This Swiss book is a collection of rather unrelated topics whose only theme of unity is a purpose of discussing modern problems of Latin America. The section “History and Culture” has a chapter devoted to a chronological outline of Latin American colonial history, and the following chapter is entitled “The Basis of Pre-Columbian Art.” Next comes a discussion of the Church in Latin America which touches many modern problems. The sequence is hardly rational. In the section dealing with geography there are two chapters, one discussing the geological composition of South America, which indeed looks like an able study. The next chapter is entitled “The Geographical Basis for the Development of Central America.”
The section about “Economy and Politics” has two excellent studies on recent economic problems in Brazil. Another study dealing with the free market policy of Peru is also stimulating. Basically all these articles are written by people of a conservative persuasion with certain pro-American views. It is fortunate that the editors provided us with data (pp. 312-15) about the authors of the essays. One of them is the famous Frenchman, Louis Baudin. Most of the other names are probably unknown to readers, even experts in Latin America. The lack of citation of sources is a subject of valid criticism, yet the fourteen different men are of interest, and the book should be known to Americans interested in Latin America.
