External debt in Latin America : adjustment policies and renegotiation /

This compact book is divided into three parts: an overview of postwar Latin American economic growth and of the recent crisis; a taxonomy of internal policies responding to balance of payments and debt pressures; and a survey of the mechanisms and outcomes of external debt renegotiations used in the last five years. A short theoretical appendix enhances the usefulness of the book, and it might be best read between the first and second sections. Although the first two sections are overly general, both the substance and the categories would be very useful beginning reading for a research project on a particular nation or for general interest. Especially valuable is the third section, which includes such topics as the changing relationships between private banks and the International Monetary Fund, and options for dealing with the debt problem. The book is well organized and produced and includes tables and a bibliography. Highly recommended for collections serving advanced undergraduates and graduate students in international economics and politics programs.-F.S. Weaver, Hampshire College