It’s an unexpected and entirely winning biography of Gersony, who worked as a U.S. foreign policy consultant during the 'golden age' of American diplomacy ... Kaplan’s book follows Gersony all through the rolling ambit of his world travels, and thanks to Kaplan’s own considerable narrative gifts, those journeys are as vivid and compelling as any travelogue ... Throughout it all, Gersony is surrounded not only by the indifferent waste and violent cruelty of the modern world but also, thankfully, by other good-hearted people who share what we could grandiloquently refer to as his vision of a kinder and more just society. Whether the setting is Mozambique, Chad, Somalia, Rwanda, Bosnia, El Salvador, or Nepal, Kaplan’s writing is unfailingly vivid. The book’s moral tone is equally vivid, although far more iconoclastic when read in the harsh squinty-cynical light of the early 21st century ... reading Kaplan’s account of smart, quiet, unsung heroism, readers will come away hopeful. If Bob Gersony can spend a life going out and really listening to other people, so can we.
... remarkable ... Having seen firsthand how Mr. Gersony improved policy and saved lives, I am grateful that this book will make his example better known. May it become an inspiration for others.
A must read for anyone interested in humanitarian work, foreign policy, and biography ... Based on hundreds of hours of interviews with Gersony, his colleagues, as well as personal recollections, Kaplan deservedly shines the light on a humanitarian who spent much of his career working anonymously.
... one of the best accounts examining American humanitarian pursuits over the past 50 years ... meticulously researched narrative ... Kaplan takes readers into the hardest-hit spots on the planet, creating a portrait that suggests America’s positive humanitarian role in the world is limited. But the book misses some other successes of the past 40 years ... But these are minor quibbles with what is an otherwise wonderful account of American efforts around the globe. With still greater challenges on the horizon, we will need to find and empower more people like Bob Gersony — both idealistic and pragmatic — who can help make the world a more secure place.
... the fascinating account of Gersony’s work. Both informative and inspirational, it’s a testimonial to how much good one smart, empathetic, dedicated person can accomplish in the world ... Kaplan’s book, which sometimes reads like an adventure story, is thick with detail, and though the glossary of some 50 acronyms he provides is helpful, he recognizes that even the most patient reader may at times succumb to a feeling of bewilderment...Yet out of this welter of foreign places and people, a compelling story of Gersony’s dedication and effectiveness emerges ... a frank reminder of the challenges and benefits of being part of the global community. Perhaps it also will serve as a useful guide, and something of a prod, to future generations of Bob Gersonys who will have the responsibility of carrying on his vital work.
... celebrates a life of selfless dedication in perilous circumstances and offers an elegy for a time when humanitarian aid figured more prominently in U.S. foreign policy ... Kaplan writes with earnest reverence for a longtime friend and wistful praise for the particular blend of realism and idealism that Gersony represented, which seems less valued in today’s world.
An 'obsessive-compulsive' freelancer with a knack for talking to people epitomizes what foreign policy should be, according to this poignant and provocative biography of Bob Gersony, a retired independent contractor for the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department ... Kaplan’s immersive, ground-level view of practical foreign policy-making gives it substance. This incisive account pays tribute to the people who uphold America’s ideals to the world.
Veteran journalist and author Kaplan, who met Gersony in Khartoum in 1985, draws on hundreds of hours of interviews with him, along with abundant additional sources, to create a vividly detailed chronicle of the courageous, challenging life of 'the ultimate field worker.' ... His witnessing of 'state failure, rule-of-law breakdowns, genocide, and long-standing ethno-nationalist conflict' sharply contrasted that worldview, but knowledge about the world, Kaplan learned, is gleaned now from consulting groups rather than the kind of research to which Gersony devoted his career. A life story that reads like an action thriller.
