Andrews draws heavily on examples from Brazil to develop his argument that Afro-Latin Americans have played a critical role in transforming the social, political and cultural life of Central and South America (9). That makes sense considering Brazil by far has the largest black population in Latin America due to its heavy reliance on and late disavowal of the slave trade. I especially liked his explanations of the development and appropriation of Afro-centric and Afro-derived cultural traditions. ( )

A brief, but thorough history of the African presence in Latin America from the beginning of the era of independence to the end of the twentieth century. This is a work of great importance that fills a huge gap in the literature on Latin America.