Based on six years of research, including interviews with leading Mexican entrepreneurial and political leaders and the assessment of hitherto unavailable materials, this work focuses on the complex political relationship between the Mexican state and leading businessmen from the 1920s to the present. Analyzing nearly 3000 biographies to compare Mexico's two leading competitors for political power, the author uses a humanistic approach to test a number of assumptions about the relationship between the business community and the state and provides new insights into the existence of a power elite, the exchange between economic and political leaders, the self-image of Mexican entrepreneurs, the position of family-controlled firms, and the influence of capitalists on the decision-making process. Camp also provides detailed information on the ownership of Mexico's top 200 firms, including names of stockholders, board members, and managers.
Industry Reviews
"A readable work, suitable for students in business and social sciences or as a primer for someone who might want to undertake a business relationship in Mexico. It is particularly appealing to an economist because it offers explanations for the fluctuations in policy that individuals involved in multinational ventures find so frustrating."--Choice
"An important book on the political role of the Mexican private sector which is significantly more ambitious than many others."--Hispanic American Historical Review
"Presents a vast quantity of new data on Mexican entrepreneurs culled from interviews and biographical data. For those interested in the political role of the Mexican private sector, it is an important book that is significantly more ambitious than others on this topic."--Political Science Quarterly
"Skillfully conceived, carefully documented, and artfully written...This seminal work...promises to chart new ground and eclipse what were thought to be the definitive works on the subject....This is a landmark work....The reader is offered a thoughtful, provocative, and persuasive assessment of the paradoxical relationship between the Mexican state and the country's private sector."--Perspective
"Contains a superb collection of data on management directorships and stock ownership of major Mexican firms, revealing the rich tapestry of personal, family, and business associations among the elite corps of Mexican entrepreneurs."--American Political Science Review
"A readable work, suitable for students in business and social sciences or as a primer for someone who might want to undertake a business relationship in Mexico. It is particularly appealing to an economist because it offers explanations for the fluctuations in policy that individuals involved in multinational ventures find so frustrating."--Choice
"An important book on the political role of the Mexican private sector which is significantly more ambitious than many others."--Hispanic American Historical Review
"Presents a vast quantity of new data on Mexican entrepreneurs culled from interviews and biographical data. For those interested in the political role of the Mexican private sector, it is an important book that is significantly more ambitious than others on this topic."--Political Science Quarterly
"Skillfully conceived, carefully documented, and artfully written...This seminal work...promises to chart new ground and eclipse what were thought to be the definitive works on the subject....This is a landmark work....The reader is offered a thoughtful, provocative, and persuasive assessment of the paradoxical relationship between the Mexican state and the country's private sector."--Perspective
"Contains a superb collection of data on management directorships and stock ownership of major Mexican firms, revealing the rich tapestry of personal, family, and business associations among the elite corps of Mexican entrepreneurs."--American Political Science Review
"A unique and particularly human picture of some of the most important players in modern Mexico."--Mexico Journal
"No book in English or in Spanish concentrates on the over-all relationship between the Mexican state and the country's private sector and [the fact] that these two entities exhibit a symbiotic relationship that abounds in paradoxes. Camp is a master scholar--in terms of the breadth of published sources consulted, the astounding number of interviews conducted, and the consistent accuracy of his information."--George Grayson, College of William and Mary
"A significant contribution, examining an important but neglected subject. Camp is particularly well prepared to conduct this investigation. His two decades of work in Mexico have given him excellent contacts. Although several important publications have seen the light on economics and business history in Mexico, Camp's concentration is distinctive."--William L. Sherman, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
