Non-fiction. I read this for the faculty book group "Read Around the World" at the college where I teach, in March of 2015. I thought it was an excellent book! Before reading this I knew very little about Chile and its history, its struggle for democracy, and the part it has to play in international relations. Although there is much political content in this book, it did not read like a political speech or diatribe, Ricardo Lagos did an exceptional job at making it relatable for the average reader.
Ricardo Lagos is a former president of Chile, so he was able to provide a unique insider perspective on many issues, including but not limited to: the dictator Augusto Pinochet and the terrible deeds committed during his regime, the brave campaign waged to achieve democracy in Chile (they have the commercial and Lagos's famous T.V. interview on YouTube if you look them up), George Bush and the decisions he and others made that lead to the invasion of Iraq (mind-blowing stuff), why Chilean wine is so delicious, and why the world needs to pay attention to these emerging democratic nations in South America, they are going to be rather important I'd say.
I cannot recommend this one enough, I found it absolutely engaging and interesting in every way! I hope that more former leaders can write books like this in the future, ones that are informative, thought-provoking, educational without being dry, and perspective changing for those of us who are not in-the-know.
And so it goes...
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