Kenneth D. MacHarg has spent nearly 18 years reporting from Latin America. He has lived in Panama, Ecuador and Costa Rica and has set foot in almost every Latin American country. The author of six previous books, he has written hundreds of articles about the region for newspapers and magazines. He and his wife Polly now live in Carrollton, Georgia.

It is refreshing to read a book about Latin America that neither detests nor worships this important and fascinating part of the world. Read it to get a well-balanced viewpoint.