This book is the first modern survey of the economic and social history of Brazil from early man to today. Drawing from a wide range of qualitative and quantitative data, it provides a comprehensive overview of the major developments that defined the evolution of Brazil. Beginning with the original human settlements in pre-Colombian society, it moves on to discuss the Portuguese Empire and colonization, specifically the importance of slave labor, sugar, coffee, and gold in shaping Brazil's economic and societal development. Finally, it analyzes the revolutionary changes that have occurred in the past half century, transforming Brazil from a primarily rural and illiterate society to an overwhelmingly urban, literate, and industrial one. Sweeping and influential, Herbert S. Klein and Francisco Vidal Luna's synthesis is the first of its kind on Brazil.

'This book is essential reading for any social scientist working on Brazil; an up to date, data-based history emphasizing demography and economy from earliest times to the present that does not avoid discussion of the social and political implications of that nation's history and its emergence as a global power.' Stuart B. Schwartz, Yale University
'This is a rich text that both complements and challenges other histories of Brazil that focus primarily on culture, politics, and qualitative social history.' Marshall Eakin, Hispanic American Historical Review

Herbert S. Klein is Gouverneur Morris Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University, the former director of the Center of Latin American Studies and Professor of History, Stanford University. Specializing in the social, demographic, and economic history of Latin America, he has published over thirty books and 190 articles in several languages. Francisco Vidal Luna is Professor of Economics in the Faculty of Economics and Administration (FEA) at the Universidade de São Paulo. He served as Secretary of Planning in the state government of São Paulo. He is co-author (with Herbert S. Klein) of numerous books on Brazil and has published over thirty-five articles in English and Portuguese.