Chavez's gesture turns book into bestseller

[underpants]

Source: CNN

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CNN) -- The big winner out of this week's Summit of the Americas in Trinidad may be a decades-old book about the exploitation of Latin American people throughout history.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, whose anti-U.S. rhetoric has included calling former President George W. Bush the devil, approached Obama Friday and handed him a copy of "Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent."

In just hours, the book, by Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano, rocketed to bestseller status on online book store Amazon.com.

The English version was at No. 11 on the site's list of top sellers Saturday night. On Friday, it had been No. 60,280.

The book topped Amazon's "Movers and Shakers" list on Saturday -- with a reported 466,378-percent increase in popularity on the site.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/books/04/18/latin.america.chavez.book/

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[AllieB]

1. May I be the first to offer some popcorn to the other posters.

:popcorn:

[bemildred]

2. +1

:popcorn:

[Idealism]

3. All Americans would do well to read this book

It goes into history from the South American perspective, the angle that has gotten suppressed by the United States for the past 100 years, by the British and Spanish empire before that. A heart-breaking tale of exploitation and colonization that to a lesser extent goes on still today (to a lesser extent isn't saying much, considering the massive repression that was inflicted previously)

[underpants]

5. Two books I have but have not yet read

"The Spanish Frontier of North America" Weber-the story of the Spanish who were here and established well before Plymouth or Jamestown

"Power, Faith, and Fantasy" by Michael Oren-America's adventures in the Middle East/Mediterranean

[Igel]

8. I'd rephrase that.

"It goes into history from a specific South American perspective." Not all South Americans share that particular perspective, so it's not possible to call it "the" South American perspective as though there were just one. Nor is it a uniquely South American perspective.

[Idealism]

10. Obviously it was a generalization, but those who do not see their struggle

are the wealthy landowners who control most of the continent. Those oligarchs have been oppressing the people almost as long as their colonial terrorists were. They will tell you it was a wonderful history, I am sure. The average South American? Persecution, exploitation, dirty wars, corruption, military juntas supported by the US and her allies, dictators, auctioning off natural resources, leaving countries swimming in debt... these things are worse when you are poor. The rich managed to stay rich by supporting whoever was winning, the poor and middle class ended up disappeared if they raised their voices.

[Hardrada]

4. I have heard of the author. Why don't I know this book?

I will order my own copy forthwith and see our library gets one also.

[starroute]

6. It's now up to #2

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/books/ref=pd_dp_ts_b_1

[soccermomforobama]

7. I went a bought a copy this afternoon from Barnes and Noble

It is really interesting, so far.

[ACTION BASTARD]

9. Can you give us a more detailed opinion when you finish, please?

Is is more like little stories of things that happened or is it more somber and analytical? Thanks for any feedback you can provide.

[subsuelo]

12. I got one at B&N too yesterday.

[eridani]

11. Lost my copy years ago. Looks like it's time to get another

Hoping that its newfound popularity ;with educate a broader range of the North American public.

[sufrommich]

13. I haven't read the book, but this is good news. It's nice to see

people actually bothering to get a perspective of Latin America from Latin Americans themselves.