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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 338.96718 EAN: 9780465087600 ISBN: 0465087604 Label: Basic Books Manufacturer: Basic Books Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 296 Publication Date: July 21, 1991 Publisher: Basic Books Studio: Basic Books Editorial Review: Product Description: Selected as one of the six best nonfiction books of 1990 by the editors f the New York Times Book Review, this is a compelling and entertaining account of the author’s two-and-a-half year adventure in Equatorial Guinea, and his efforts to get this small bankrupt African nation on the path of structural development. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Author Nailed ItI 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 ... Read More Rating: - excellent bookengaging and informative. a must for those interested in economic rehabilitation of west african countries. Rating:  - 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 Rating: - The author as Foreign Aid Surfer DudeWhat 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 ... Read More Rating: - A highly informative and unique bookIt is not very common to find a World Bank economist who writes with a touch of humor, humility and eloquence, but that is exactly what you will discover in this unique book. The author was a World Bank advisor assigned to the tiny African nation of Equatorial Guinea in the late 1980's, a time when many African nations were beginning to flirt with market reforms and economic liberalization. This book is kind of like a personal diary of the time he spent there. It is written in an easygoing, informal style. ... Read More |
