The Mexicans: A Personal Portrait of a People

Rating:
Summary: Excellent overview
Review: Before my first trip to Mexico City in 1993, my mother bought me a copy of this excellent book. The author, who made his first trip to Mexico in 1979 as part of a White House press corps that accompanied Jimmy Carter, and was assigned Mexico City bureau chief for Knight-Ridder in 1984, exhibits a fascination for Mexico and her people that transcends the bounds of his duties there as a journalist. Oster hints at some of his political and sociological opinions, and, of course, his interpretations of people and events cannot help but color the prose somewhat, but for the most part, he presents an objective look at an impressive variety of people, and the cumulative effect of the book is that it presents what is arguably the single most comprehensive and balanced portrait of some of the people of modern Mexico currently available. While he has been criticized for not including any analysis or suggestions for change, I do not think that was the reason for the book. Oster does not impose his opinions on the reader; it is up to us to formulate our own opinions, interpretations, and, if we choose, prescriptions for change if we choose.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent overview
Review: Before my first trip to Mexico City in 1993, my mother bought me a copy of this excellent book. The author, who made his first trip to Mexico in 1979 as part of a White House press corps that accompanied Jimmy Carter, and was assigned Mexico City bureau chief for Knight-Ridder in 1984, exhibits a fascination for Mexico and her people that transcends the bounds of his duties there as a journalist. Oster hints at some of his political and sociological opinions, and, of course, his interpretations of people and events cannot help but color the prose somewhat, but for the most part, he presents an objective look at an impressive variety of people, and the cumulative effect of the book is that it presents what is arguably the single most comprehensive and balanced portrait of some of the people of modern Mexico currently available. While he has been criticized for not including any analysis or suggestions for change, I do not think that was the reason for the book. Oster does not impose his opinions on the reader; it is up to us to formulate our own opinions, interpretations, and, if we choose, prescriptions for change.

Rating:
Summary: Gripping look at Mexican society, shaky political anaylsis
Review: Being a journalist, Oster appeals to the senses gripping the reader with, perhaps slightly sensationalized accounts of average Mexican citizens. This book was meant to give a reader a good idea of how the political situation in Mexico affects the average citizens. However, the bridge between the two is a bit shaky. Oster spends a bit too much time and digs a bit too deep in the personal lives of his subjects while not enough time in analyzation and solutions. However, this book is highly recommended for the reader who wants to get a first-hand look at what life in Mexico is really like and see all that we take for granted.

Rating:
Summary: The Mexicans
Review: It was hard to put this book down. Very well written , informative, as well as entertaining ! A great insight into Mexican personalities.

Rating:
Summary: A Very Good Read Of a Very Mysterious People
Review: Oster did a good job here having the people tell their own stories and then piecing it together into a national tapestry. He has managed to weave personal story with Mexican history with social mechanics. If you live close to the border you may think you know a little about Mexicans. The book points out that you know only a little.It is more than cervezas and great fishing.Mexicans don't seem to tell their story to outsiders often. However, this is a book about dirty laundry,sort of the dark side of Mexican life and character. Admittedly, as a nation they are not doing real well and there is a reason for that. You're sure to find several reasons for that explained here. But I'm positive that lots of Mexicans love being Mexican. As an American, I could not find that reason in this book. That aside, it is a very easy and entertaining book and you will learn all varied aspects of the afor mentioned angle of Mexican life.

Rating:
Summary: awful
Review: This is one of the worst books out there on contemporary Mexico. Gives a series of biographies of people and their lives in Mexico, while viewing them through a completely Anglo lens. Proposes to take Mexico on its own terms and does nothing of the sort. The book is thoroughly offensive toward Mexico's indigenous peoples and culture. If you choose to read, read with caution.

Rating:
Summary: awful
Review: This was a great way to approach modern Mexico. The personal portraits of the Chavo (punk rocker), the Tragafuegos (street performers who do firebreathing!) and the Guera (beauty queen so to speak) were beyond brilliant. Oster manages to weave in the bigger picture of politics and culture within the framework of talking about individuals. Very Fellini-esque in a Mexican sort of way.

Rating:
Summary: The Mexicans: A Personal Portrait of a People
Review: Written a decade ago, the unswerving relevance of Oster's book to today's Mexico is a testamant to it's depth and the journalistic rigor Oster brought to "The Mexicans." Given the growing importance of Mexico today, both on the economic and geo-political stages, Oster's book serves as a prescient road-map to the culture and underpinnings of an entire society.