What's best about this book are the data, especially lengthy quotations from gay Brazilian men. (Most seem to be from Jorge and Lino, although he claims to be drawing on 2000 interviews.) There's also unintegrated information about economics (neoliberal development) and "globalisation" that Parker supposes explains changes going on in how Brazilian gay men relate to and regard each other. There are also photos, maps, tables. Readers unfamiliar with the topic should begin with James N. Green's book _Beyond Carnival_ which provides the background to the AIDS era that Parker writes about.

"Brazil" is Rio de Janeiro and the northern port city of Fortaleza. Migration to regional centers and from regional centers to Rio (and on to Rome, Paris, and Lisbon) is sensibly discussed. There's nothing about indigenous peoples, or nonurban gay life. And nothing on lesbians.

This is the only book I've ever seen that has a list of maps, tables, and illustrations that does not indicate what page these are on. Obviously, this is the fault of the publisher rather than the author, gratuitiously making it harder to compare maps.(Parker doesn't do anything with the maps: there is no spatial/geographical analysis, just points of reference on maps.)

Being a Brazilian myself I was very well and deeply impressed with Richard Parker's book.The accuracy,the revealing clarity Mr.Parker uses to describe the homosexual culture in Brazil is going to make this book a classic. More important, besides the impressive scientific accuracy, I felt a text written with love and compassion. Probably that is why my heart was impregnated with kindness and compassion towards my Brazilian gay friends;the ones still living and the ones in Paradise. I am sure God is blessing all of them. Joaquim San Francisco, Wednesday,03/17/99

I wonder who this book is for? The writing styles of the essays are strictly academic -- except for Caetano's which is more of a reminiscence and similar in tone to his New York Times stuff -- and the price certainly reflects academic rather than mainstream press standards. On the other hand, the flashy jacket, numerous photos, and subject matter seem to indicate an appeal to non-academic Brazilian music fans. Like me.

In any case, the 2 dozen or so essays span the time period between the Tropicalistas of the 60s, like Caetano, and recent phenoms like Chico Science and the "funk balls" of Rio and Salvador. I may not be qualified to judge it as an academic collection, but I noticed that almost all the scholarship is sociological in nature rather than musicological. For instance, there is only one page with any musical notation whatsoever, but there are very long essays on such themes as the pan-africanism, cultural "canibalism", and the themes of carnaval groups.

The highlights of the book are small nuggets that fall out along the way. For instance, evocations of the cultural richness amid fetid swamps and massive poverty, the ironies of heavy metal in Belo Horizonte, or the offhanded anecdote of Caetano decrying the evil of a corrupt career politician at a show.

The main lowlight is surely the tedious academic style of some of the writers and the endless repetition of certain themes. Some editing of this and a little less fawning over some of the performers would have made it an easier read. And inevitably with a collection of essays there is a feeling of randomness about the subject matter selections. (Compare it to the sassy and completely nonacademic "Bossa Nova" by Ruy Castro -- great fun.)

Bottom line: there are very few books about Brazilian music in English and most of those are for complete novices. This is therefore essential reading for anyone interested in Tropicalia and more recent developments in the most musical place on earth.

A must-read for anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the cultural forces shaping Brazilian music. Various contributors tackle the complexities of selling hybridized "world" music in a voracious, globalized world economy, and examine the ongoing stylistic, philosophical and generational tensions between different groups in Brazilian popular music. Particular emphasis is given to the "tropicalia" scene, including several chapters on Os Mutantes and an excellent essay by Caetano Veloso regarding the mixed meaning of Carmen Miranda's legacy to the '60s generation. Working upwards from a standard-issue Marscusian, colonial/postcolonial cultural critique, this book takes its cues from the Brazilian philosopher Osvaldo de Andrade, whose theories on "cultural cannibalism" were a key influence on the tropicalistas, and explains how the inclusive guerilla surrealism of the tropicalistas bypassed the stormy ideological divide between the left-wing cultural nationalism of the early MPB crowd and the vacant, prefab commercialism of the "jovem guarda" rock scene. Not content to lionize the tropicalistas, the book also shows how the '60s radicals later entered the status quo, and how their lofty superstardom has been rejected (or resented) by younger Brazilians, who came to see them as a fusty cultural aristocracy. A bit dense and mildly over-academic at times, but deeply fascinating and insightful, this is an invaluable resource for understanding the history of Brazilian pop, and for examining the metamorphoses of "local" music in a global market. Highly recommended!!

I recently received this book. I wanted it because I have recently returned from Brazil. I do enjoy this book, but I find that the majority of the foods come from the northern part of the country, which is heavily influenced by the sea and past African herritage. I spent the majority of time in the South and Western part, therefore many of the dishes are not known to me. It does have instructions as how to prepare the every popular Kale and beans..which seem to be the staple food of Brazil. I like the photos, but the book could have used a lot more...it is nice to see what the dish is supposed to look like. It provided a nice list of ingrediends and substitutions if the native ingredients weren't available in your area. Instructions are easy to understand. I am anxious to try the foods, including those I know nothing of...I like the book, but I wouldn't pay more than 15 dollars for it. Luckily, I bought it used for much less.

