A very insightful book about how countries as a whole compete in the world economy. It presents several interesting ideas about relative competitive strengths & weaknesses of nations and the source of these competitive positions.

The book falls short on readability. The authors could have conveyed the same message in half the pages. Often, I found myself skipping entire paragraphs and sections to find the ideas burried in all the verbiage.

I still rate it a 4 because of the importance of the topic covered and the insights contained in the book.

This book is a surprise. Very fun to read, very insightful and plenty of new ideas for doing business from emerging economies.

This is a complex and multidimensional book on many levels. This book is not really about what governments can do to help their countries develop. In fact, the word "development" hardly appears. It is about the unproductive relationship between government and the private sector that wastes time and other valuable resources in emerging economies. The authors hold both parties responsible for moving on.

As stated on the first page, Simon Bolivar's epitaph reads, "Whomsoever has worked for a revolution has plowed the sea." Meant by Bolivar to convey despair and the heartbreak of failure, these words are transformed by the authors who have maintained a sense of optimism and good humor throughout their own experiences in the rugged world of transformation consulting. The Introduction, the book's first substantive chapter, is a cautionary tale of the Colombian flower industry, that prospered globally for decades, but later declined and has not yet recovered. Through this "case", seven patterns of firm behavior that inhibits economic agility are identified. The first seven chapters of the book elaborate on these patterns, wonderfully illustrated with other cases (Peru's fishmeal and Bolivia's soy industry, for example). The authors describe a sort of bratty adolescence that traps companies and industries in emerging economies. Chapters 8 and 9 are a fine application of micro principles around the theme of strategy, again focused on the firm. The authors advocate the old-fashion but culture shattering step of focusing on customers, costs and competitors in order to guide and inform decisions about strategy, positioning and productivity. They offer information and learning as a way for firms to experience a "coming of age" in the competitive sense. The role of government in promoting economic transformation is not touched until Chapter 10, two-thirds of the way through the book. Chapter 10-12 are probably where readers will find the book a bit frustrating and repetitive. Not enough time is spent defining what the authors mean by "steering mechanisms". This is undoubtedly because the book assumes the reader already knows alot. Chapter 10 mostly illustrates shifts in steering mechanisms using the case of a wall-bouncing Bolivian government. Chapter 11 is almost singular for business books - there is an actual discussion of research and the presentation of data. It is a practitioners discussion, however, not an academic one, so potential readers can relax.

B-school vets and other warriors will recognize alot here as an application of Michael Porter's "diamond model" from his Competitive Advantage of Nations (1990) and indeed, Porter writes the Foreword. The authors have extended the "diamond's" scope and reach, but their own model is not apparent until the end, Chapter 13. Their model for bringing about industry level change appears in the book's final four pages.

This book's protagonists are leaders in firms, industries and government, as well as their mindsets and actions. The word "leader" might be interpreted by some readers as "government" but this is not accurate. This book does do something extraordinary, however. On one hand, it is a blood and guts how-to on diagnosing and fixing the self-defeating decision making of firms in the emerging world. On the other hand, the conceptual framework within which political economics is practiced, debated, planned and evaluated is updated to reflect the fact that competitive advantage, not absolute or comparative advantage will increasingly referee the win/loss columns in the global economy. The context of political economics is addressed entirely without reference to ideology. This might strike some as soulless or arrogant. It might strike others as about time.

The writing in this book reflects a highly integrated understanding of business and economics, as well as intimate and affectionate knowledge of Latin American business and classical culture. Also apparent are the authors very fine liberal arts backgrounds, years on the road and a sense of mirth. Finally, these authors clearly know their work and thinking is culture altering and socially revolutionary. Their obvious goal is to realize the dream of Bolivar by capturing the minds of today's business, industry and government trend setters. While I would say their hearts are definitely not bleeding nor on their sleeves, their drive and focus are more uplifting than anything I have read or seen in a long time.

"The Andean Cocaine Industry" is an expert account of drug trafficking. The authors leave no stone unturned in studying this important subject. They must be commended...this is a remarkable book.

As a person who has lived in and conducted business in Colombia, and as someone who is interested in the subjects of Colombian history, economics, and the country's struggle to maintain its own internal sovereignty, I found The Anean Cocaine Industry to be extremely informative. Bravo to Clawson and Lee -- a job well done. If you are interested in cocaine, its production and its socio-political and economic impacts, this book is an educational must read. Bottom line: a wonderfully comprehensive text on this subject.

