Trip to Cuba, anyone? Live there a while, queue up for toilet paper and canned milk? I'm in!

Ariosto does a good job of both describing his life and travels in Cuba, and providing an appropriate amount of context with Cuban history, world events, etc. This was the best kind of learning.... palatable, entertaining, time well spent. I have a much better idea of the lived experience of an American (a yuma) in Cuba.

With thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Cuba has always fascinated me due to its singular sociopolitical structure. There’s literally no other country like it or close to it. And until recently it was notably secretive and uncharted for a country so geographically close to US. And then Obama tried to change that and tourists poured in. My in laws in fact went for a visit, but they spent one day in a city and the rest on a secluded resort and so for first person accounts I had to resort to books. As always. Then again resort isn’t the right word, armchair travelling is my favorite kind, I enjoy it tremendously, it enlightens and educates without any of the discomfort and expenses traditionally associated with travelling. And this trip with a seasoned journalist David Ariosto as a tour guide was indeed both, enlightening and educational. He arrived in Cuba originally in 2009 and then spent years on and off reporting on the island for CNN and later other networks. So that essentially he is well versed in the social and geographical politics of the nation, but can also speak to the quotidian lives, mores and traditions. Ariosto discusses the regimes of both Castros, the enormous daily privations of the socialist experiment and ponders the future of Cuba, with the new leader, proliferation of internet and, with it, the greater awareness of the world at large and all the economic changes, including a giant commanding neighbor to the north playing yo yo with its affections. The book is a very accessible account, well written, very smart and unbiased as journalism goes. Almost surprisingly unbiased considering the author’s obvious personal connection. I enjoyed reading it, it’s brief enough to get through in one day, which in itself is no small feat for a work of nonfiction, and it expanded greatly my understanding of Cuba, both socially and politically. It would certainly be fascinating to watch the country’s progress in the coming years. Not sure if cautious optimism is due, not with the way things are going in the world at large, but who knows. Either way it’ll be interesting. Much like this book. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

The best book on Cuba bar none--both in depth and breadth of perspectives. From a veteran journalist intertwining personal experiences with historical realities and recent changes. Also depicting Cuba's evolving roles in Latin America, Communist, and U.S.relations. Should be required reading for anyone seeking to understand Cuba today. Five stars!!

Excellent mix of a journalist’s personal perspective of covering Cuba and explaining Latin American politics. As a fellow journalist I applaud this take of living and working in Cuba.

In 2005 I was in Cuba and am going back the first week of November 2018. As a result, I was extremely interested in reading Ariosto's account of the changes in Cuba. With the changes in relations from the Obama era and the curtailing of some of these options in the Trump era, it behooves the reader to investigate the changes and culture in today's climate. Written in a very accessible style, the book reads like a travelogue rather than a detailed history of this island. The book begins in 2009 when Ariosto as a young journalist travels to Cuba with little Spanish knowledge and a virgin in the woods regarding Cuba's culture, history and government policy. That quickly changed with his two year assignment and future trips back and forth. Ariosto explores the culture through transportation and reciting individual conversations that make us crave more. He explores beyond the ubiquitous cars and fading facades, to the everyday world of the black markets, the world of big brother surveillance and the reality of post Cold War politics. Though internet is more available it costs about a 1/3 of a month's salary, making overseas contributions all the more important to families. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I was hoping for a little more in depth conversation. Perhaps that will be the next book!

David Ariosto is a journalist who was embedded in Cuba for several years. This Is Cuba is the result of Ariosto's time there and of his extensive research which includes interviews of Cubans. The interviews offer the reader a chance to meet people from different social classes and reveals an ugly underbelly to the island politics.

Ariosto examines contemporary Cuba, lodged between the Castro era and the Trump presidency. Corruption runs rampant and people resort to buying necessary items on the black market. People's voices are silenced and Ariosto draws a picture of a Cuba in transition, wavering between communism and capitalism.

The writing in the book is engaging and informed. This vision of contemporary Cuba is fascinating yet sad. It really helped me understand the complexities of life in Cuba.

Thank you to netgalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy. This review is solely my own