The extraordinary account of the Cuban people's struggle for survival in a post-Soviet
world
In the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union, Cuba faced the start of a crisis that decimated
its economy. Helen Yaffe examines the astonishing developments that took place during and
beyond this period. Drawing on archival research and interviews with Cuban leaders,
thinkers, and activists, this book tells for the first time the remarkable story of how Cuba
survived while the rest of the Soviet bloc crumbled.

Yaffe shows how Cuba has been gradually introducing select market reforms. While the
government claims that these are necessary to sustain its socialist system, many others
believe they herald a return to capitalism. Examining key domestic initiatives including the
creation of one of the world's leading biotechnological industries, its energy revolution, and
medical internationalism alongside recent economic reforms, Yaffe shows why the revolution
will continue post-Castro.
This is a fresh, compelling account of Cuba's socialist revolution and the challenges it faces
today.