Customer Reviews

The Despairing Developer: Diary of an Aid Worker in the Middle East

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This is a great book, despite the depressing title, which outlines the sort of barriers developers face and the grave errors developers/would-be developers/donors etc. make. Despite being published in 1996 it doesn't feel out of date (I know nothing about Yemen, though) For seasoned developers the tales are not new, although it is nice to have them published rather than have them sound like urban legends - the way the horror stories are traded. I think this is most useful to people interested in development or just starting (if they missed this sort of thing in their education). I know that the end was what rang true to me personally, the way the final meeting was pushed along and people didn't have a chance to air grievances. Personally, I like to read this stuff to keep me in the right place and help me remember to watch, as an outsider, what I am doing. It IS easy to get carried away with a focus on simply going through the paces to provide what the donor wants. Instead, development is an art, and while much blame can be laid at the feet of donors, practitioners have responsibilities too.

I further recommend reading Jonathan ( I think) Klitgaard.