Ecological Imperialism: The Biologi- cal Expansion of Europe 900-1900 by Alfred W. Crosby, Cambridge Univer- sity Press, 1986, 368 pp., $34.50 (cloth), $12.95 (paper). For the past thousand years, and especially since 1492, the temperate zones of the Americas (north of Mexico and south of the Tropic of Capricorn), as well as Australia and New Zealand, have become remarkably like Europe in their flora and fauna. The spellbind- ing story of how and why these lands became “Neo-Europes” takes us back to the break-up of the original conti- nent, Panagea, and up through the Vi- king voyages and Columbus to the present. Biological and Cultural Conse- quences of 1492 by Alfred W. Crosby, Jr., Greenwood Press, 1972, 268 pp., $39.95 (cloth), $8.95 (paper). Crosby’s canvas is vast. In this now classic account of the bio-history of the meeting of two worlds, he demonstrates that the most astounding far-reaching effects of Columbus’ feat were in fact biological: the spread of Old World plants, animals and microbes in the New World. A marvelous work of schol- arship that brings together the insights of several disciplines. The West Indies: Patterns of Devel- opment, Culture and Environmental Change since 1492 by David Watts, Cambridge University Press, 1987,609 pp., $59.50 (cloth), $24.95 (paper). This mammoth undertaking, draw- ing on history, geography, economics, biology and literature, paints a remark- ably detailed picture of the Caribbean since Columbus. Like Alfred Crosby, Watts manages to explain the inter- relatedness of events with such clarity it makes one wonder why academic disciplines were invented in the first place. The quantity of information is matched only by the author’s ability to make sense of it. State of the World 1991 by Lester R. Brown et al, W.W. Norton and Worldwatch Institute, 1991, 254 pp., $10.95 (paper). The Worldwatch Institute’s annual reports on the environmental health of the planet are excellentresources, brim- ming with data, analysis and practical answers to the world’s pressing prob- lems. This eighth edition contains ar- ticles on the New World Order, sustain- able energy, waste, urban transport, forestry, Eastern European and Soviet environmental problems, abortion, the military and the environment, consum- erism, and the global economy. Brazil and the Struggle for Rubber: A Study in Environmental History by Warren Dean, Cambridge Univer- sity Press, 1987,234 pp., $34.50 (cloth). Until recently, the history of the Amazon was intricately tied up with rubber. And the history of rubber is a story of political intrigue, passionate scientific inquiry and economic power. Warren Dean spins a good tale and draws some insightful conclusions about the limits of human ability to manipulate the environment. The Death of Ram6n Gonzalez: The Modern Agricultural Dilemma by An- gus Wright, University of Texas Press, 1990, 337 pp., $29.95 (cloth). Ram6n Gonzilez, a Mixtec Indian from southern Mexico, was one of thou- sands of farmworkers who die each year from pesticide poisoning. Since 1942, the “Green Revolution” devised by U.S. scientists turned Mexico into a laboratory for pesticide experimenta- tion. This book, based on several years of fieldwork in Mexico and the United States, examines the medical, environ- mental, social, and political conse- quences of massive pesticide use, and argues effectively for ecologically sus- tainable agricultural policies. Amazonia: Voices From the Rainforest by Angela Gennino (ed.), Rainforest Action Network (301 Broad- way, Suite A, San Francisco, CA 94133), 85 pp., $8.50 (paper). An excellent resource guide which lists the names and addresses of over 100 organizations in Latin America, the United States, and Europe concerned with the ecology of the Amazon. Not Just Another Nicaragua Travel Guide by Alan Hulme, Steve Krekel and Shannon O’Reilly, Mango Publi- cations (P.O. Box 4846, Chico, CA 95927), 1990, 243 pp., $14.95 (paper). As its title implies, this is a tourist manual for the Bohemian traveller and solidarity set. It contains useful tips, a brief history of each region and town, some humor and more than a little nos- talgia. The Decade of Chaqwa: Peru’s In- ternal Refugees by Robin Kirk, U.S. Committee for Refugees (1025 Ver- mont Avenue, NW, Suite 920, Wash- ington, DC 20005), 1 9 9 1, 40 pp., $ 4 .00 (paper). At least 200,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in Peru’s emergency zones, fleeing the decade- long war between the security forces and Shining Path guerrillas. Large ar- eas of the southern Andes are now completely abandoned, while Lima and other cities overflow with refugees. Although Peru’s internally displaced remain in the country, they cross invis- ible borders marked by race, culture and language. This research report docu- ments the drama of their exodus, largely ignored by the world. Literature and Politics in the Central American Revolutions by John Beverley and Marc Zimmerman, Uni- versity of Texas Press, 1990, 252, $27.50 (cloth), $12.95 (paper). This scholarly and innovative book bridges the gap between the social sci- ences and literary criticism. It exam- ines Central American literary currents as products and agents of the region’s revolutionary movements. Detailed at- tention is given to poets Ernesto Cardenal of Nicaragua, Roque Dalton of El Salvador and Otto Ren6 Castillo of Guatemala, as well as to the emer- gence of a powerful women’s move- ment in poetry. Also covered is the development of the testimonial narra- tive as an influential prose genre asso- ciated with revolution. Family Album by Claribel Alegrfa, Curbstone Press, 1991, 192 pp., $22.95 (cloth), $10.95 (paper). A new work by one of Central America’s foremost writers, Family Album is a collection of three novellas that weave the life histories of three women: Karen, a “corrupted” Catholic schoolgirl; Ximena, a Nicaraguan woman living in Paris who is drawn into the 1979 revolution; and Marcia, who resides in a small, mystical town in Mallorca. Lyrical and imaginative.
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