basic historic and cultural outlooks that still divide the two countries. Finally, the campaign behind Proposition 187 in California is examined, with a discussion of the mix of ignorance and bias that has formed so much of America's reaction to Mexico.

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Library Journal Review

A well-known analyst and Mexican academic (Utopia Unarmed: The Fall and Future of the Latin American Left, LJ 9/1/93) presents a cogent, provocative, and insightful examination of the recent Mexican economic and political crisis. His analysis, admittedly critical of the Mexican state and model, nevertheless provides many fresh interpretations about controversial events during the last 18 months, including the major political assassinations and the controversial devaluation of the peso. Unfortunately, this clearly written book, composed of a series of interrelated essays, two previously published, will be understood only by well-informed North American readers. The author, who constantly refers to his own role in some of these events, should have clarified for nonspecialists his position in the larger Mexican political context. Nevertheless, this is strongly recommended for academic and larger public library collections.‘Roderic A. Camp, Latin American Ctr., Tulane Univ., New Orleans (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

One of Mexico's leading progressive critics, Castañeda (Utopia Unarmed) offers a savvy challenge to his home country's ruling elite and to Americans who believe an economic bailout will salve Mexico's wounds. Mexico, he reminds us, remains far more polarized than its mostly middle-class neighbor, and, as he warned presciently, free trade without attendant democratic and social reforms will not modernize Mexico. Now he advises his comrades not to fight for NAFTA's repeal but to mold it ``into an instrument for growth with justice''; that would require the government to help civil society flourish by freeing unions and ending the television monopoly, among other reforms. Castañeda offers detailed but accessible accounts of the Chiapas crisis, the 1994 elections and the factors contributing to Mexico's December 1994 economic collapse. He believes Mexico is in neither transition nor crisis but a state of slow deterioration. To break out of that, he observes pessimistically, there are no forces‘only the institutional power of government‘strong enough to steer Mexico on a new course. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

CHOICE Review

Casta~neda, one of the most famous Mexican academics (National Autonomous Univ. of Mexico), is the author of two previous books in English. The well-received Utopia Unarmed (CH, May'94) treats the decline of the Latin American left and Limits to Friendship: The United States and Mexico (CH, May'89), with Robert Pastor, is a superb juxtaposition of US and Mexican views of the relationship between the two countries. The Mexican Shock is a collection of Casta~neda's recent essays, grouped into four categories (the first two are the longest): (1) "The U.S. and Mexico"; (2) "When Mexico Lost its Charm: A Memoir of 1994"; (3) "Mexico in Latin America"; (4) "Epilogue." Casta~neda is a brilliant observer/analyst of the Mexican scene and has contacts at the highest levels; his essays are fascinating to read. At one point he records a conversation with a recent Mexican president; at another, he describes a dinner with presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio shortly before his assassination. Readers should not expect scholarship in this book of essays--there is no bibliography, no index, and only one page of footnotes. Casta~neda is sometimes slippery on policy matters. In chapter 2, he discusses why foreigners were surprised at the Mexico crisis but on p. 53 (written earlier) predicts there would probably not be a major devaluation of the currency. On p. 61, Casta~neda favors NAFTA, while on p. 68 (in a different essay) he takes an anti-NAFTA position. Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduate, graduate, and general readers with some background on Mexico. R. E. Hartwig; Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Booklist Review

The author of Utopia Unarmed, a seminal work that examined political and revolutionary change in Latin America, now writes a "dateline" report. With an exacting focus, Castaneda discusses current U.S.-Mexican relations, from NAFTA to Chiapas, from California's Proposition 187 to Mexico's economic collapse (which can only exacerbate the root cause of why Proposition 187 exists). Geographically, two countries couldn't be any closer than the U.S. and Mexico, yet to read and hear what pundits and experts have to say about their relations, one would believe they are in the early stages of getting to know each other. Castaneda's book helps clear up misconceptions on the U.S. side; in an unflinching look at his country's rampant institutionalized corruption, political stagnation, economic injustice, and political assassinations, he allows the reader a sharp view of the effect the future of Mexico has on the future of the U.S. This is a very readable and timely book. --Raul Nino