Nikolas Kozloff

Hoping to overcome the everyday pettiness of academic life, young professor Andy Friedman entertains megalomaniac ideas of success. Perhaps he will become a charismatic figure like President Hugo Ch vez of Venezuela, leading the anti-imperialist charge against Washington and George Bush. Or, failing that, Andy might simply settle for a greater sense of purpose and a settled community as he moves back to Manhattan from graduate school. Will the larger than life characters in Andy's life, including a dynamic therapist named Bob --- who bears an uncanny resemblance to Wolf Blitzer --- and an off the wall Tibetan lama named Norbu, foot the bill? Will Andy gain solace from Ninotchka, a snowy white and irrepressible canine companion descended from the sturdiest Arctic stock? Friedman's going to need all the help he can get as his classroom becomes increasingly chaotic and his adventures within the various subcultures of the East Village get more and more surreal.

In the past few years, South America has witnessed the rise of leftist governments coming into power on the heels of dramatic social and political unrest. From Hugo Chavez in Venezuela to Evo Morales, the indigenous head of state of Bolivia, and Michelle Bachelet, the first woman president in Chile, the faces of South American politics are changing rapidly and radically. In this timely and insightful analysis, acclaimed journalist and Latin American authority, Nikolas Kozloff explores the continent's new path and its affect on the U.S. New initiatives, such as Telesur, the satellite network with links to Al Jazeera, an oil-exporting consortium, and a regional currency, are coalescing South America into an emerging global player. With access to top political brass and a lively reportage style, Kozloff shows how we can secure and protect our ties with our close neighbors.

This is the riveting and frightening story of ambitious, tempestuous and avowed anti-American Hugo Chavez, who is making waves through South America and being widely compared to Fidel Castro. Ex-paratrooper, outspoken socialist, and brash personality, Chavez is known for his stance against big business, fearless threats to the Bush administration, social reforms that have violently polarized his country, and claims that he will soon unite South America. As gas prices rise to unprecedented highs, Venezuela's importance surges as the fifth largest oil exporter in the world. Nikolas Kozloff's access to top advisors, members of the opposition, and leaders of Chavez's own political movement allow him to present a comprehensive portrait of Chavez as he runs for re-election and moves into the global spotlight.