“While official Washington and elite media have been mucking about in the Middle East, journalist Nikolas Kozloff has charted his own path amid the terrain-shifting upsurges in 'America's backyard.' He casts a sympathetic but critical eye at the leftward trend in South American politics, the battles over oil and media, the rise of indigenous movements and sometimes erratic populist leaders. If you get your news on Latin America from mainstream media, this wide-ranging book is a needed corrective.” —Jeff Cohen, author of Cable News Confidential and founder of the media watch group FAIR

“A much needed antidote to the mainstream media's canting coverage of Latin America. Kozloff is an acute observer of contemporary Latin American politics, and he proves to be an indispensable guide to the ideas, politics, and economics behind the region's yet latest attempt to wrest some wiggle room from Washington, as well as to the possibilities and perils that confront its 'New Left' leaders and activists.” —Greg Grandin, author of Empire's Workshop: Latin America, the United States, and the Rise of the New Imperialism

“[Kozloff] lets us in on his travels, Jack Kerouac-style.” —Roger Lowenstein, New York Times