Book Reviews 73
membership emerged as a response to social and economic conditions in the US
during the depression. Fisher, himself a Jewish social worker from New York,
went on to become the nrst editor of their journal, Social Work Today.
Finally three books are reviewed by Assistant Professors or Professors of
well known US University Schools of Social Work. The books again reflect the
Journal's typical subject preferences and include: Social workers and Labour
Unions (1988), H Karger; The National Welfare Rights Movement (The Social
Protest of Poor Women) (1981), G West; and The Future of Work (1987) G and
E Gil (eds).
While the Journal is well presented and discusses some issues of real
concern, personally I found a lot of it to be rather "old hat" and almost more of
historical interest, despite its relentless claim to be "progressive".
Reviewed by Norma Hall, CONNECf - Zimbabwe Institute of Systemic Therapy
(formerly Family Counselling Unit), Harare, Zimbabwe.
In Defence of Social ism. Four Speeches on the 30th Annivesary of the Cuban
Revolution, 1989, Fidel Castro, (edited by Mary-Alice Waters), Pathfinder Press,
London, 142pp, Price £4,95 pbk.
This is a collection of four rousing, polemical speeches by Fidel Castro to mark the
30th Anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. There is an introduction by Mary-
Alice Waters. The English translations were originally published in Granma
Weekly Review. The speeches were delivered to different audiences in Cuba
between December 5th 1988 and January 1989.
The titles of the speeches indicate their orientation: "As long as the empire
exists we will never lower our guard". "The Cuban people will always remain
loyal to the principles of socialism" ; "Thirty years of the Cuban Revolution;" and
"The young generation must improve and defend socialism".
Castro describes both the revolutionary nationalist war to overthrow the
Batista regime, and the subsequent economic revolution to transform the capitalist
economy. He fully acknowledges the difficulties faced en route, in the face of imperialist
aggression and antagonism, and, in particular, the continuing US blockade.
He exhibits the ferve, charisma and moral principle that have characterised
his leadership.
It must be acknowledged, however, that the speeches do not give any detailed
analysis of the problems facing Cuba. including bW'eaucracy.corruption. teehnoc
74 Book Reviews
racy, nepotism and disillusionmen. Castrol exhorts his audiences to support the
rectification process, to learn from the mistakes of the past, and to build and
improve the socialism that has al ready been developed.
Celebratory speeches on thirty years of the revolution, despite the US
embargo, may not be the appropriate forum for a detailed critique. However, this
reviewer, in the hope of possibility gaining insights into the Cuban revolution,
would have valued a more critic~ analysis based on the daily realities of people's
lives and the very concrete prob.ems inherent in transforming both an economy,
and a people's political consciousness.
Considering the subsequent break up of the Soviet Union, pluging Cuba
further into crisis, the rhetoric, and the lack of critical analysis, become all the more
stark and anachronistic. At the same time, in the light of the global crisis of socialism,
it is in some ways revitalising to be reminded of the intensity of conviction of
one of the world's greatest revolutionary leaders.
Reviewed by Helen Jackson, Director of Research, School of Social Work,
Harare, Zimbabwe.
AIDS and Alcohol/Drug Abuse - Psychosocial Research, D G Fisher (ed) The
Haworth Press, 1991, London.
A monograph published simultaneously as Drugs and Society, Vol 5 Nos
1 and 2.
This short book (97 pages) contains seven articles addressing the issue of HIV/
AIDS and substance abuse in the USA. Two articles focus on ethnic issues, two
on intravenous drug use in Alaska, one on gay men, one on procedures in "shooting
galleries", and one on the role of health psychologists in AIDS education amongst
drug injectors (IVDUs). They present material that will be of use primarily to
professionals in the field in the USA.
Several articles are reviews of existing literature, and give an overview of
the current situation. Others provide some original research findings.
Fisher et al stress that drug injecting in Alaska is a major problem that
needs much wider study. The mean age of first cocaine use in females was reported
to be 12,5 years, indicating the urgent need for intervention with adolescents.
Leoutsakas reports that the scale of drug injecting in Alaska is not well
documented, and more research is needed into who injects, what is injected, and
how behaviours can be modified. Rowell reports that American Indian/Alaskan