Clawson and Lee managed to compile a vast amount of data from varied sources to produce a balanced on-the-mark analysis of the cocaine industry and its impact on the region. A very impressive book.

I love the Fodor travel guides but the information in your 3rd edition of Fodor's South America is really out of date. I've been trying to plan a trip based on your suggestions but few of the phone numbers work.

I'm sure that once I'm there, your suggestions are still very valid - it's just difficult to use it for planning purposes.

Ian Lien Singapore

Let's face it, we're talking about a guide for the whole continent of South America. In the unlikely event that you plan to do all the countries, this guide book will give you a little bit of everything. If you plan to do only a few countries, you're better off getting specialty guides for those areas alone.

One of the best guidebooks I have purchased. I have traveled to 25 countries on 6 continents, and have always found Fodor's to be of superior quality. This one did not disappoint. The recommendations for hotels and restaurants were, if anything, understated. Organization was clear and precise. Although it was necessarily broader and less deep in its information (it is, after all, trying to cover an entire continent), the information was always of the best quality and accuracy. Everywhere I went (6 countries in 3 weeks), I always carried the guide for the specific location and this Fodor's. In all but one case, it provided better information, and always information that was not available in the other book. The maps could have been better, both in quality and location, but otherwise it was a nearly perfect guidebook. It gave a decent view of the culture of the area, as well as the basic how-to and where-to. Strongly recommended.

Well written book about Crouch's interesting life and a vivid picture of his climbing trips to Patagonia. Crouch's point of view is unglamorous; his descriptions (and pictures) of base camp hovels are disgusting, the climbs sound miserable, and the weeks of waiting for good weather seem mindnumbing. And yet, to paraphrase the author, he'd rather be no where else. This curious incongruity kept me engrossed in the book to the end. A very rewarding read.

Beautifully written and evocative--makes you feel you're on a frozen bivy ledge with the author. Suitable for savvy mountaineers and armchair adventurers alike. The author has made several impressive ascents yet is quite honest about his failings, dumb mistakes, weaknesses and fears. I liked his assertion there are no "important routes" in mountaineering except as they are important to the individual mountaineer--who cares if others know of your successes? A few minor complaints: near the end, the author waxes a little too flowery for me on the spiritual and mystical attributes of climbing--it's still only snow & rock; a couple of small grammatical mistakes ["none" really is a singular pronoun...]; and some problems with parallels ["The depth and breadth of my Patagonian peregrinations are just that--wide and deep..."]. Without getting too maudlin or detailed, the author traces nicely his growth as an adult and alpinist, especially his Army years, and shows how his earlier years impacted his climbing. I had always been leery about trying to climb in Patagonia because the weather seemed to make it a poor bet but Crouch has stirred me to the point where I plan to give it a try, with modest expectations. His book suggests how the place itself, with all the wildness of nature, could be a suitable goal.

If you climb and have a deep-rooted passion for the emotions that climbing stirs in you then I would highly recommend this book. You don't have to be on the cutting edge of climbing to understand in your heart what Crouch talks about in Enduring Patagonia. Empathy, focus, inner-demons, harmony, determination, pain, self-realization and the laurels of success are the streams of conscious thought that are conveyed so beautifully in Crouch's book. If you climb you know that all these feeling come out in great strength throughout almost every climb. I've never been able to put into words all the emotions and the reason for ones passion of climbing but Crouch's book does a stellar job of wording our obsession with the sport and lifestyle.

This book is a well-rounded way to begin your quest for fitness. It represents the age-old methods of keeping your body fit while rightfully ignoring the fads. However, this book does not accurately represent the newest medical findings i.e. the last year and a half. I also found that some important ideas behind overall health were not addressed. As a side note, this book is also poorly organized and works better as a reference and not a cover-to-cover read.

In general, this book is a good supplement to reading current information (such as Health Magazine) and other fitness books. In life you must always cross reference information and question its valididty.

This book has answered so many questions for me. Being overweight it was important for me to understand why I was doing what I was doing and how each change would effect my body. This book helped so much that I lost 80 lbs. I had gained some of this weight back and was getting very discouraged. I pulled this book off the shelf again and reread all the information I needed to motivate me.

