Flash Points: Lessons Learned and Not Learned in Malawi, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan(Excelsior Editions)

A compelling, intimate account of how US foreign assistance in war zones and developing countries does not achieve its intended goals.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations Note on Names, Terms, and Statements Introduction Part I. Fresh in Malawi Flashback One 1. Decisive Call 2. Biggest Fear 3. Settling In or Just Settling? 4. Navigating Intricacies 5. Disturbing Trends 6. Meeting the President 7. No Longer a Guest 8. Politically Correct 9. Working the System 10. Lesson Learned 11. Changed and Unchanged Part II. Crisis in Kosovo Flashback Two 12. Manhattan of Humanitarians 13. A New Class 14. No Perfect Solution 15. Dicey Meeting 16. Showdown in a Salon Part III. Surprise in Iraq Flashback Three 17. Ultimate Rejection 18. Embarrassing America 19. Behold Iraqi Americans 20. He-whore or Husband? 21. Eye-openers 1-? 22. Fredericks of Baghdad Part IV. Numbers in Afghanistan Flashback Four 23. AK-47 as an Accessory 24. Not Here to Question! 25. Who We Were 26. Outnumbered in Kunduz 27. Separate but "Equal" 28. Female Problems, Policy Implications 29. Security Twists 30. Rocking the Boat 31. West Knows East? 32. Not at Any Cost Part V. Bureaucracy in Washington Flashback Five 33. A Route Less Taken Epilogue Afterthoughts Acknowledgments Index

About the Author :
Jade Wu has worked on US foreign assistance projects in Malawi, Kosovo, Germany, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Philippines. Her foreign affairs analyses have appeared in a number of publications, including the New York Times, International Herald Tribune, The Hill, Washington Diplomat, and Foreign Policy Journal. She currently lives and practices law in the Washington, DC area.

Review :
"Flash Points should be required reading for professionals in foreign assistance programs and could be used in formal training programs for aid workers before heading abroad. It will also interest the general reader. Many will find it a fascinating story of one woman's experiences abroad. By leaving many pages with illuminating quoted dialogue, all readers will be lured on through Jade Wu's adventures, right up to the final 'flashback.'" - Robert W. Maule, Retired US Senior Foreign Service Officer "While there are a variety of books on the subject, few offer the unique perspective of the author who has been a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa and worked in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, countries where there have been major military, peacekeeping, and development efforts and investments. Wu's perspective is that of an objective, critical observer who has worked in the trenches. Her observations are well-informed, astute, and compel the reader to think carefully about the ways in which this country often wastes enormous resources-including human lives-in efforts that are ill-conceived." - Thomas R. Carter, Retired Senior Advisor, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations