The "Gentleman's magazine" section is a digest of selections from the weekly press; the "(Trader's) monthly intelligencer" section consists of news (foreign and domestic), vital statistics, a register of the month's new publications, and a calendar of forthcoming trade fairs.

The first section, "The critical discourse in Latin America," deals with varied perspectives with the existence of a uniquely American vision. The next section, "Mapping new territories," addresses the question, as inhabitants of this hemisphere, how do we see ourselves. Section three includes topics on issues of self-definition and cultural hybridity as well as the importance of challenging historical and political constructs traditionally used to define the American experience.

The essays in this collection are based on papers given at a conference on detective fiction in European culture, held at the University of Exeter in September 1997. The range of topics covered is designed to show not only the presence and variety of narratives of detection across different European countries and their different media (although there is a predictable emphasis on the novel). It also illustrates the fertility of the genre, its openness to a spectrum of readings with different emphases, formal as well as thematic. Approaches to detective fiction have often tended to confine them-selves to ‘symptomatic’ interpretation, where details of the fictional world represented are used to diagnose a specific set of social preoccupations and priorities operative at the time of writing. Such approaches can yield valuable insights. Nonetheless there is a risk of limiting the value of the genre as a whole solely to its role as a mirror held up to society. In this perspective, issues of structure and style are sidelined, or, if addressed, are praised to the extent that they approach invisibility — concision, spareness, realism are the qualities singled out for praise. The genre also gives much scope for formal innovation — and indeed has often attracted already established ‘mainstream’ writers and filmmakers for just this reason. The eclectic diversity of the detective narratives considered in this volume reveal the malleability of the traditional constraints of the genre. The essays bear rich testimony to the value of considering the interplay of thematic and structural issues, even in the most apparently unselfconscious and popular (or populist) forms of narrative. The patterns of reassurance, the triumph of intellect and the ordered, rational world ‘of old’ are now challenged by the need to foreground the problems, ambiguities and uncertainties of the self and of society. The plurality of meanings and the antithetical imperatives explored in these detective narratives confirm that the most recent forms of the genre are not mere palimpsests of their ‘golden age’ precursors. The subversion of traditional expectations and the implementation of diverse stylistic devices take the genre beyond mere homage and pastiche. The role of the reader/spectator and critic in conferring meaning is a crucial one.

Portuguese edition (Melhor Saude em Africa: Experiencia e Ensinamentos Colhidos). Poor health in Sub-Saharan Africa has immense economic consequences. Besides the high mortality and disease rates and the pain and suffering it causes, poor health robs the continent of human capital, reduces returns to learning, impedes entrepreneurial activities, and restricts economic growth. This study argues that despite financial constraints, significant improvements are possible in many countries, as has been seen in Benin, Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius, and Zimbabwe. The book also presents positive ideas on how to make these improvements. Better Health in Africa documents lessons learned and best practices in four major areas. 1) African households and communities need the knowledge and resources to recognize and respond effectively to health problems. Threats to health should be made known and countered through public and private services. 2) Human and financial resources must be used more productively by reforming health care systems. Correcting sources of waste and inefficiency must take top priority. 3) Cost-effective packages of basic health services can do much to meet the needs of households and reduce the burden of disease. Networks of local health centers and small hospitals in rural and periurban areas can facilitate delivery. 4) Additonal funds totaling $1.6 billion a year can help those living in Africa's low-income areas obtain basic health services. Cost-sharing can make an important contribution to health equity and the sustainability of health services. The report emphasizes that no government should delay committing itself to the task, although progress toward better health will vary from country to country and no single formula will apply to all. Better Health in Africa presents action plans and yardsticks for measuring progress. The idea of the core, cost-effective package of health services complements World Development Report 1993: Investing in Health with an operationally oriented perspective on health services. The report also reflects the views of organizations such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF that will work together in helping African countries adapt and implement the report's recommendations. Also available: English (ISBN 0-8213-2817-4) Stock No. 12817; French (ISBN 0-8213-2818-2) Stock No. 12818.