In addition to dealing with the embargo and the Cold War, Castro's regime was faced with the daunting task of building a Socialist society. Like Lenin in the early days of Soviet communism, Castro set out to create a "new man" in Cuba. His new man would eschew material incentives for working and instead labor for the moral incentives, such as the joys of doing a good job and contributing to the betterment of society. Like his archenemy U.S. president John F. Kennedy, Castro exhorted his fellow countrymen to ask what they could do for their country, not vice versa.

Schools helped create the "new man" by training children in Socialist theory and by addressing long-standing problems of sexism and racism. College admissions were opened to anyone who demonstrated an aptitude to learn, including Afro-Cubans and women, and soon Cuban...