Living and Investing in the 'New' Cuba: A Guide to Inexpensive Living and Making Money in the Caribbeans Most Beautiful Tropical Paradise (Paperback)

~ (Author), Chris Howard (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

I have travelled to Cuba about fifteen times and even lived there on one occasion. After reading "Living and Investing in the New Cuba" I venture to say the author has done his research. This is not surprising since he has lived in Latin America for many years and has ample experience writing about a similar topic in his perennial bestseller, "The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica."

Eventually the U.S. will drop the embargo and relations will be normalized with Cuba. Cuba will become a prime travel destination for U.S. citizens and ripe for retirement and increased foreign investment. Sooner or later opportunities will abound since there is a consumer market of 11,000,000 people on the island and the country has been cut off from the mainstream for so long.

The good news is that the capitalist revolution and the winds of change have already begun in Cuba: the dollar is legal currency, limited foregin investment is permitted, there is some free enterprise and tourism continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

This unique guidebook really provides a lot of food for thought for anyone seriously thinking about how to take advantage of all of the opportunities which exist now and in the future in Cuba. It even tells how to learn Cuban-style Spanish before you move there, find companionship, lists possible start-up business ideas, provides names and addresses of useful contacts, tell how to protect your assets while living as an expatriate, has activities to keep you busy and happy, recommends the best places to live and much more. There are a series of colorful vignettes by other authors who have lived in Cuba. One in particular by Christopher Baker, the award-winning author of Moon Publication's best-selling "Cuba Handbook" and soon to be released "Havana Handbook", really stands out. In short, you shouldn't leave home without this one-of-a-kind book if you go to Cuba to check out the investment scene or the possibility of living there someday. -- By Bruce Wallace Special for Central America Weekly

If you plan to live or invest in Cuba, you should read the book. -- Central America Weekly

Product Description

The first and only guide to living, making money and the good life in Cuba of the future. Here are some of the topics covered: * What does the future hold for Cuba? * How to choose where to live * Valuable information for investing and starting a business * Secrets for success in Cuba * Tax savings for foreign residents * Proven shortcuts for learning Cuban-style Spanish * 100's of tips for everyone including baby boomers, retirees, and entrepreneurs Plus loads of "insider" information and all the ins and outs, dos and don'ts of living and investing in Cuba.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Costa Rica Books; Revised edition (1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1881233006
• ISBN-13: 978-1881233008
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,038,791 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This Book is a ..., don't even think about buying it., June 19, 2001

By A Customer

This book is merely a tourist guide, and a bad one. The author makes asumptions like in the future things will change, and things are bound to get better, hardly an investment guide. I have been to Cuba over 30 times, and everyone knows that it is almost impossible to buy property, the few condos that were available to the public were highly overpriced, over $350,000. and any other kind of transaction either rent or sale of housing is illegal and banned.

The author talks about the excellent health care system, but forgets to mention that medicines and first class services are only accesible to tourists, and none of them compare to the services in the US; if you ever go to regular hospitals, you have to bring your own sheets, syringes swabs and have to look for the prescribed drugs in the black market, since public hospitals cannot afford them.

The author talks about the affordability of the country, and that's a lie, since everything is available through the black market, everything is overpriced, restaurants and bars of average quality are overpriced,take the Tocororo restaurant where your bill might go as high as $50.00 per person without wine and the restaurant is of average quality compared to those in the US or Mexico, drinks are expensive in the clubs, take the one in the hotel Comodoro where one beer costs 8.00 dollars and one mojito costs 10.00

The author talks about some cracks having appeared in the political system due to a poor economy, but it still has a stable government. There was famine for Gods sake in 1994, those are not cracks and the governments stability is due to repression of its own people, sure as a foreigner you are treated nicely and courteously, but the repression of the beautiful Cuban people is a fact hard to overlook.

When the author talks about the people he says that they prefer the urban lifestyle, about 70% live in cities. That's because there is no access to dollars in the country, and therefore no access to black market goods like milk, beef or cheese, and farmers risk being jailed by going to the city to struggle to make a living and get some dollars for their families, that's why we see the prostitution of the "Guajiras".

In another chapter the author writes about "Finding Companionship" and the fame of Cuban women's "Derires" maybe he tried to say derrière. Pathetic. He also states that these women tend to be more devoted to the North American males than to Cuban males since they find them (Cubans) too macho, I'd like to see Mr Howard's credentials in order to make that statement that seems derogatory from all sides.

When he talks about investments his ignorance shines, making business in Cuba is one of the hardest things to do given the bureocracy, sure he gives a list of good bussines ideas, what he doesn't tell you or he doesn't know is that most of these ideas are forbidden by the Cuban government. Cuba's government wants you doing business directed to exportations or tourist services, he doesn't want you meddling with the local consumer, and if you invest in tourism they only want you to invest in big projects with them as an equal partner, they don't want you setting up a small restaurant or bar or cafe, the government wants you there only if you mean big business, and that means anything over a million dollars, otherwise visit as a tourist.

I don't mean to criticize Cuba, I mean to criticize a book that seems like a ... leaflet. Cuba even with all its shortcomings is still to me one of the greatest destinations in the world, and I wouldn't give it up for any of the other great resort projects of the world, its charm and style are unique as well as its people, but this book will only confuse and deceive and form an opinion in its readers of a country that has nothing to do with what is described inside its pages, investment wise and living wise. Really it has nothing to do with it.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars DANGER - NON BOOK FOR SALE RIGHT HERE!!!>>> keep your CASH!!, July 22, 1999

By A Customer

Look carefully at the reviews extolling the virtues - note a similiar style between the Miami Man and the Costa Character...hmmm?

I would be inclined to believe the middle one from Mr Angry.

Methinks the author doth try a tad too hard to defend his thinly disguised rip-off.

Shame...interesting subject....someone should tell Amazon...

and someone should write a proper book

xx

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poorly written - slim on the details - I'm returning it, June 18, 1999

By A Customer

Was this book even edited? I can't believe how many errors there are. "revolaution", "gettting", "myraid" (myriad?)... This is in the first 5 pages! Plus bizarre statements like "In Cuba there is plenty to do - something for everyone and everything for someone." None of this builds my faith in the author or in his knowledge of the subject. His discussion of the investment climate includes 26 pages (in a 200 page book - over 10% of the book) verbatim copy of the Cuban foreign investment law - which can be found easily and for free on the internet. I am returning the book and I advise against buying it.