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Comments/Reviews Description: Mexico is reinventing itself. It is moving toward a more tolerant, global, market oriented, and democratic society. This new, second edition of Changing Structure of Mexico is a comprehensive and up-to-date presentation of Mexico's political, social, and economic issues. All chapters are new, and are written by noted Mexican and U.S. scholars. Changing Structure of Mexico provides a lucid and informative introductory reader on Mexico. The book covers such topics as Mexico's foreign economic policy and NAFTA; maquiladoras; and technology policy; domestic issues such as banking, tax reform, and oil/energy policy; the environment; population and migration policy; the changing structure of political parties; and changes affecting women and labor, as well as the values that underlie the remarkable changes in Mexico during the last two decades. Selected Contents: Boxes, Figures, Maps, and Tables I. Introduction and Overview II. Current Policy Issues III. Changes in Sectors IV. Resources and the Environment V. Legal, Political, and Social Change Index Comment(s): "More than the normal second edition, this volume gathers together 29 new and fresh essays on current affairs by Mexican and non-Mexican observers and scholars. However, the focus remains the same: first, to assess the successes and failures in Mexico's efforts in alleviating poverty, instituting market reforms, and democratizing political institutions; and second, to chart the nation's immediate future. These are the stories behind the headlines. Readers will want to peruse the entire second edition of The Changing Structure of Mexico to obtain an up-to-date, well-rounded knowledge of our neighbors to the south. Laura Randall deserves kudos for bringing back such a constellation of experts for an encore." -- Jonathan Brown, University of Texas "This second edition of The Changing Structure of Mexico, edited by Laura Randall, is more than an update of the highly praised first edition (1996) -- it is a new volume that meets the need of helping Non-Mexicans and Mexicans to fathom the country in new times. Not only did 2000 see Mexico's official party lose presidential power for the first time in 71 years, but 2000 ushered into Mexico's consciousness the realization that the country faces the full complications of the globalization process, for example further deepening debate about whether NAFTA aids or hinders national development. The 29 essays, mostly written by Mexican authors, take up with verve and imagination the theme of "Reinventing Mexico," which is set forth in six well written and clearly analyzed topics: (1) Modernization in International Context; (2) Domestic Economic Policy in International Context; (3) Migration; (4) Transformation of" -- "Political Institutions and Policies; (5) Regional Issues; and (6) The Justice System and Human Rights. I am pleased to strongly recommend this work to general readers as well as professors and their undergraduate and graduate students. We all need to keep up with the dynamics of Mexico as it faces enormous structural changes and the need for revising 'national' policies." -- James W. Wilkie, UCLA Professor of History and Policy Analysis and Chair, UCLA Program on Mexico; President, PROFMEX-Consortium for Research on Mexico Review(s): "Randall has compiled a useful collection of new articles... The extensive index and list of acronyms make the publication especially useful. ...the volume's wide scope makes it a good introduction to the many facets of Mexico's changing society. Recommended." -- Choice "From reviews of the First Edition:" -- "Randall deserves high praise for compiling a readable and informative collection of essays on modern Mexico. ... The book could serve well as either a primary text or supplemental reading in courses on Mexican politics or the Mexican economy. General readers will have no difficulty with most of the essays. It would be a mistake for any academic library and most public libraries to overlook this publication." -- Choice "The line-up of specialists is impressive. ... As an introductory reader on Mexico, the volume would complement one of the several systematic surveys of the Mexican political system by affording the undergraduate student an opportunity to examine, in somewhat greater depth, particular aspects of the subject." -- Journal of Developing Areas |
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