Impasse in Bolivia: Neoliberal Hegemony and Popular Resistance
'The crisis in contemporary Bolivia is exceptional even by the formidable standards of the region. A confrontation between global forces and local populations, a battle over basic ideas in political economy, a comprehensive struggle over natural resources and their proper use, and a prolonged dispute over the political organisation of the republic have combined in an extraordinary experience of contested nationhood. This admirable book is written with both bold engagement and clear-headedness. Its authority derives from the author's deep knowledge of Bolivia, where they have lived and on which they have written over a range of issues. Lucid and well structured, the book provides an excellent synthetic account and analysis of the Bolivian labyrinth.'  - James Dunkerley is Professor of Politics and History and Director of the Institute for the Study of the Americas at the University of London and editor of the Journal of Latin American Studies. His books include Rebellion in the veins: political struggle in Bolivia, 1952-82 and Americana: The Americas in the World, around 1850 (or 'Seeing the Elephant'  'A comprehensive and engaging account of Bolivia's recent history, the failures of neo-liberalism, and the struggles to move beyond the country's current impasse. Farthing and Kohl know and love their subject, and they clearly show the nature of political tensions and economic difficulties facing the country. Their analysis of Bolivia's march from the economic crisis of the early1980s through its neo-liberal reforms and the more recent "wars" around water, taxes and gas is very illuminating. The book should be of interest not only to Bolivianists but to anybody interested in developing countries and Latin America'. - Lourdes Beneria is Professor of City and Regional Planning and Women's Studies at Cornell University. Her books include Gender, Development, and Globalization: Economics as if People Mattered  'For half a decade Bolivia has been growing as a global symbol of popular resistance to economic models largely imposed upon it from abroad.  Kohl's and Farthing's book provides a deep and unique analysis at how five hundred years of history have brought us to this point.' - Jim Shultz is founder and director of The Democracy Center in Cochabamba and author, most recently of, "Deadly Consequences:The IMF and Bolivia's Black February".  'With Impasse in Bolivia Ben Kohl and Linda Farthing have secured a place as leading scholars of contemporary Bolivia. This book is a clear and vivid account of the disastrous consequences of neoliberalism and the vibrant struggles against structural adjustment in Bolivia'.-- Tom Angotti, Professor of Urban Affairs & Planning, Hunter College/CUNY, Co-editor Progressive Planning Magazine - Tom Angotti is Professor in the Hunter College Department of Urban Affairs & Planning in New York City. From 1995 to 2001 he was Professor and Chair of the Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. He is the author of Metropolis 2000: Planning, Poverty and Politics