Bolivia, Latin America 

Recent decades have witnessed major reform within Bolivia: an impressive democratic and economic resurgence, a more modern electoral system, and technological and communications expansion. Political slogans celebrate a "Bolivia, la Nueva" (The New Bolivia), but the problems and dilemmas of the past - political instability and authoritarianism; social Injustice and inequality; illicit drug trafficking and regional isolation - continue to haunt the present. A Brief History of Bolivia offers a concise yet comprehensive account of the history of Bolivia, from the time of the first ancient civilizations near the shores of Lake Titicaca to the most recent social and political developments. Bolivia's tangled and tumultuous past, in which governments since independence in 1825 have seldom been stable for more than a few years, is presented in an engaging narrative that makes even the most confusing events clear. - from Amzon