Capitalism, God, and a Good Cigar

Capitalism, God, and a Good Cigar - Cuba Enters the Twenty-First Century
edited by Lydia Chavez

Consisting of about a dozen essays, this book gives a great look at life and opinion of Cuba from all angles. It talks about the culture, the arts, the economy, politics and just the daily life of Cubans living in Cuba and abroad. Because its written by various people, each has a style, but they all are intriguing even if not on a subject you'd think would be your top interest. Its probably not something to read if you don't know a good bit about the history of the Cuban Revolution. For me, it helped to understand on a more day to day level, the effects of the embargo, the Special Period after the Soviet Unions collapse, and the emerging US dollar market. It also talks about the opinons of Cubans living abroad, giving a better sense of their complexities (i.e. the different views of Cubans who left immediately after Castro came into power, versus those who left later). Its about 200 pages but I finished it in less than a week - its full of information yet still its quick and very readable.