Missionary Capitalist

“Sparkle[s] with originality and innovation. . . . Engaging. . . . Provides an effective overview of U.S. policy toward Latin America from the late 1930s to the early 1950s.” — Latin American Research Review

“A solid, archive-based assessment of Nelson Rockefeller’s efforts to promote economic development in Venezuela. . . . This fascinating account strips away the many stereotypes to provide a more nuanced view of Rockefeller’s enthusiasm.” — Foreign Affairs

“[A] carefully researched, well-written book . . . Rivas’s work makes a strong contribution to a much needed historicization of development and raises important questions about the way it was contested and negotiated in diverse contexts.” — American Historical Review

“[Rivas] makes a solid case for viewing Rockefeller as emblematic of a persuasive world view in U.S. foreign policy.” — Journal of American History

“Darlene Rivas has written an intriguing book that is tightly argued while also offering a controversial interpretation of its subject.” — International History Review

“Opens up new dimensions to the familiar debate concerning the nature of American capitalism.” — Business History

“A strong contribution to our understanding of the intricacies of U.S.-Latin American relations.” — Business History Review

“In the America of the fifties, enthusiasm for capitalism reached new heights, as the postwar boom brought newfound wealth and leisure to the middle classes. Darlene Rivas shows how Nelson Rockefeller, an advocate of people’s capitalism at home and abroad, sought to spur a similar enthusiasm — bolstered by comparable economic accomplishments — in Latin America. In doing so, Rivas challenges our assumptions about the relationship of U.S. capital to Latin America in the postwar period. Anyone interested in Yankee imperialism or the spread of U.S. economic ideals must read this fine book.” — Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman, San Diego State University