'Taking Colombia’s pulse: A new introduction to the country offers an honest assessment of its challenges," the Latin American Review of Books. The aim of this book is designed not only to focus on Colombia’s politics and history, but also to celebrate her culture and society and this is the reason it’s divided into several parts and includes contributed essays by experts in their fields. This is not a guide book, nor a travelogue and nor is it a list of dry facts, but it has a heartbeat as the author has been located in Colombia for almost two decades. Writing this has been a multi-year challenge and the hope is to create something which is more of a summary of Colombia, something with a pulse. In keeping with the idea that this book has a “heartbeat”, there are chapters and essays contributed by: Adriaan Alsema, Nicolas Forsans, Andrei Gomez Suarez and Peter Watson amongst others. There are also collections including forgotten histories in Colombia, curiosities, further anecdotes and some articles which have been published in the mainstream press as well, all of which add to the colour and depth of the book. The publication of this book has been delayed due to the election of Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president and "the Last South American Guerrilla" , it makes sense to begin with an overview of his first year and a half in power 2022-2024, before then plunging into the History and Politics chapter which precedes, Culture and Identity, Geography and the Land, then the Conclusion and Further Reading. A word of advice to the reader is warranted as well. It’s a herculean task to separate Colombia and Colombians from the conflict and this makes writing a book of this nature a dangerous venture. One must remember and be very aware that the violence has spread through every level of Colombian society and in every corner of the country is of course not without its consequences. A massive underclass of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) has been forcibly moved from their traditional homes and lands to the cities in what can only be described as a tragic mass exodus. Society here continues to suffer from the deep scars of trauma and needs constant yet sympathetic therapy, but as with everything, there are glimmers of hope, some more evident than others. For those wishing to understand Colombia further, seeking information about the current political landscape, Total Peace, the 2016 peace accords with the FARC guerrillas, the polarising nature of former president Álvaro Uribe or the False Positives scandal, look no further. What people are saying: "There is something very Colombian about this book, which dances between themes with rhythmic ease, pulls no punches, yet begs not to offend. "It is honest and unpretentious, written from the perspective of a journalist who cares about giving the reader a truthful understanding of this multifaceted country. "If you are about to travel there, or have developed an interest in it, you would do well to start by picking up a copy of Colombia at a Crossroads." Latin American Review of Books.