Brazilians

Brazilians

Whether you have visited Brazil or are planning to, if you have not read the book by Joseph A. Page, you owe it to yourself to consider it. You may or may not agree with all the points of view expressed in this book, but for an overview of Brazil's history, politics, economics, natural history, and culture it has few equals or betters.

Here's a quote from the book review in Publisher's Weekly: "Vast in area, rich in resources and uniquely integrated in racial composition, here is Brazil in all its beauty, contradictions, promises and disappointments. The author, whose love affair with the country spans 30 years, probes deep into the layers of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, African and Indian heritage that make Brazil so alluring and paradoxical. Idealistic and pragmatic, exuberant and passive, its people have survived colonialism, slavery, dictatorships and populism and now struggle toward a viable capitalism in a society characterized by extremes of wealth and poverty."

To learn more, read the book or view the DVD "Destination Brazil", both highly recommended. For a characteristic sampling of Brazilian music and musical performers, there is the CD "Destination Brazil" compiled by National Geographic.

"The Brazilians is a cultural guide, structured like a conversation led by one who has returned from a wonderful adventure. Drawing on an encyclopedic range of sources-history, economics, culture, film, literature, a splash of pop political psychology, and the author's more than thirty years of personal experience -
Page immerses the reader in an anecdotal portrait of modern Brazil that is as flowing and colorful as any pre-lenten samba."
-The Washington Times

"Page effectively explodes myths carefully tended by the Brazilians themselves." -The New York Times Book Review

Sending money to Brazil

The Brazilians - the book

A favorite quote:

“I know that I am Brazilian…

I know ... that I am Brazilian and not North American
because I like to eat feijoada and not hamburger;

... because I speak Portuguese and not English;
because when I hear popular music,
I know immediately how to tell a frevo from a samba;
because football for me is a game played
with the feet and not the hands;

... because I know that at Carnival I bring
into the light my social and sexual fantasies;

because I know that there never exists a "no"
in the face of formal barriers,
and that there is no such barrier that does not admit
of a jeitinho through the mechanism
of personal relationships or friendship;

because I believe in Catholic saints and also African orixas;
because I know that destiny exists and yet I still
have faith in study, education, and the future of Brazil;

because I am loyal to my friends and cannot deny
anything to my family;
because, finally, I know that I have personal
relationships that will not let me walk alone in this world,
as happens to my American friends,
who always see themselves and exist as individuals.

Roberto da Matta, ‘O que faz o Brasil, Brasil?’"