This second edition of Fox's book is even better than the first. Fox is a master storyteller and has a keen understanding of his readership: undergraduate students of Spanish. I highly recommend this text for courses on Latin American history and culture. The book is rigorously researched, up-to-date, and fun to read. The exercises following each chapter's text help students reinforce basic understanding and can stimulate class discussion. I have found this text to be superior to many others that are available. Professor Fox's ability to synthesize major cultural trends and "forces of history" without being superficial is quite admirable. He is surprisingly insightful and demonstrates a breadth of knowledge that is highly unusual today. A great book.