First Stop In The New World: Mexico City, The Capital Of The 21st Century (2008) - Plot & Excerpts
One of the books I read in preparation for my trip to Mexico City. Written from the perspective of an American journalist, it provided a social-economic context that I wouldn't necessarily have picked up on myself: race-based inequality and prejudice, the dominance of billionaire Carlos Slim, and the persistence of Mexican culture despite an increasingly globalized economy. "Mexico City still remains an emphatically Mexican city, with sprawling open-air markets in many ways like those that astonished the Spaniards in the sixteenth century; salesmen who bicycle their way through residential neighborhoods each evening, peddling Oaxacan tamales; and literally millions who improvise their livings on one sidewalk or another." I was looking for books about Mexico City and found this one. Written by an American journalist who has lived for the last 20 years or so in Mexico City, each chapter was its own little entity. Not a lot of coherence overall. So, the flow wasn't great. I skimmed over some of the chapters that I was less interested in. I also thought that the writing wasn't engaging. I learned a few interesting things, but mostly I am now scared about dealing with Mexico City traffic when we go!
What do You think about First Stop In The New World: Mexico City, The Capital Of The 21st Century (2008)?
A great read and very good way to better understand a wonderful city and the people that live there.
—Elaine
Street tacos and entire neighborhoods built on top of the world's largest landfill!!! sign me up
—gene
A must if going to Mexico City. Lisa's voice is incredibly real.
—lyndseyrocks
