Pop culture in Latin America and the Caribbean /

As the authors contend in their introduction, one "can gain a window into the essence of the region, its values, and its challenges" through examination of people's popular reading, viewing, and listening "habits." In this new release--essentially an update of Lisa Shaw and Stephanie Dennison's Pop Culture Latin America!: Media, Arts, and Lifestyle (CH, Jul'05, 42-6207)--authors Nichols and Robbins (both, Drury Univ.) set out to enhance undergraduate students' understanding of Latin America in this well-written and engaging reference work. Popular Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean is organized around general areas of pop culture, including film, music, fashion, media, sports, video games, and social media. Each chapter begins with an introduction that establishes the larger context for the more specific chapter essays. All introductions and essays have bibliographies with English and Spanish citations suggesting sources for further research. The authors use text-box inserts to update topics that have not quite risen to a level that merits full inclusion. The work would have benefited if some of these topics, such as the popular Columbian TV series "Rosario Tijeras," had been given fuller treatment. The appendix consists of a variety of top-ten lists that are not particularly useful for most students and will soon be dated. The chapter on literature also could have been stronger if it focused on more contemporary pop-culture authors. Despite a few perceived weaknesses, the work fulfills its purpose as a suitable introduction for beginning students interested in exploring Latin America through pop culture. Summing Up: Recommended. High school and community college students; lower-level undergraduates; general readers. --John H. Pollitz, University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire