A gripping adventure story and an insightful look at why foreign aid so often fails.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Author Nailed It I worked in Liberia for a year and could tell some of the same stories. Utter corruption at every level coupled with the average government fuctionary's well developed sense of his/her own importance makes dealing with them something that would lead Mother Teresa to drink. As the book makes clear, the state exists to serve the "elite", i.e. the gangsters. The author puts in all down in facinating detail. Haven't seen another book that captures what's wrong in Africa with such insight. Since the book was... more info
excellent book engaging and informative. a must for those interested in economic rehabilitation of west african countries.
very insightful (Memoir) Account of author's work as leader of
a World Bank project in Equatorial Guinea in
1987. Klitgaard provides a nice mix of stories
about day-to-day life anecdotes and how the
World Bank interacts with ministers of
government. He's also a very "groovy" guy,
jamming on the guitar with local pop stars and
continually searching for good waves. Potentially offensive material: nothing serious
The author as Foreign Aid Surfer Dude What initially attracted me to Tropical Gangsters was surfing. As a surfer working at the time for AusAID, Australia's government foreign aid agency, I was fascinated by Robert Klitgaard as Foreign Aid Surfer Dude. He surfed and worked in Equatorial Guinea, paralleling a particular dream of mine, which I eventually played out in the Pacific. But his book goes much further than simply surfing the Third World: it gives a quirky and realistic picture of the difficulties (and joys) of working in a developing... more info
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