Everyday adjustments in Havana : economic reforms, mobility, and emerging inequalities /

Although a native of the US, Bastian (American Univ.) is culturally connected to Cuba and presently serves as professor at San Geronimo College in Havana. This thesis turned book consists of densely written and informative chapters plus an epilogue and appendix. It is a first-person, participant-observation, anthropological study of daily life on the island undertaken in Havana in 2012. It appraises results from interviews with individuals and experiences as locals adjusted to the impact of the new order under Raúl Castro. The introduction contains an insightful explanation of Bastian's methodological and theoretical context. The following five chapters are ground-level studies of daily life, focusing on emerging social groups and economic transactions. This is not a wholehearted endorsement of neoliberal ideas but a balanced view of Cuba from 2008 forward, as the country continues the process of transitioning to a more open society and market economy. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students through faculty. --Belinda Roman, Palo Alto College, St. Mary's University