Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

ea. vol: charts. reprods. bibliog. index. (Opposing Viewpoints Series). CIP. Greenhaven. 1987. PLB $13.95; pap. $6.95. Gr 9 Up The editors have included a truly comprehensive spectrum of opin ion and provided fair , objective intro ductions to each issue, but these can't replace single-author overall treat ments. The books can be most effective ly used for developing critical reasoning skills; the editors provide questions at the end of each section for this purpose. American Government asks: ``What is the basis of American democracy?'' ``What is the role of American govern ment?'' ``Who controls America?'' ``Should the Constitution be revised?'' and ``How can American democracy be improved?'' Each question gets six or seven answers, all from well-known spo kespeople with various viewpoints, all from published sources. Periodical bibli ographies appear at the end of each chap ter, and there is an annotated book bibli ography at the end. Latin America follows the same format. The questions include U. S. intervention, human rights, revolutionary threats to the U. S., the best form of government for Latin America, and the Latin American debt. The only other series of books in this format, those by Gary E. McCuen (GEM McCuen Pub.), do not address these questions in such broad terms; the closest is McCuen's The Nicaraguan Revolution (GEM McCuen Pub., 1985) which focuses on Nicaragua rather than the U.S.'s concerns with it. Libraries should have both series. Jonathan Betz-Zall, Sno-Isle Regional Library, Lynnwood, Wash. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Is the U.S. a benefactor and a democratic example to Latin America or is U.S. intervention the cause of Latin America's problems? Articles by politicians, scholars, and writers, many of them from Latin America, present a wide range of viewpoints in the debate. From Fidel Castro's defense of communism in Cuba and Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa's call for democracy, to U.S. official Elliot Abrahams' support of aid for Chile's dictatorship, the selections cover such topics as the Latin American debt, what form of government is best for the region, whether or not revolutions there pose a threat to the U.S., and if sanctions should be applied to repressive regimes. Illustrated with political cartoons, this provides a lively and sophisticated introduction to complex issues, and the bibliography of book sources, the individual chapter periodical bibliographies, and the annotated list of organizations to contact will be helpful for further research. Index. Gr. 9-12. HR. 327.7308 Latin America-Foreign relations-U.S. / U.S.-Foreign relations-Latin America / Latin America-Politics and government-1948- / Human rights-Latin America / Latin America-Economic policy / Debts, External-Latin America [CIP] 87-21088