My friend Kathi gave me this book and told me to read it. I wasn't sure if I was intereted but she didn't make it sound like an option. We had just finished a tour of Medical Teams International's Real.Life.Exhibit in Tigard and she had heard of some of my experiences on teams throughout the world.
It's 331 pages of reading material and I decided to conquer it in a weekend. So far, I've already read 234 pages in two days but I read thru books pretty fast.
It's extremely insightful, much more insightful than any other book on Africa that I have come into contact with. It has very little heart wrenching stories about Africans but instead, it is full of recent historical facts that our globalized world has adopted and how those laws, agreements, NGO's, and taxation has effected African AID and Trade.
I'm sure you don't want to hear my thoughts on the topic and I'll spare you from most of them but I'd like to say that this book has really made me realize more than ever that I am not much different from an average African. We both work hard. We both want the best for our families. We both are bound by domestic and international laws beyond our control that effect us everyday (typically negatively for the African and positive for me). The difference is that I grew up in a country that has money and the average African does not. Although money isn't the most important thing in our lives and money should not be our focus in life, this book gives prime expamples about how much doesn't just talk, it screams and how much difference it can make in ones life.
I like this book. I like that it is about all people (particulary Africans) being created equal to everyone else and how the world financial system tells Africans everyday that they are not equal. Money is so important, not just making money or managing it, but money is an incredible insight to seeing what we truly believe.
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