Customer Reviews

Portrait of a Peace Corps Gringo

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As a peace corps member in Colombia in the late 1960s I was disapointed with the book. Very little about Colombia, and that part could be better. I gave up midway thru the book. It is fine maybe for his family to read.

Paul Arfin seems to be a sincerely nice person who has lived a good and generous life. But this is primarily a book for people who know him personally and want to know every detail of his life in chronological order with no particular emphasis on the more interesting parts, not much of an overall story to tell. I only read about half of it, having read the first chapter, then realizing it was not the kind of book I wanted to read in its entirety. So I skimmed most of the rest of it. The title is a misnomer. The Peace Corps part represents about a quarter of the book and it is probably the most interesting of the parts I read. The first chapter which covers Paul's childhood is like you go into the attic and find a trunk full of old memorabilia. And then you read off a list of everything you find in the trunk with as much detail as you can muster to describe each item. He lists the names of everyone who was on his baseball team. It's not good reading, but he does get better in the later chapters. Paul is a very honest writer. He admits embarrassing things about himself and others but is never mean-spirited. He seems a bit naive about human nature and thus is disappointed by it often. His Peace Corps chapter comes alive, probably because it was the purpose behind his book.

I'm currently reading Keith Richards' memoir, "Life" - it too reels off most of his life in chronological order, no backstory, lots of details, no overall story structure. The difference is that Keith Richards (the Rolling Stones guitarist) is someone readers have known and followed the past 50 years and he lived life on the edge and his life and book are full of other famous people we have heard about. So the primary difference between the two books is one is by an unknown, one by a celebrity. You can get away with this type of memoir if you're a Keith Richards. A Paul Arfin, not so much.

Paul Arfin's "Portrait of a Peace Corps Gringo" describes the mentality of an era
when we believed that we could create a better world. Perhaps if we had held on to the morals and values that were instilled in us during the early sixties, as the
Peace Corps was being formed, we would not be facing the problems that we must deal with today.

While reading Paul Arfin's auto-biography, which so succinctly describes the ideas and ambitions that we had then, I felt hope and pride again. Possibly we can recover these heartfelt feelings and realize that life is not all about money.

We still live in a magnificent Nation and even though there are extaordinary problems in our country and around the world, there are millions of people who have continued to work for the common good.

As Arfin's book exemplifies, our Nation was built by men and women who never lost sight of their goals, even though they were thwarted along the way.

For those who are still trying to create a better world, I believe this is a book of encouragement. I experienced sadness as I read the last page of this book, as I felt that I was about to lose a good friend.

G.C. Former Early Childhood and Elementary school teacher/Small busines owner

Bravo ! Paul Arfin writes in a clear and interesting manner describing his life-journey.
He bares his heart and soul in his book.He enters his venture into the Peace Corps as a young man seeking meaning and purpose in his life. When Paul leaves Columbia and re-enters the U.S., he has a clear vision of who he is and the change agent he has become.
Thank you for sharing your life with me and all of the readers of your book, Paul.

This journey of a restless youth from the Long Island suburbs to the discovery and development of his purpose in life should engage any young person currently struggling with the "Who am I? Where do I fit in? What's next?" questions. The people from small villages and towns in Colombia, South America had a hand in affirming the emotional and intellectual commitment Paul Arfin has to social justice and decent opportunities for everyone. Anyone who thinks the path from Peace Corps to becoming a social work leader and advocate is easy will be in for some surprises.
Dorothy "Dee" Gamble, Peace Corps Colombia 1962-1964, Clinical Associate Professor Emerita, UNC Chapel Hill

Paul Arfin offers a personal look into a life shaped, made more meaningful, and at times complicated by the experiences of a first-generation Peace Corps Volunteer. His compelling journey invites us to examine our own values, decisions, consequences, and rewards. Many of us think about writing our memoirs. Paul may have done it for us.
Jim Brown, PhD, Peace Corps Colombia 1962-1964, Editor, Steadman-Hawkins Research Foundation News; Contributing Editor, Duke Medicine Health News

Two years. Two mind-stretching, heart-shaping years that changed everything for Paul Arfin, both the years before, a Jewish kid from Brooklyn growing up in suburban Mineola in the Eisenhower 50s, his mind focused on girls and baseball and girls, and the four decades after his two-year stint as one of JFK's first Peace Corps volunteers in Colombia, his world changed now, seeing through the eyes of the other. A life in retrospect, as I see it, of selfless dedication to those whose lives--though in one sense poorer than most North Americans--are so much richer in other ways. It's a compelling and vital read, this book, and it speaks volumes about a Whitmanesque life we Americans might offer to others, to strangers who turn out to be our brothers and sisters: the dream of an open hand, an open mind, an open heart to wake us from the nightmare into which we have too often plunged like full-fed lemmings. Read this book. It will speak to you if only you let it. It might even change your life!
Paul Mariani, PhD, University Professor of English, Boston College, poet, biographer, and critic

¡Olé! Paul Arfin's "Portrait of a Peace Corps Gringo" is a fine work. From a childhood with no experience for support of justice and equality, he joins the Peace Corps, discovers a mission and is able to return stateside to implement the goals for peace and justice he found there. It is a great example of how, through community service, one individual can develop into a "life-long" contributor to community health. I recommend Paul's memoirs to anyone, especially those of us who have labored in the not-for-profit world to improve people's lives.
Thomas B. Williams, MSW, retired Executive Director, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County and colleague

This book is a fascinating, challenging look into the heart and soul of a Peace Corps man and his remarkable human service career thereafter. "Driven" is the word that lingers long after reading his story. This is a must reading for anyone considering a career to make the "world better." Fire in the belly, so evident in Arfin's life, is required to handle the roller coaster ride of creating social change.
Richard Dina, DSW, retired President and Chief Executive Officer, Family and Children's Association and colleague

The book is terrific! The details of life as a Colombian Peace Corps volunteer are a wonderful trip down memory lane. Each department in Colombia is so distinct, yet the warmth of the Colombians always emerges.
Betsy L. Bucks, Peace Corps Colombia 1964-66, coauthor of Tortillitas Para Mamá

A marvelous tale revealing how a life dedicated to others can still include love of family, friends, and fun!
Paul Mundschenk, PhD, Peace Corps Colombia 1963-1965, retired Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies, Western Illinois University

Rats, scorpions and cold showers make for a Peace Corps volunteer's life--at least for Arfin, who lived on the edges of poverty while dealing with the arrogance of some of his fellow Americans in Colombia. These experiences deeply influenced him and made him a better person who spent the rest of his life in the arena of nonprofits. This book is about a time and a life that is worth remembering.
Arthur Dobrin, Peace Corps Kenya, 1965-67, Professor of Humanities, Hofstra University

An engrossing narrative. Paul sets forth his story about how his Peace Corps experience shaped his life and gave it direction. A must read for all those who `swim against the current'.
Jeff Bloomberg, DDS, Paul's lifelong friend and tennis partner

Arfin's book reveals the lesson of the Peace Corps - that life's greatest reward comes from trying to help others.
Ronald A. Schwarz, Ph.D., Peace Corps Colombia. 1961-63, Professor of Anthropology