Every women wants the answers and know how to speed up their metabolism and want to know what to eat before and after their workouts. Everything is here. Plus, do you know how hard and how long you need to workout to burn fat vs. build muscle or stay burning suger. This book will tell you. I could never say enough about this book!! It makes you understand what you should do and tells you how you can acheive it.

Can't say enough good things about this book. I am a fitness-book-junkie, so books that just cover the basics don't do too much for me. Although this book is written in language suitable for beginners, it covers some of the more advanced concepts dealing with strength and endurance training. I have put some of the principles I learned in this book into practice, and noticed a difference after just a few weeks.

I think the people who will find this book most useful are those who regularly work out, but have never been able to afford a personal trainer. This book cost far less than one session with a trainer, and I learned plenty.

There's something about MUSSOLINI that does not make it as memorable as his past war books. Granted it is still a great book, and it flows along wonderfully, until after the Christmas program. Everything after that seems rushed up until the abrupt ending. Even still, this book is wonderful, sad, funny and corny (he groans over some of his own jokes). What makes all his memoirs so priceless are not just his jokes, but the people in his 19 Battery that, with their antics, brings the book to life.

* This review is for Spike Milligan's MUSSOLINI: HIS PART IN MY DOWNFALL. How it ended up in EIGHT FEET... is beyond me.

Truly a funny guy, Spike has a way of letting you look at the harsh realities of WWII in a brand new way. Much of his humor gets lost in the shuffle, but what comes through is fabulously funny and just a simple joy to read.

Dervla Murphy is definitely a one of a kind treasure. The vistas she conjurs up in this book are breathtaking. The hardships she endured are more than most of would care to experience in our travels. Still, it's a great armchair experience! (This review has migrated from its proper location. It is for the book Eight Feet in the Andes by Dervla Murphy.)

As would be expected from a publication by National Geographic, this book has beautiful pictures covering all regions of the Andes Mountains. Buyers should take note, however, that this book focuses more heavily on portraits of the people in these South American countries than on panoramic vistas of the Andes Mountains themselves (review the cover of this book to see the main focus). Also, too many blank pages for my tastes. Otherwise, an exquisite book.

This is a series of breathtaking photos of the Andes range from the Caribbean to Patagonia. There are stunning photos of the mountains and heart-wrenching photos of earthquake survivors as well as many photos of everyday life. Mario Vargas Llosa, the famous Peruvian author, contributes "inventions" imagining subjects thoughts, feelings, attitudes and stories. This National Geographic book, photographed by Pablo Corral Vega, makes a wonderful tour of the majestic mountains and haunting coutryside of the Andes.

I got through the first 200 pages of this book, trying to keep an open mind. After that, I had to put it down for good. The author is not convincing. I kept questioning her credibility, thinking: what does a vain fitness trainer know about Shamanism deep in the Amazon jungle? The book also focuses heavily on her many relationships. If you are looking for a book that teaches you about Ecuadorian culture this is not the one. Also, the author's atrocious Spanish makes it extremely difficult to tolerate! I don't think she ever figured out that "porque" means because, not but.

What a fun, quick read, especially coming from a layman/laywoman who searches for the big truths we all do at some point in our lives, but how many of us have the guts to go off into the Amazon, solo, to find them? Her inner and outer journey created a three dimmensional figure I could identify with.

From the first pages, this book had me back in Ecuador feeling the dampness on my skin and breathing the thick air. Diane has an amazing way of personalizing her adventures by revealing even the most embarrassing and intimate parts of her experience. I relived my own adventures as she walked down the street at the plaza in Baños and even when she had that lack of bowel control. Diane shows how small the country is when she "easily" (which is a relative term when referring to Ecuador) finds Moi just because she'd become intrigued with him from reading Joe Kane's "Savages". It may all seem unreal to those who have never been to Ecuador, but she captures the typical experience while not making her descriptions repetetive, generalized nor "guidebook-ish". The element that I loved most is that it is a great description of the Ecua experience while also being a very well-expressed spiritual journey!

