Customer Reviews

Bolivia in Focus: A Guide to the People, Politics, and Culture (In Focus Guides) (The in Focus Guides)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A gloss-over of Bolivia's people and many cultures. While it does briefly discuss the geographical, topographical and, to a tiny degree, the ideological differences between Western Andean and Eastern Tropical Bolivia, the great majority of the book is about Western Bolivia, including most of the photos. Example: "there is little to do north and east of Santa Cruz..." made my jaw drop. Perhaps the author has never explored the many non-Jesuit towns, numerous tourist attractions and untold numbers of ecotours and natural areas in Eastern and Northern Santa Cruz, not to mention the hundreds of attractions, tours, towns, and natural sights in Bolivia's second largest department, Beni... but not having seen them does not mean they don't exist. In his defense, it's understandable. No Bolivian government to date has made any effort to ensure this vast region is known either.

Like Bolivian governments of past and present, the author does Bolivia as a whole no justice by over-simplifying and minimizing the importance of Bolivia's fastest growing (and largest) city (Santa Cruz de la Sierra) and 2 largest departments (Santa Cruz and Beni). Santa Cruz alone provides nearly 40% of the country's gross national product and produces 64% of the country's food. Bolivia is typically described as an Andean country and it's indigenous people are also primarily described as Andean. Bolivia has 36 native cultures, each with their own language and territories. Over 30 of them are native to northern, eastern and southern Bolivia and have few similarities with the Aymara or Quechua who have been publicized for decades.

Economically Eastern Bolivia was abandoned and ignored for nearly 500 years during which all the wealth of the country was invested in developing the Andean and central cities, especially La Paz and Cochabamba. It should not surprise anyone that Eastern Bolivia has a completely different economic and political ideology and market focus: the people of Eastern Bolivia have had to develop their region of the country (and have transformed it into the economic engine of the nation) through their own nearly unassisted efforts, entrepreneurship and creativity, private and personal funding, and a great deal of foreign investment with little to no investment of public funds by the government until just the past 20-30 years. This, not race or culture, is the primary basis for the political differences between the two regions.

I expected a book called "Bolivia in Focus: A guide to Bolivia's people..." to focus on ALL of Bolivia's people. However, I give this book 2 stars for at least mentioning the two sides of Bolivia. Most don't even bother.

Robert Werner's book is wonderful. "Bolivia in Focus" is written in a style that is immensely readable, yet reflects Werner's deep understanding and appreciation of the material and his enthusiasm for sharing it.

The book covers a range of topics, from Bolivia's beautiful Incan past and vast natural resources to its checkered politics and heated indigenous struggles. The topics provide the reader with a broad introduction to Bolivia, setting the stage and offering resources for further research or extended travel to the country.

The book is required reading for anyone planning a trip to Bolivia, or simply interested in an in-depth but enjoyable introduction to this resilient South American country.

Bolivia has a long and storied history, and a unique people have emerged from it. "Bolivia in Focus: A Guide to the People, Politics, and Culture" is an introduction to Bolivia and the country as a whole. Discussing everything from Bolivia's political instability to its culture, Dr. Robert Werner gives readers a large scope look at the country and its current status in a very complete form. "Bolivia in Focus" is a must for any who want to learn more about Bolivia.

An excellent, useful and concise guide to the history, politics and peoples of Bolivia. Reading this before and during your travels in Bolivia will greatly enhance your understanding of this fascinating and unpretentious country. The style is factual but quite readable and well-organized. The appendices are also very helpful. This is far more useful than a standard travel guide.