Balkansky’s full-coverage survey of the Sola Valley, 65 km southwest of Oaxaca City, documents 120 sites. By combining his data with that of 13 other regions of Oaxaca, he produces a model for Zapotec state expansion that integrates colonization, diplomacy, and military conquest.

Drawing on the personal experiences and observations of Cubans living both in Cuba and in Miami, this informative study provides a close-up look at Cuban society and culture, examining what life is like for the Cuban people after nearly fifty years of Castro's rule, how Cubans living in the United States manage, and the relationship between the two groups of Cubans.