facundo: civilization and barbarism (original spanish title: facundo: civilización y barbarie) is a book written in 1845 by domingo faustino sarmiento, a writer and journalist who became the seventh president of argentina. it is a cornerstone of latin american literature: a work of creative non-fiction that helped to define the parameters for thinking about the region's development, modernization, power, and culture. subtitled "civilization and barbarism", "facundo" contrasts civilization and barbarism as seen in early 19th-century argentina. literary critic roberto gonzález echevarría calls the work "the most important book written by a latin american in any discipline or genre".