Cafe Brazil is packed with photos of not only finished dishes, but the countryside as well, from land to sea. Most dishes require little in the way of exotic ingredients, though many require fresh ingredients such as first coconut milk pressings which may consume time.

A very interesting book that details many aspects of voodoo rituals in Brazil. The author lived in Brazil and this is written from his perspective while discovering the various practices. Because the book was written some time ago, there is a hint of prejudice in his writing style, but it is easily overlooked if one considers the attitudes of the time. A nice book for researchers or collectors.

This book provides a solid background on Voodoo practices in Brazil. Some darker rituals are detailed with appropriate cautions. Use this book with extreme caution because you may invoke things you cannot control. Excellent book for anyone interested in the Occult.

I'm not too sure what to think of Lispector as a novelist, but I think she's a fine short story writer, as this collection shows, particularly "The Crime of the Mathematics Professor" and "The Smallest Woman In the World".

Clarice Lispector is today considered the best Brazilian woman writer and FAMILY TIES is her most famous story collection. She has a very special way of showing the hidden side of every day experience, or the uncommon experience a seemingly commonplace situation may bring. Her characters are usually,children, animals and women specially houseviwes.The monotony of the every day routine of clarician women is suddenly interrupted by a very comon event, which however illuminates their perception of themselves and of life. In the short story "Love" the ephiphany happens, when the main character Ana sees a blind man chewing gum. The title story "Family Ties" tells the story of a family, where the menbers are suddenly faced with a feling of the emptiness of family ties."The Bufallo" is about a love frustrated woman, who goes to the zoo,in search of an animal, able to be a counterpart to her intense hatred. In short, the stories of FAMILY TIES,reverse the idea of cosyness and security the word "ties" may suggest,exploring rather its darker meaning, the feeling of boundage and the issuing conflicts produced not only by family ties but by human ties in general.I suggest the book to be added to the special list of recomended short stories for the participants of the PEN AWARD.

This book is far more than a recitation of historical facts; it ties together the evolution of political, economic, cultural and social forces to show how Brazil came to be today. It's well worth reading; by a serious scholar, and with an excellent bibliography.

However, it presents the material from a particular viewpoint that makes its coverage somewhat selective, and possibly misleading on some topics. The underlying assumption of the book is that Brazil up until the 1990's was divided into a well-to-do politically empowered elite and an impoverished and mostly illiterate underclass, with little social mobility and no political influence. This assumption is too simplistic. At least by 1960 there was a large and thriving middle class, ranging from skilled industrial workers to well-educated professionals and a great number of independent small businessmen. Although these people were generally not rich, they could lead reasonably comfortable lives, and their political influence was (and has continued to be) much greater than Levine makes clear. For example, the social unrest that led to the military 1964 coup against President Goulart was most prominent in the middle class; I can testify to that because I was there while the strikes, demonstrations and protests were becoming more and more vigorous during 1961, '62 and '63, and I saw where the impetus was coming from.

A key fact that few Americans know (and even many Brazilians don't know) is that over the last 200+ years, the average rate of growth of GDP in Brazil has been higher than the average rate of growth of GDP in the United States. This is not immediately obvious, because Brazil still lags so far behind the USA in GDP per capita; it's explained by the fact that in the late 18th century the USA was already comparatively prosperous, whereas almost all Brazilians lived in abject poverty. So Brazil has been playing catchup, and has come a long ways, although still with a long way to go. Levine fails to point this out. He also writes as if the economic progress since the 1930s has only benefitted the elite, and this is just not so; much of the economic progress has been a steady enlargement of the middle class.

He also fails to point out the extent to which Brazil is now competitive in the world economy. Brazil has exported hundreds of commercial aircraft to the United States; it supplies a significant fraction of US imports of pharmaceuticals; it exports machine tools to Germany; it exports automobiles to many coutries; it exports military hardware such as armored personnel carriers to a number of countries; and so on. To be sure, it also exports plenty of commodity raw materials, but the recent economic stability in the face of falling commodity prices in the world market is largely due to Brazil's high-tech exports.

So, in short, this is a fine book, and I recommend it wholeheartedly, but read it with the understanding that it only gives part of the story.

This new book is great because it is lively, emphasizes the most important issues, and shows a great deal of compassion for Brazil's people. The section on the recent past is extraordinary. It clarifies things that I, a Brazlian, did not know.

