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Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies, And Aid (2011)

by Samantha Nutt(Favorite Author)

4.36 of 5 Votes: 4

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Signal

review 1: I made the mistake of reading this book on the train, with no kleenex in my purse. Not that this is one of those books that plays-up the horrors of war and manipulates your emotions; rather, Nutt's honest, straight-forward story-telling of her personal involvement in war-torn countries lays it all on the line evoking an honest, unbidden reaction of tears. Nutt provided a balanced mixture of anecdotes and information, the former reinforcing and illustrating the latter. It was impossible not to read the book in the context of current circumstances in Syria and of course, in terms of the efforts of CWEF Tanzania. As an organization we have certainly evolved from our initial approach thanks in no small part to Julie's immersion into the realm of global health but we still ha... moreve a ways to go. Exposing ourselves to people who know, humanitarians in the field and to SASCO/locals will certainly help. I also couldn't read the book without the ever-present thought that the work Samantha Nutt is doing is Julie's calling and in all likelihood how she will use her MD degree which was humbling, awe-inspiring and yes, a little terrifying.This book should be read by anyone who wants to become aware of how our actions (individually and nationally) affect/effect things globally. Simply stated, when you know better, you do better. We take so much for granted. The last line of Nutt's book will stay with me forever - "Now that I know how to write my own name, I'm going to learn how to write my son's name." (Nadya,22, Displaced People's Camp, Darfur). So much hope in the face of the atrocities suffered; a testament to the human spirit.
review 2: An excellent examination of the unfortunate way aid is becoming more entwined with military spending. It can also be read in counterpoint to Dambisa Moyo's Dead Aid; the arguments in Damned Nations are far stronger, more compelling, less ideological, and in the end, more convincing, than those given in Dead Aid. McNutt destroys the idea that the free market is not the solution (as advocated in Dead Aid), as well as destroying the military-humanitarian hybrid which many NGOs are moving towards.A must read for those interested in international development and aid. less

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