The Accidental President of Brazil

Cardoso, predecessor to Brazil's colorful president, Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva, or "Lula," offers an engaging and thoughtful look at the turbulent history of government in Brazil. As president for two consecutive terms, from January 1995 to December 2002, and with a long family history of generals and war ministers, Cardoso has a deep and intimate perspective on that nation's politics. He tried to avoid the family business, opting instead to become a sociology professor, teaching for a while in Paris and as an exile in Chile. But his family heritage and love for a nation of great resources and huge shortcomings, including economic and racial divisions, eventually lured him into office. Before recalling his presidency, Cardoso devotes much of the book to the complexities of Brazilian history and politics, including the appeal of communism to Brazilians looking for solutions to social inequities and the nervousness that has provoked in the U.S. Readers interested in the political history of this fascinating nation, of huge importance on the American continent, will enjoy this book.