Clearly this biography is pro-Castro.
But whether one is pro- or anti-Castro, one needs to see Castro's Cuba in comparison to Mexico and the rest of Latin America.
The comparison with Mexico is particularly fascinating, given that Mexico is on the southern border of the U.S.
To the North, of course, there is Canada. A British Commonwealth. With Canada, the U.S. shares a heritage of sorts. With Mexico, not so much.
Still, since the days of Sam Houston, the U.S. has had a huge impact on Mexico. And any fair analysis would only conclude that the impact has been largely negative. Such that today Mexico is in turmoil over drugs headed to the U.S.
In the meantime, Castro's Cuba, while not exactly flourishing, is in much better shape than Mexico, even despite being embargoed by the largest economic power the world has ever known. Imagine if the U.S. at least took the shackles off Cuba and allowed Americans to visit.
Bottom line: Castro's Cuba has completely out-performed Mexico and most of the rest of Latin America - the recent emergence of Brazil being the exception. (NOTE: The final verdict on Brazil, however, may be determined by the fate of the Amazon region.)