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Rating: 
Summary: Great at what it does, but not a social history
Review: Bolivia: Why? Most would consider this historically destitute nation - famous for its multiple "coups d'etat" and coca production - not worthy of serious study. Herb Klein seeks to rectify such neglect with this work. He largely succeeds. The book is a thorough account of Bolivian history, bringing to light the all important implications of the War of the Pacific, the Chaco War, the 1952 Revolution, and the transition to democracy of the 1980s and its concomitant economic reforms. The author reveals that Bolivia is more than the coca producing, political nightmare the uninformed eye frequently considers it to be. Klein's analysis (though it does not emphasize this outright) effectively portrays Bolivia as the trend-setting nation that it is: one of four countries in the hemisphere to experience a definite revolution, an event which brought far-reaching social changes (extensive land reform, enfranchisement of the peasantry,etc.); one of the first nations to embark on the neoliberal stabilization and structural adjustment economic programs of the 1980s (the Nuevo Plan Economico); a progressive nation with respect to indigenous rights, highlighted by the election of an Aymara indian to the vice-presidency, the 1994 Constitutional reforms labeling Bolivia a mulicultural, pluri-ethnic state, and the subsequent Decentralization and Popular Participation Laws; and an example of hybrid presidential-/parliamentarian-ism with regards to electoral reform and systemic political changes. Now, not all of these developments are covered in Klein's analysis, as some occurred after its 1992 publication, such as the cultural and constitutional changes. Nevertheless, Klein gives the reader a sense of their possibility. He states: "[At] this stage, Bolivia has reached an accommodation unusual even by the more open standards of the multi-racial and multi-ethnic societies of Latin America." Moreover, his look at history indicates to the reader just how far Bolivia has come since its national conception in 1825, and specifically the great strides it has made in the last quarter century. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Bolivia or Latin America.
Rating: 
Summary: A very thorough work on a country few know or understand
Review: Bolivia: Why? Most would consider this historically destitute nation - famous for its multiple "coups d'etat" and coca production - not worthy of serious study. Herb Klein seeks to rectify such neglect with this work. He largely succeeds. The book is a thorough account of Bolivian history, bringing to light the all important implications of the War of the Pacific, the Chaco War, the 1952 Revolution, and the transition to democracy of the 1980s and its concomitant economic reforms. The author reveals that Bolivia is more than the coca producing, political nightmare the uninformed eye frequently considers it to be. Klein's analysis (though it does not emphasize this outright) effectively portrays Bolivia as the trend-setting nation that it is: one of four countries in the hemisphere to experience a definite revolution, an event which brought far-reaching social changes (extensive land reform, enfranchisement of the peasantry,etc.); one of the first nations to embark on the neoliberal stabilization and structural adjustment economic programs of the 1980s (the Nuevo Plan Economico); a progressive nation with respect to indigenous rights, highlighted by the election of an Aymara indian to the vice-presidency, the 1994 Constitutional reforms labeling Bolivia a mulicultural, pluri-ethnic state, and the subsequent Decentralization and Popular Participation Laws; and an example of hybrid presidential-/parliamentarian-ism with regards to electoral reform and systemic political changes. Now, not all of these developments are covered in Klein's analysis, as some occurred after its 1992 publication, such as the cultural and constitutional changes. Nevertheless, Klein gives the reader a sense of their possibility. He states: "[At] this stage, Bolivia has reached an accommodation unusual even by the more open standards of the multi-racial and multi-ethnic societies of Latin America." Moreover, his look at history indicates to the reader just how far Bolivia has come since its national conception in 1825, and specifically the great strides it has made in the last quarter century. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Bolivia or Latin America.
Rating:
Summary: Great at what it does, but not a social history
Review: The subtitle of this book, "the evolution of a multi-ethnic society" led me to believe that this would be more of social history than it actually was. It is very well-written and readable, which is particularly commendable since it primarily concerns questions of government and economics: who was in power when, what they did, and how many tons of tin bolivia was exporting at the time. That's slightly exagerated, as the author also very *briefly* discusses developments of early bolivia art, architecture, and literature, and mentions changes in relations between 'white', 'cholo', and 'indian' segments of the population. This is the second edition, published in 1992; I would love to read the third edition, updated to include public uprising against neo-liberalism as in the recent controversy over privatization of the public water service. This is an excellent book as long as it is judged by its own goals; however, if you are looking for more social analysis of this 'multi-ethnic society', you'll have to supplement this book with additional reading.
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