{"product_id":"9781250473745","title":"Things Are Never So Bad That They Can't Get Worse","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTHIS ITEM IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER ONLY AND WILL BE RELEASED ON 08 SEPTEMBER 2026.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eInside the Collapse of Venezuela\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cb\u003eNewly updated to include the US invasion, the removal of Nicolas Maduro, and Trump's plan to \"run the country\": the collapse of Venezuela and what might come next\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eVenezuela has been mired in crisis for over a decade - characterized by economic collapse, political polarization, mass emigration, and widespread hardship - even as the country sits atop some of the world’s largest oil reserves. In\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThings Are Never So Bad That They Can’t Get Worse\u003c\/i\u003e, William Neuman provides a vivid, granular chronicle of that descent. Drawing on his experience as\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eAndes Region Bureau Chief and years of reporting from Caracas, Neuman explores the interplay of charismatic populism, economic mismanagement, corruption, and the international forces that have shaped Venezuela’s fate.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eThe book traces how once-abundant oil wealth became a source of distortion rather than development, how political power concentrated around Hugo Chávez and later Nicolás Maduro, and how everyday Venezuelans endured rolling blackouts, hyperinflation, shortages of food and medicine, and threats to personal safety. Neuman blends history, journalism, and personal narrative into a clear-eyed account of how a petro-rich nation imploded, displacing millions and disrupting the region.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eWinner of Best Books of the Year from Foreign Affairs, the National Endowment for Democracy and the Overseas Press Club of America, the book’s historical context provides readers indispensable insight into how decades of policy choices, institutional breakdown, and external pressures set the stage for the crises of today. Rather than offering simple answers,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThings Are Never So Bad That They Can’t Get Worse\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eequips readers with the historical grounding needed to understand both Venezuela’s past and the complexities shaping its future\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Neuman, William","offers":[{"title":"Paperback - Revised \u0026 Updated","offer_id":48156557607166,"sku":"9781250473745","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0556\/1532\/4335\/files\/Things_Never_So_bad.png?v=1778555835","url":"https:\/\/wanderingraccoonbooks.com\/products\/9781250473745","provider":"Wandering Raccoon Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}