O'Brien (history, U. of Houston) presents a history of US-Latin American political and economic relations that weaves theoretical understandings from critical race and gender studies together with more traditional approaches to argue, in essence, that the United States paternalistically viewed Latin America as an exotic other that would benefit from US-style political and economic relations (which, in turn, would encourage American "manly" virtues of individualism and competitiveness) even as it never hesitated to intervene militarily to turn back perceived threats to its influence or to protect its economic interests. However, those on the other end of this "civilizing mission" have variously rejected, embraced, and reconfigured American goals in ways that have prefigured the reactions of people around the world to the similar American mission of globalization. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)