Cuba

Written by some of the best-known independent scholars, citizen journalists, cyber-activists, and bloggers living in Cuba today, this book presents a critical, complete, and unbiased overview of contemporary Cuba.

In this era of ever-increasing globalization and communication across national borders, Cuba remains an isolated island oddly out of step with the rest of the world. And yet, Cuba is beginning to evolve via the important if still insufficient changes instituted by Raul Castro, who became president in 2008. This book supplies a uniquely independent, accurate, and critical perspective in order to evaluate these changes in the context of the island's rich and complex history and culture. Organized into seven topical chapters that address geography, history, politics and government, economics, society, culture, and contemporary issues, readers will gain a broad, insightful understanding of one of the most unusual, fascinating, and often misunderstood nations in the Western Hemisphere.

Ted A. Henken, PhD, is associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Baruch College, City University of New York. His published work includes ABC-CLIO's Cuba: A Global Studies Handbook.

Miriam Celaya is an independent journalist who regularly publishes articles in Diario de Cuba, Convivencia, and Voces magazine, and was a cofounder of the independent digital magazine Consenso (2004–2007).

Dimas C. Castellanos writes for the digital publications Diario de Cuba, Convivencia, and Voces magazine. An independent journalist, he also publishes his own blog, "El Blog de Dimas" (www.desdecuba.com/dimas) and has won numerous journalism awards for his work.