I read this author's first book Iranian Rappers And Persian Porn, it was an interesting look at life inside Iran, and of what an interesting country it is. He discussed many areas of the country that many people myself included just aren't exposed to living in the West. You also get to know well, the people living there who he encounters. Just just superficially. There were hints regarding the author's very liberal political beliefs but overall he kept his opinions to himself. I had hoped Socialist Dreams and Beauty Queens would be similar to his first book, but this time about Venezuela, and in the beginning it was. Sadly Mr Maslin, soon becomes an enormous socialist, and a conspiracy theorist. The book came out in 2011, and so sadly the author who thought it was neat and wonderful all the fabulous programs Chavez instituted in Venezuela, didn't have the benefit of seeing what a complete disaster those programs have become for the country. In the author's mind anyone who pisses off America must be doing something right. He then runs down Obama ( who while not my idea of a great president, is still the president of the most powerful country in the world, but not a king, or a dictator- unlike Chavez, and his successor, and therefore can't just do whatever he wants to) for not achieving everything he said he would do. Later the author loses all credibility when he hooks up with a couch surfing Australian who is a 9/11 nutter who claims to be an engineer working to explain how Tower 7 collapsed without having had significant fires or being hit by a plane. Young British and Australian writers who seem to love to discuss politics usually end up instead showing how ignorant they are of the world. They cite obscure sources to support and back up their claims and beliefs and overlook or ignore anything that doesn't support their narrative. Even in 2010 kinnapings are rampant and robbery and murder are daily occurrences but the author seems alright with this because Chavez is doing so many great things for the poor people of his country.
In the case of British writers who are of a liberal bent, they don't seem to get that the sun set on the British empire a long long time ago ( I felt the same about Simon Winchester and his book Pacific, which totally suffered from these same failings). They also don't seem to be particularly troubled by all the damage Britain caused. In the case of Australia, and their liberal bent writers, I don't know if it is the isolation of the country, the history and origins of its people, or what, but Australia suffers from a Napoleon complex. Their land mass is as large as the USA, but their significance on the world stage is insignificant, and likely always will be.
Back to the book. He does travel to some very interesting areas of the country, and his ability to explain what he is experiencing, and where appropriate give facts and details that may not be commonly known, were done to an excellent degree in this book, as well has his first book.
The politics of the people he encounters who live in Venezuela and how life has changed for them is relevant, interesting and important. The author's politics, and not relevant to the story, are not of interest, and add nothing positive to the book. If he had left his politics out of this book, the book would have been far better.

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I read this author's first book Iranian Rappers And Persian Porn, it was an interesting look at life inside Iran, and of what an interesting country it is. He discussed many areas of the country that many people myself included just aren't exposed to living in the West. You also get to know well, the people living there who he encounters. Just just superficially. There were hints regarding the author's very liberal political beliefs but overall he kept his opinions to himself. I had hoped Socialist Dreams and Beauty Queens would be similar to his first book, but this time about Venezuela, and in the beginning it was. Sadly Mr Maslin, soon becomes an enormous socialist, and a conspiracy theorist. The book came out in 2011, and so sadly the author who thought it was neat and wonderful all the fabulous programs Chavez instituted in Venezuela, didn't have the benefit of seeing what a complete disaster those programs have become for the country. In the author's mind anyone who pisses off America must be doing something right. He then runs down Obama ( who while not my idea of a great president, is still the president of the most powerful country in the world, but not a king, or a dictator- unlike Chavez, and his successor, and therefore can't just do whatever he wants to) for not achieving everything he said he would do. Later the author loses all credibility when he hooks up with a couch surfing Australian who is a 9/11 nutter who claims to be an engineer working to explain how Tower 7 collapsed without having had significant fires or being hit by a plane. Young British and Australian writers who seem to love to discuss politics usually end up instead showing how ignorant they are of the world. They cite obscure sources to support and back up their claims and beliefs and overlook or ignore anything that doesn't support their narrative. Even in 2010 kinnapings are rampant and robbery and murder are daily occurrences but the author seems alright with this because Chavez is doing so many great things for the poor people of his country.
In the case of British writers who are of a liberal bent, they don't seem to get that the sun set on the British empire a long long time ago ( I felt the same about Simon Winchester and his book Pacific, which totally suffered from these same failings). They also don't seem to be particularly troubled by all the damage Britain caused. In the case of Australia, and their liberal bent writers, I don't know if it is the isolation of the country, the history and origins of its people, or what, but Australia suffers from a Napoleon complex. Their land mass is as large as the USA, but their significance on the world stage is insignificant, and likely always will be.
Back to the book. He does travel to some very interesting areas of the country, and his ability to explain what he is experiencing, and where appropriate give facts and details that may not be commonly known, were done to an excellent degree in this book, as well has his first book.
The politics of the people he encounters who live in Venezuela and how life has changed for them is relevant, interesting and important. The author's politics, and not relevant to the story, are not of interest, and add nothing positive to the book. If he had left his politics out of this book, the book would have been far better. ( )