Through a study of literature, the social and cultural issues that help form the identity of a people can be revealed and examined. The ten essays in Temas del comercio y la economia en la narrativa hispana investigate the relation between the Hispanic narrative and the economic and commercial concerns of Spanish-speaking peoples around the world from a variety of historical periods. Balancing a study of writers' perspectives on current economic conditions with a look at literary versions of economic events, this anthology provides a window into Hispanic culture for both the student of Hispanic literature and the student of business in the Spanish-speaking markets.

The essays in Temas del comercio y la economia en la narrativa hispana embrace an interdisciplinary approach and address topics as diverse as the attitude toward businessmen and the accumulation of wealth, the popular reaction against foreign investment, the role of women in a commercial context, the plight of Latino immigrants in the United States, and the social distortions created by rampant consumerism.

Readers interested in Hispanic literature or international business will find useful tools accompanying each essay, including

• questions for comprehension,
• themes for discussion,
• post-reading exercises,
• extensive bibliographies for further study,
• web addresses for organizations in the Spanish-speaking world.

Temas del comercio y la economia en la narrativa hispana will provide students in a wide range of disciplines with interesting, new, and perhaps unexpected perspectives on the subject of business and economic activity in Hispanic cultures.