Life and death in early colonial Ecuador /

Newson (geography, King's College, London) has written extensively on Indian survival in Latin America. The present study of Ecuador rests on archival research in Europe and South America, draws from published works in history, anthropology, and ethnography, and extends the scope of older, narrower English-language works on demography in the Kingdom of Quito. Its topical organization treats the peoples of the Andean highlands, Pacific coast, and eastern regions. A brief description of the Inca conquest precedes the discussion of Spanish occupation in the 16th and 17th centuries. Although tables compile population estimates, readers are warned that statistics "have a wide margin of error." Most demographic data are presented with appropriate caution, yet inference is sometimes exaggerated. The author's training as a geographer and her interdisciplinary approach account for the cursory historical generalizations. A glossary includes incorrect and inadequate English equivalents. Editorial style may dictate mentioning only authors' surnames in the text and using initials, instead of full names, in the bibliography. Graduate students and faculty. D. M. Flusche; Eastern Michigan University