This book examines an area of life in Singapore that rarely sees daylight -- in more senses than one! Its attention to detail is quite eye-opening, and contains many, many surprises even for Singaporeans, I suspect. Let alone tourists and visitors who would normally associate Singapore with a strict, sterile, squeaky clean image. I would have thought these "ladies of the night" would be deported faster than they can say "No money, no honey"! Less you think this is a sensational, lurid, "tell it for the money" kind of book (ie only passably-written and mainly for thrill-seekers), nothing could be further from the truth. Brazil has written it in a pacy, journalistic style and combines hard facts (there are lengthy interviews with 12 actual workers) with delicious details (decor of a brothel, prices, prejudices against certain types of clients and modus operandi)that are all the more rivetting because it is happening in Singapore. There are also actual behind-the-scene photos taken by the author. How he gained access might be another tale in itself? It is really an authoritative, yet enjoyable in-depth look at the surprising, thriving Singapore for-sale industry. Possibly NOT a book to recommend for Father's Day though!

A colleague of mind recommended this book to me during my second visit to Singapore last month (my first time there was in 1996)and told me "you would have a hard time putting it down."

In all honesty, he was right. I was intrigued with the descriptive insight that Brazil presented in the book with his interviews with the ladies, and visuals of the places that the sex trade takes place in Singapore.

The only downside to the book is that he didn't talk to many of the men who associated with the ladies. For instance, he highlights how some of the ladies expresses distaste for black men. As a African-American man, I never had a negative experience there as I had little trouble with the ladies (especially the Thai ladies he spoke to) as they showed the utmost respect and kindness. Not to brag, I never had a sense of rejection. I wished that I had Mr. Brazil's contact information as I wouldn't mind collaboring with him on a sequel and share my worthwhile experiences in Singapore.

Aside from that, this book is a "must read" and should be required reading before your visit there. Highly recommended.

O Rio De Janeiro is basically a huge volumne of pics (mostly black and white and presumably taken in Rio, Brazil) by Bruce Weber. Despite the cover which featured a guy staring lustily at a girl, who in turn, looked away from in and toward the reader, this book is really a book for gay men.

Homoerotic photographs abound, mostly of young men louging around in bikini briefs, either on bed, in apartments, on roof tops, during a soccer match, on the beach, and so on.

For gay men, this book is a delicious affair...and little else.

This book is great!
It was the first of the modern era of fashion photographers shooting senuality.

To call it HOMOEROTIC... is just to miss the point. It is SENSUAL, regardless of sex.

It is beautiful, with lots of beautiful imagery.

I will part with it for the right price... make a REAL offer.
( Still in GREAT shape.)

[ stevenbigler@hotmail.com ]

-SB

"Politics in Brazil...", as the name implies, is a summary of the political and economical life in Brazil from 1930 to 1964. It means the book covers the most important period of Brazilian Histoy in this century, when a rural and almost feudal country began to make a real transition to the Industry Age. Although the subject may seem arid sometimes, Skidmore achieves to make a good and straightforward account of the transformations which made the country a good part of what it is today. His covering of Getulio Vargas' government is very objective and easy to understand, and the author even seems to have a little admiration for our great Macchiavelli.

In short this a fine book, but just for those who already have a basic knowledge of Brazilian history. I even think that every Brazilian high school student should read it -- it explains thing which still affect us today. On the other hand, if the only thing you know about Brazil is that it is Carmen Miranda's land, forget it and try to find another book.

The merit of Professor Skidmore's books on Brazilian history come from the fact that he has painstakingly ammassed the secondary evidence on modern Brazilian history he has been collecting since the 1960s and has sewn all of it into a coherent whole that no one who wants to have a go at the subject- Brazilian or foreign - could skip. Surely, no small merit. However, I would like to point that Professor Skidmore has, above all, been influenced by the views of Brazilian scholars like professor Helio Jaguaribe, one of the founders of the famous 1950s Brazilian think-thank ISEB (Higher Institute of Brazilian Studies) who see Brazilian history mostly in terms of economic "modernization", therefore does not paying that much attention to the blend of economic modernization _and_ political backwardness that makes so much of Brazilian history past and present - something stressed better by Marxist historians like Mario Pedrosa, Livio Xavier, and Florestan Fernandes. However, no one can blame Professor Skidmore for having chosen a given ideological outlook, and it's meritoriously enough that his books will remain, for a long time, necessary stumblin-blocks in the study of Brazilian history.

Narrated by Almeyda, a fugitive slave woman in Brazil in the late 1600s, this book is a departure for Jones as it is written in the form of a narrative poem. Fans of her fiction - books such as CORREGIDORA and EVA'S MAN may like it, however, as it conveys all of the pain and anger that Jones does so well. There is a dearth of beautiful language in this book, but it is rich in emotion as Almeyda tells the tale of her breasts that were sliced off by a Portuguese soldier, of her lover, Anninho, lost and presumed dead, and of the yearning and desire that permeates her life. Throughout the long poem, there is an undercurrent of danger. Sex is dangerous. Love is dangerous. Men are dangerous. All are desired, yet they all bring pain. Black men seem necessary for black women's lives, and white men, are, of course, a kind of death sentence. Jones' poetry is at its best when she is writing of connections between women or when penning anything remotely sensual. Song for Anninho is a book to read when one is in need of a sorrow greater than one's own.

I am so glad Beacon published a new addition of this lovely book. It is so powerful, beautiful and rare. A gem like this should never be out of print.