"Professor Kim Clark explores a time period and country for which little has been published in English. By studying the dimensions of politics and culture as one, Professor Clark argues that the local railroad case served as a demonstration of some of the problems that were most important during the liberal period.".

"At the turn of the century, diverse political, economic, and social conditions divided Ecuador. During the construction of the Guayaquil and Quito Railway, the people of Ecuador faced the challenge of working together. The Redemptive Work examines and ties together various local, regional, and national perspectives on the building of the railway and the role its construction played in national incorporation.".

"This unusual book is useful for undergraduate and graduate students interested in expanding their knowledge in the fields of Latin American history, social history, anthropology, historical sociology, comparative development, political science, and courses on nation and state formation."--BOOK JACKET.