Customer Reviews

Upside Down: A Primer for the Looking-Glass World

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Upside Down is a shocking and passionate documentation of the world's injustices that our "upside down" First World society has turned our back upon. This book will not merely evoke sympathy and remorse, but will leave you screaming for change. I found myself drawn especially to Galeano's dark humor and satirical, poetic style. Galeano's fiery language left me speechless. However, at times I did become glazed after reading list after list of facts. I found that the most inspirational and telling portions of the book were the rare asides and anecdotes in which individuals' stories were recounted. Galeano shows us the bleak reality that we have accepted- a reality where children toil from dawn to dusk to stay alive- a reality where power is driven by security, money and terror. This book will make you ashamed to be privileged.

Galeano is well known for his histories of Empire, but here he presents us with an entirely different - if related - book. UPSIDE DOWN strives to illuminate the absurdities of our world: a world where the strong devour the weak, where corporations devastate the planet, and TV colonizes our souls. Written in the most penetrating and damning language, Galeano is not afraid to tell it like it is. In other words, this is not a feel-good book. For this reason, some have discredited it as a "diatribe," without fully knowing the meaning, history or import of the word. Defined as "learned discourse" mixed with "bitter resentment," UPSIDE DOWN is indeed a diatribe - but the most necessary, illuminating and effective diatriabe out there (with the possible except of Derrick Jenson's A LANGUAGE OLDER THAN WORDS and CULTURE OF MAKE BELIEVE). Similar to those books, UPSIDE DOWN is a scathing indictment of the injustices of modern life. But it is also a shrill, poetic cry for change. This book will unlock more than feelings remorse for the suffering, it will also unlock anger and infuse you with passion for change. All together, a strange little book of riddles, sardonic poems of dissent, mind-boggling statistics, perspective warps, linguistic twists, and poetic flares. Hooked from the first page, it blew me away. In the end, I must have commonplaced over a quarter of it. Another Galeano masterpiece. Should not be overlooked.

"We may be badly made, but we're not finished, and it's the adventure of changing reality and changing ourselves that makes our blip in the history of the universe worthwhile, this fleeting warmth between two glaciers that is us."

While Eduardo Galeano makes some very valid points about how messed up our perception of what a properly functioning world is, He doesnt offer much more then that. He gives minimal suggestions as to how to turn our world right again. This perhaps was his point that this book was only to point out the problems and leave the reader to find the means to fix it.
I would highly recomend to any reader that they read this book cover to cover and then go reread the few parts that dont quite sink in. I found that after the second time through I was able to relate a lot more of his thoughts. Also try to keep an open political and economic outlook I garantee if you a strongly(First world) opinionated you will find yourself wanting to tear the pages up.

Drawing from first-hand experience and an impressive list of documentation, Galeano describes the effects of imperialism in the Americas. He writes in a style that is surprisingly clear for all the information he packs into each sentence.

This is an angry, insightful book worth reading twice.

In order for people to come up with solutions, they must be aware of problems. Eduardo Galeano provides insight into the world that I have been unable to find in such a digestable format. The book is there to inform those who are unaware. Not to provide answers to people who already know those problems exist. Other reviews have critisized Galeano for not providing solutions. If only it were that easy! If only one person could provide us with answers! This book will make you think. It will help you come up with your own answers. If not, it will give you the information you need to get started.

While I am a supporter of most (but not all) of Galeano's views, I can't share with others the enthusiasm for this book.

It's not the lack of solutions offered by the author . . . pointing out something wrong does not mandate that one must offer the solution. That's just an illogical fallacy. Sometimes things are just wrong, period, and we need time to figure out what will work.

My problem with this book is that it doesn't deliver what it promises. The "through the looking glass" approach is restricted primarily to boxed in asides throughout the book where the author gives us unusual perspectives or anecdotes that will either make you laugh or cry. These portions of the book are by far the best and the most original. Unfortunately, this is only a small percentage of the book's contents.

The majority of the text comes off as pure rants. Justified rants, mind you, but rants nonetheless. If you're heavily active in progressive causes this will likely leave you cold. Who needs more complaining about the obvious? If, however, you're new to progressive causes, anti-corporate globalization, etc. or aren't that active then this might be a great place to start.

I can only offer a partial recommendation for this book. It has a select audience, one that I'm most definitely not a part of. I just really wish Galeano had stuck to the parts that worked. Many of the asides are brillant little tid bits of information that will force you to look at things differently. But the rest is just the same old same old depressing news you can get off any activist web site.

Excellent work by Eduardo Galeano, this book is absolutely awesome. While Galeano employs a very enjoyable sarcastic humor throughout the chapters of the book, he makes it easy for readers to perceive a general and clear perspective of the third world. Highly recomended!

All the 5-star reviews here are on target. I would only emphasize Galeano's great gifts as a phrasemaker--an ability to skewer the truth about our global madness entails, in his case, a devastating way with words.

The book is a tad repetitious, but who could fault the author? The reader is buoyed along by Galeano's obvious passion and understands, given the pattern of interweaving horrors the so-called haves have visited upon the have-nots, the necessity for re-statement. Written in the late 90's, the book is sadly, sadly as relevant as when it was first published.

First of all, may I say how utterly I disagree with readers who criticize Galeano for pointing out the wrongs and not offering solutions. Why should he? This kind of criticism evidences lack of understanding of the book's nature and purposes. This book is not a political programme. It is a masterful piece of writing intended to give information that is all too often withheld and suppressed, and to awaken political conciousness. Both of which are, may I respectfully add, much needed in the United States, where most of the negative reviews come from.

Galeano succeeds in what no other author I know has succeeded - in writing a poetical, haunting book about politics. While describing the misery and suffering that capitalism is wreaking on our upside-down world, he is also able to give us vignettes of amazing beauty. Writers, as everybody knows, don't have to draw their subject matter from romance and butterflies to write beautifully, but managing to write a book full of tenderness, poetry and a very wry humour while describing hunger, torture and repression is, I think, a kind of feat.

Galeano doesn't flinch at the world's evils. He tells them. So, if you read him, you're in for a good dose of reality. Maybe that isn't to the taste of every reader. But then, what do we have Jackie Collins and Danielle Steel for?

I have purchased this book 3 times. Once for myself, and twice as gifts to family. I let a friend borrow it, and am considering buying it yet again to replace it. I have rarely come across the kinds of issues, the topics, with which Mr. Geleano deals, written in such an easy to access format and language. Now, more than ever before, we need this kind of writing.