This entry in the Exploring Latin America series focuses on the region's major indigenous civilizations (Maya, Aztec, Inca) prior to European colonization. It mentions how the slave trade to South America contributed to today's multifaceted population. Contemporary Latin Americans' diverse ethnicities, races, religions, languages, and educational systems are described, as are where and how they live, noting the prevalence of widespread poverty. Artists, musicians, and writers (especially those known for magic realism, like Gabriel García Márquez and Isabel Allende) are mentioned, along with the controversial cost of hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil. The only map included is from the Americas in 1780. Numerous color and black-and-white photos of people, places, sites, and artifacts are appealing. In conjunction with the other volumes in the series, this should be a useful addition to library collections.