Sometimes the most useful histories are those that keep a tight focus, and here Valasco keeps a very tight focus on the high rise housing developments that shaped Venezuelan politics for decades.  I was drawn to this by the current situation in that country, in which many hopes have been betrayed. The book helps to understand the tangled nature of politics in Venezuela, the long history of both populism and betrayal, and the highly politicised culture. It is jammed with great anecdotes drawn from oral histories - one of my favourites is of student radicals organising out of the buildings, whose support from the locals comes more from parental concern than strong ideological agreement, being told to "leave the bombs at the door" as they are brought in for shelter.
I don't know what lies ahead for this country, but the book is a timely reminder of what has been survived and what the people, in the right conditions, can build.