Rio De Janeiro Extreme City

Description

"'In Rio, you just get on with it. Rather than despair when the electricity goes down and the air chokes up, we dance, sing, beat the drum and the gods wake us from the nightmare. And then, if only for a few hours, everything seems possible again, and we're devilishly happy.' A city, writes Luiz Eduardo Soares, sheds its skin like a snake- none more so than Rio, whose reputation for hedonistic sensuality hides darkness, violence and corruption. Here, Soares, himself a carioca - Rio born and bred - takes us into deep into disparate worlds, from the favelas to the corridors of power. In telling the city's story through its people - criminals, police, activists, politicians and struggling migrant workers - Soares rips away its mask, revealing a kaleidoscope of joy, inequality, brutality and hope- Rio in all its seething, agonistic beauty."

Reviews

Luiz Eduardo Soares is the most insightful observer of Rio I have ever read. He had the unique combination of expert analysis, a compassionate gaze, and a gripping writing style. This is a book that will take its place among the great city chronicles of our time. -- Suketu Mehta

Author description

LUIZ EDUARDO SOARES is an academic, a politician, an activist and a writer. Professor of the Department of Social Sciences at Rio de Janeiro State University, he teaches political science and sociology, with a particular emphasis on the social invisibility of poor black youth in Brazil. He served as national secretary for public security, and is author of the bestselling and widely translated crime novels "Elite Squad" and "Elite Squad 2," both of which have been adapted for the big screen. The film 'Elite Squad' won the Golden Bear at the 2008 Berlin Film Festival.