The paper is a review of the book Amazonia: Agriculture and Land Use Research, edited by Susanna Hecht. The book is the proceedings of a conference held at CIAT (Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical) near Cali, Colombia in Abril, 1980. Amazonia: Agriculture and Land Use Research provides a sober assessment of the agricultural potential of the region. The book explores a major paradox for agricultural development in the Amazon: when the wall of lush tropical forest is pushed back, disappointing crop production normally ensues.