| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 89.4

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| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 89.4 | The History Cooperative

Book Review

Missionary Capitalist: Nelson Rockefeller in Venezuela. By Darlene Rivas. (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2002. xvi, 290 pp. Cloth, $49.95, ISBN 0-8078-2684-7. Paper, $19.95, ISBN 0-8078-5350-X.)

Nelson Rockefeller was not one to follow Talleyrand's advice on the subject of diplomacy: Above all, no zeal. On the contrary, he 'oversold' his idea of 'creative capitalism,' purveying it as a panacea for the problems of the 'developing world.' His programs in Venezuela were the beginning of a crusade that Darlene Rivas credits with 'establishing models and synthesizing principles' that took form later in the Peace Corps, the Alliance for Progress, and 'nation-building' efforts. She concludes that the story of Rockefeller in Venezuela reflects 'deeply held U.S. assumptions about its mission and responsibility to do great things.' This admiring portrait contends that 'Rockefeller was not some stereotypical and cartoonish robber baron'; in fact, he was 'not much of a businessman,' emphasizing social objectives over profits in his Venezuelan investments.
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Nelson Rockefeller's recently opened private papers provided a trove of documentation for this book, including many photographs evocative of his idealistic agenda. Rivas also interviewed seven people involved in Rockefeller's Venezuelan initiatives, providing context for informal factors of diplomacy such as the 'country club set' in Caracas. . . .

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