Latin America and the Caribbean

Brad Jokisch proves to be the ideal guide through the landscapes of Latin America and the social and ecological processes that shape them. With rich and specific examples of how places are shaped and re-shaped by flows of people, resources, and ideas, Dr. Jokisch offers an ideal introduction to the many and diverse worlds that comprise this fascinating region. -- Kendra McSweeney, The Ohio State University
Brad Jokisch strikes the sweet spot between thematic depth and up-to-date regional synthesis of a vast and diverse region, and he does so in an engaging style that underscores the importance of society-environment interactions. This deeply insightful and engaging book reflects its author’s personal passion for its topic, but also his zeal to introduce the many geographies of Latin America and the Caribbean to enquiring students. The book is destined to become a leader in the field. -- Karl Offen, Syracuse University
The twin themes of environment and development provide a perfect window into contemporary challenges facing societies in the region, as shaped by geographic context, history, and various relationships to other regions. Students will gain insight into how geographic theory and scholarship can help societies understand and address these challenges. -- Claudia Radel, Utah State University
Brad Jokisch covers a range of essential topics to help undergraduate students better understand Latin America's complexities and challenges. His engaging and accessible style describes important emerging dynamics, such as relations with China, the informal economy, illicit drugs, remittances, obesity, human trafficking, and the Venezuelan diaspora, in addition to synthesizing classic examples that remain deeply relevant. Dr. Jokisch sets a new standard for comprehensive Latin American geography texts. -- Christian Brannstrom, Texas A&M University
Students will like the timeliness and engaging prose of Latin America and the Caribbean, especially how environmental issues are discussed. Also, understanding the profound demographic shifts, along with contemporary urbanization and migration, highlights shared connections across the Americas. The book has many wonderful and current graphics that help visualize these trends. [For] those of you looking for a new regional text to use in your courses, you will find a well-structured tool to introduce your students to a region that so many of us care about and have spent our careers exploring and researching. * Journal Of Latin American Geography *
In a constricting academic landscape, where many colleges and universities . . . are reducing course offerings in languages, cultural studies, and area studies, many instructors might find themselves teaching multidisciplinary introductory courses on Latin America that need to carry the weight of several fields. For a growing number of undergraduate students, such courses will be their only exposure to the academic study of Latin America. These discouraging trends nevertheless present a need for teaching materials that are at once rich but accessible, multidisciplinary but focused, synthetic but with detailed case studies. Jokisch’s textbook excels in this space. It will be a handy compass for instructors and students alike as we try to orient ourselves amidst the bewildering pressures and specific contexts of the 2020s. * The AAG Review of Books *