Coffee and Power: Revolution and the Rise of Democracy in Central America

Jeffrey Paige is an excellent sociologist who provides an in-depth look at three countries in Central America. Honduras, Costa Rica and El Salvador are all explored throughout this book. There are occasional references to Guatemala but overall the other three are considered because their development has similarities. While they are different in the way they developed economically and socially they came form similar backgrounds. Similar governments formed in all three according to Paige and the effects of this were to drive these countries into a relationship where elites hold power. The social elites of the coffee producers provide an interesting case study to follow. They provide the driving force for dictatorships and while the Depression of 1929 gives fuel to the communist fire the elites retain a wide range of control. El Salvador is shown to be both a civil war and a terrorist problem that must be dealt with by resolution of local politics. Nicaragua is shown through the Somoza regime which grew out of the US marine intervention, dollar diplomacy and our support of the conservatives in that country. The sociological study comes across as scattered at times but in the end provides a useful analysis when considering the disparity in incomes throughout Central America. This book is not for beginners and historians should use it carefully. For those in sociology it is a very useful study filled with many primary accounts.

Very good book. Had to read it for a Central America Course and the writing is very good. This is an academic work which uses interviews to demonstrate the relation between Power and Coffee in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The author interviews the coffee elite from each country. It offers the historical background of their rise, there thoughts beliefs and justification for action taking from 1930 to 1980 the 2 eras of great revolutionary crisis and how Costa Rica developed differently than the other 3 countries. The main idea is that Costa Rican Elite had a division between land owners and processors allowing for a more democratic flow of ideas, compromise and they avoid the suppression of the other countries. US involvement also played a critical role in the other 3 countries while leaving Costa Rica mostly untouched. Important read for anyone that wants to understand the development of Central America and why their governments are the way they are today. Or anyone wanting an in-depth analysis of the revolutionary periods in Central America in 1930's and the 1980's through the eyes of each countries elite.

very informative and historical

Primarily for those who are pursuing advanced degrees in latin american studies, sociology, economics, etc. The chief meat of the book is the author's interviews with various coffee "elites" in the central american region, and their view on business and politics. Loses a star because it jumps around a bit, it is not exactly for someone just getting to know the region (like me), and it's a bit dry at times. So, approach this book with a bit of caution.

This book has it all! I loved it; it gave you a real understanding of coffee's power. A lot of liberals are kvetching about the exploitation of coffee countries in labor and land, but this book puts that myth in historical perspective.Another book that discusses these issues, specifically in the country of Costa Rica, is Costa Rica: The Last Country the Gods Made, by Colesberry & McLean.The chapter, Coffee! Costa Rica's First Revolution, includes essays such as "Land Crazy and Labor Shy," "Coffee Politics," "Closing the Coffee Frontier" and "The Generation of '89," which touch on many of the subjects discussed in Paige's text.