Missionaries of science : the Rockefeller Foundation and Latin America /

There is a common perception of Latin American science summed up by the widow of a prominent Peruvian physiologist: " ... everything was done by a bunch of brilliant people and North American money." Although this statement is not completely true, money from the US has played a significant role in supporting and even shaping the scientific cosmos of our southern neighbors. A prime source of this support came from the Rockefeller foundation, whose involvement with Latin America started with a regional survey in the 1920s and developed into massive programs that would affect the course of science, medicine, and agriculture in the area. Under the editorial guidance of Cueto (Instituto de Estudios Peruanos, Lima, Peru), the volume concentrates on programs in Mexico and Brazil but touches on the sciences in other countries as well. The essays of greatest application are those explaining the tensions inherent in the accommodation of US philanthropic ideals to the cultures of Latin America. The seven essays are well written and magnificently documented. A specialist's book. Graduate; faculty. I. Richman; Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg