Revolution and reaction : Bolivia, 1964-1985 /

Malloy and Gamarra--two Bolivianists--have written an interesting and useful book on Bolivia--a country frequently either neglected or harshly stereotyped. The authors focus on political economy and the central role of the state, and make two key arguments. The first--that Bolivia is not unique and is essentially a more extreme variant of endemic regional problems--serves to justify interest by the comparativist and general reader. The second argues that the central Bolivian dilemma (particularly between 1964 and 1985) has been how to square a capitalist economic accumulation model--which imposes severe and unjust costs on all but the more well-to-do--with the demands of political legitimacy and democratic government. Tersely put, how can the regime keep the support to rule if it cannot please enough of the people enough of the time? However, this volume may be too steeped in political science jargon for the general reader and too briefly documented and referenced for the area and country specialist. (There is no bibliography and references are scant.) More useful for both the general reader and specialist, but less-up-to-date, is James Dunkerley's Rebellion in the Veins (CH, Feb '85); the generalist may prefer Robert J. Alexander's Bolivia (CH, Dec '82), or Herbert S. Klein's Bolivia (CH, Sep '82); and the specialist may want to consult Modern-Day Bolivia, ed. by Jerry R. Ladman (1982). For upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty. -W. Q. Morales, University of Central Florida