This is a concise and most readable account of the developments and problems facing the Central American Common Market. In the words of the Introductory Statement, it makes “a significant contribution to better understanding of the nature and prospects of development progress in that region” (p. vii). Bach chapter carries out its assignment in a most clear and forthright manner without the cliches and fuzziness usually associated with studies of this nature. The text is straightforward and the conclusions sound and constructive. Hansen’s refreshing directness is well illustrated by a quotation from Anastasio Somoza: “Hell, it’s no crime to overthrow a government in a fair fight, but murder is something else” (p. 78).

The book is an excellent “pilot study” of regionality that can serve as a blueprint for other common market developments throughout the underdeveloped areas of the world. It is still too early to determine the broader implications of the Common Market’s effects on Central American economic, political, and social developments. Monographs such as this one, however, should help future economists to assess the effects of economic integration in general.