This is a superficial and at times naive account by a yet another starry eyed, eager and willing "shaman's apprentice". Elizabeth Jenkins worked as an English teacher in Cuzco when she met a "fourth level" shaman, Juan Nunez, who showed her around Peru. Juan immediately initiated her into the fourth level herself. The apparent ease and efficiency of this "initiation" process has, if i am allowed to be slightly cynical, allowed Elizabeth and Juan to create a major business catering to those who are looking to get something for nothing. About 20 times a year, Juan initiates yet another group of wide eyed tourists, and both E. and J. lead initiation workshops all over the world, including the US.

This book will be of interest to people who are inclined towards safe "spiritual adventures". I would not recommend it to people who are looking for more resources on shamanic "technology", initiation or peruvian beliefs.

I started reading "Initiation" on my way to Cusco, and was immediately hooked on it. I just couldn't stop reading. Elizabeth Jenkins' accounts of her experience with the Apus and Pachamama are so vivid that you feel you are actually living them through her words. I am Peruvian and have been for some time researching on Andean mysticism. I was not fully aware of the path that would open before me when I started my research, and just like Elizabeth, I heard Pachamama's call loud and clear. So I can fully relate to her story. The smooth and personal style in which the book is written makes it easy to read - but this is not just another nice story. This book takes you by the hand into the realm of Pachamama, and it actually complies with its mission of bringing Pachamama's word to the world. The description of the Hatun Karpay (initiation) is very vivid and compelling, and it truly opens your eyes so you can learn to distinguish between the real Andean mysteries from what is merely (to put it some way) a description of Andean folklore. I fully recommend this book to anybody who is seriously interested in embracing Pachamama's ways. After all, it did change my life!

Hi there! I found this book by accident, read it on one go and booked a trip to Peru for the following summer. I had fantastic time practising the old inka/q'ero indian energy excercises at the Inka temples and power places. I would warmly recommend this book (and the trip) to anyone spiritually inclined - and the practises really work!!!

Journey to Machu Picchu is not a travel guide, but a glimpse at the magic and spirituality of the Peruvian Andes. A mixture of folk lore, the authors' personal experience, stories from living Quechuans (the direct blood line of the Inca), this book isn't for everyone. But, if you're interested in the spritual aspect of Machu Picchu or the Andes, then this is required reading.

Carol and Romulo have writen a beautiful description about an wounderful location. Filling the reader with an understanding of why Machu Picchu intrigues so many people, encouraging a deeper love for the region.

Whether you travel to Peru in person or in spirit, this book will guide you. The authors share their vast knowledge of all things Andean, going far beyond Machu Picchu and other sites of Peru in much greater depth than the usual tour books. This book is very readable, very approachable, and the reader comes to know how deeply the authors love Pachamama (Mother Earth) and the people of the Andes. The book is enhanced by outstanding stories of the people and by splendid photography (color as well as black and white).

Bottom line: I love this book.

The book has the information of an encyclopedia without the dryness and some might say without the organization. It is like a syncopated fountain, flowing with details, dotted with definitions and poetic words of the people. Information is often repeated in different contexts so that at the end the reader has really learned something. That something is likely to be very personal to each reader. It may include a knowledge of Andean cosmology and a familiarity with the three worlds of Hanakpacha (upper world, represented by the condor), Kaypacha (present world, represented by the puma), and Ukhupacha (lower or inner world, represented by the snake). Along the journey, the reader will come to know and feel the protection of the apukuna (deities of the mountains) and to appreciate the connection we all have to Pachamama and to each other. The reader can also delve into sacred sites, healing ceremonies, daily life, the rich language, dream material, medicinal healing techniques, and so many other subjects.

Like an incredible tapestry, the book weaves together the personal stories of the authors, plus the tales and traditions of many others. One of the most moving "stories" in the book is related by Aurelio Aguirre, telling of his experience as a guide for an Italian group, whose members may have literally saved his life. The tale keenly illustrates the interconnectedness of spiritual seekers--the learning and teaching and healing that ties us together, whether Andean or not, whether traveling in person or through books, in fact whether "seeking" or not.

This reviewer is no expert on Peru, but I recently returned from my first trip there, during which time this book was published. I know that when (not if) I return to the Andes, this book will accompany me. While in Peru, I had the good fortune to meet Carol Cumes and some of the people whose stories fill this book. They are real, as authentic as can be.

Enjoy this book and see where the journey takes you!