Things Are Never So Bad That They Can't Get Worse: Inside the Collapse of Venezuela

by William Neuman
Things Are Never So Bad That They Can't Get Worse: Inside the Collapse of Venezuela cover
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  • ID: 4423
  • Added: 2025-10-21
  • Updated: 2025-10-21
  • Reviews: 3
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revista.drclas.harvard.edu · Unknown · 2022-12-15
harrowing 4.50

The book provides a detailed and harrowing account of Venezuela's collapse, offering a nuanced perspective on the political, economic, and social factors that led to the crisis. It highlights the resilience of the Venezuelan people and the complex challenges they face.

The book delves into the intricate web of factors that contributed to Venezuela's downfall, from political mismanagement to economic mismanagement and international pressures. It paints a vivid picture of the daily struggles of ordinary Venezuelans, who have shown remarkable resilience in the face of adversity. The narrative is both informative and emotionally engaging, providing a comprehensive understanding of the crisis. The author's deep knowledge and firsthand experiences lend credibility to the account, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of Venezuela's situation. The book also offers a glimmer of hope, highlighting the potential for recovery and the strength of the Venezuelan people.

Quick quotes

    The book offers a stark and unflinching look at the human cost of Venezuela's collapse.

    The narrative is both informative and emotionally engaging, providing a comprehensive understanding of the crisis.

    The author's deep knowledge and firsthand experiences lend credibility to the account, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of Venezuela's situation.

americasquarterly.org · Unknown · 2022-04-13
important 4.50

The book provides a thorough and important history of Venezuela's collapse, highlighting the vast metastasis of the Bolivarian Revolution's cancers and how the oil republic's sicknesses spread well before Chávez. It's a richly reported account of the country's economic and social implosion.

William Neuman's 'Things Are Never So Bad That They Can't Get Worse' is a detailed and well-researched account of Venezuela's collapse. The book chronicles the country's economic and social implosion, starting from the early 20th century and culminating in the devastating effects of the Bolivarian Revolution. Neuman argues that Venezuela's vast oil reserves, while a blessing, have often been a curse, leading to government profligacy, business corruption, and civic complacency. The book is a thorough and important history of how the oil republic's sicknesses spread well before Chávez and how his regime turned the Venezuelan delusion into demolition. It's a richly reported account that provides a deep understanding of the vast metastasis of the Bolivarian Revolution's cancers.

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    The surrealistically easy money they dispense, Neuman stresses, is actually a “resource curse” that all too often encouraged government profligacy, business corruption and civic complacency in the 20th century.

    Venezuelans would come to consider themselves model democrats; Neuman argues they “weren’t citizens so much as clients.

    It did steer petro-riches to the poor for once; many barrios saw their first schools, clinics and potable water pipes.

nytimes.com · Unknown · 2022-03-15
balanced 4.00

The reviewer initially had low expectations for William Neuman's book due to the New York Times' often one-sided coverage of Venezuela but was pleasantly surprised by Neuman's balanced approach. The book provides a detailed account of Venezuela's collapse, with Part Three being the most absorbing, focusing on the rise and fall of Juan Guaidó and the U.S. government's role in Venezuela's crisis.

The reviewer began reading William Neuman's book with low expectations due to the New York Times' often one-sided coverage of Venezuela. However, they were pleasantly surprised by Neuman's balanced approach, which acknowledges the U.S. government and Venezuelan opposition's contributions to the crisis. The book is divided into three parts, with Part Three being the most absorbing. It focuses on the rise and fall of Juan Guaidó, who declared himself president of Venezuela with full backing from the U.S. government. Neuman provides a detailed analysis of U.S. policymaking towards Venezuela and the delusional thinking behind Guaidó's attempts to overthrow Maduro. The reviewer praises Neuman's clear-eyed analysis of U.S. sanctions and the book's invaluable insights into understanding Venezuela today.

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    Neuman has little positive to say about Chávez or Maduro.

    The responsibility for the disaster in Venezuela lies with Maduro, and Chávez before him.

    Neuman's analysis of Juan Guaidó’s rise and fall is invaluable.

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