The domestic phase of Washington's war on drugs has received considerable criticism over the years from a variety of individuals. Until recently, however, most critics have not stressed the damage that the international phase of the drug war has done to our Latin American neighbors. That lack of attention has begun to change and Ted Carpenter chronicles our disenchantment with the hemispheric drug war. Some prominent Latin American political leaders have finally dared to criticize Washington while at the same time, the U.S. government seems determined to perpetuate, if not intensify, the antidrug crusade. Spending on federal antidrug measures also continues to increase, and the tactics employed by drug war bureaucracy, both here and abroad, bring the inflammatory "drug war" metaphor closer to reality. Ending the prohibitionist system would produce numerous benefits for both Latin American societies and the United States. In a book deriving from his work at the CATO Institute, Ted Carpenter paints a picture of this ongoing fiasco.

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A study of how and why US-Latin American relations changed in the 1930s: “Brilliant . . . [A] charming and perceptive work.” ―Foreign Affairs During the 1930s, the United States began to look more favorably on its southern neighbors. Latin America offered expanded markets to an economy crippled by the Great Depression, while threats of war abroad nurtured in many Americans isolationist tendencies and a desire for improved hemispheric relations. One of these Americans was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the primary author of America’s Good Neighbor Policy. In this thought-provoking book, Bolton Prize winner Fredrick Pike takes a wide-ranging look at FDR’s motives for pursuing the Good Neighbor Policy, how he implemented it, and how its themes played out up to the mid-1990s. Pike’s investigation goes far beyond standard studies of foreign and economic policy. He explores how FDR’s personality and Eleanor Roosevelt’s social activism made them uniquely simpático to Latin Americans. He also demonstrates how Latin culture flowed north to influence U.S. literature, film, and opera. This book is essential reading for everyone interested in hemispheric relations.

A girl, a boy, and a bet. Good girl Astrid Ella Bailey, the Oreo-loving school nerd of Evergreen High, has anxiety issues. Like any other nerd, she preferred to bury her nose in her books all day and avoid attention like the plague. She never got into trouble, save for that one time a kid ruined a photo of her best friend... a very dear friend she just lost in a tragic accident. Bad boy Kai Asher, her high school's head playboy, is trouble incarnate. Intense, rough, and sexy, he's the one who makes all the girls swoon. One flirtatious wink and their hearts bend like clay dough. Oh, the shame when they all break like fragile china. A bet is made, tempers flare up, and punches are thrown. And when the good girl crashes into the bad boy - quite literally, screeching tires and smoking hoods included - the school went wild with intrigue. Astrid was thrown into the spotlight, and extra attention is never good for an almost antisocial nerd. What was the bet? And why did Kai suddenly appear - in all his half-naked glory - at Astrid's next door window one day? Can she resist his insane sexual innuendos, or will she lose her sanity? Or what's left of it, anyway. Fall in love with this light-hearted bad boy YA romance that's sure to make you more than a little giddy inside. Wear your PJs, snuggle into your couch, and enjoy this hilarious read (preferably with Oreos on the side). Grab your copy now!

This book examines the nature of transnational organized crime and gangs, and how these diverse organizations contribute to violence, especially in so-called fragile states across Central and Latin America. While the nature of organized crime and violence differs depending on the context, the authors explain how and why states plagued by weak institutions tend to foster criminal organizations and violence, and why counter-crime initiatives often result in higher levels of violence. By examining the consequences of tough on crime policies (e.g., mano dura) in places like Mexico, El Salvador, and Colombia, the volume offers a new perspective on the link between state fragility, crime, and violence.