Book Club - Things are Never So Bad They Can’t Get Worse: Inside the Collapse of Venezuela by William Neuman

Note: Registration opens one month in advance.

ABSTRACT

Venezuela has the largest oil reserve in the world―oil sits so close to the surface that it bubbles from the ground, and its gold and other mineral resources are abundant. Yet this country is in a perpetual crisis―with rolling blackouts, nearly worthless currency, uncertain supply of water and food, extreme poverty, and hospitals with no medicine. Twenty percent of the population has fled, creating the largest refugee exodus in the world, rivaling only war-torn Syria’s crisis. Venezuela’s collapse affects all of Latin America, as well as the United States and the international community. Things Are Never So Bad That They Can’t Get Worse provides a nuanced and deeply-reported account of the collapse of Venezuela, and what it could mean for the rest of the world. It also provides a heartfelt reflection of the country’s great beauty and vibrancy―and the energy, passion, and humor of its people, even under the most challenging circumstances.

Named Foreign Affairs Best Books of 2022 and the National Endowment for Democracy Notable Books of 2022.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

William Neuman is an author and journalist who reported for the New York Times for over 15 years. He served as the Times Andes Region Bureau Chief from 2012 to 2016 while based in Caracas, Venezuela. He previously reported for the New York Post and his work has been featured by the San Francisco Chronicle, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and The Independent, among others. He began his journalism career while living in Mexico, and has published English translations of several Spanish-language novels.