For anyone interested in the modern political history of Panama, the memoirs of Guillermo Quijano Castillo is a fresh and insider's look. As an active player in panamanian politics for 50 years, Quijano reviews the main political episodes of Panama between 1948 and 2009. The book is divided in three parts, each consisting of an distinct political period: The republican era between 1948 and 1968, the military dictatorship between 1968 and 1989 and the current democratic period which began in 2009. The narrative serves as a warning to those who do not wish to see the danger of deteriorating republican institutions and the risks of ignoring the small tell-tale signs that of a growing military or police power. Quijano's political career began in 1964 when he was elected as municipal council member for Panama City. He was later elected as a National Assemblyman, but the military coup d'etat meant he only served for 11 days. In the current era he acted as minister of housing during the first democratic government, he ran for the vicepresidency of the republic in 1994, and he was a member of the board of directors of the Panama Canal Authority.