Blue Clay People: Seasons on Africa's Fragile Edge

( 4 )

Overview

"A haunting account of one man's determination and the struggles of a people living in a deeply troubled country."—Booklist

When William Powers went to Liberia as a fresh-faced aid worker in 1999, he was given the mandate to "fight poverty and save the rainforest." It wasn't long before Powers saw how many obstacles lay in the way, discovering first-hand how Liberia has become a "black hole in the international system"—poor, environmentally looted, scarred by violence, and ...

See more details below
Hardcover
$22.71
BN.com price
(Save 8%)$24.95 List Price
Other sellers (Hardcover)
  • All (27) from $1.99   
  • New (9) from $6.81   
  • Used (18) from $1.99   
Blue Clay People: Seasons on Africa's Fragile Edge

Available on NOOK devices and apps  
  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK HD/HD+ Tablet
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for Windows 8 Tablet
  • NOOK for iOS
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK for Windows 8
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for Web

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

NOOK Book (eBook)
$10.55
BN.com price
(Save 12%)$11.99 List Price

More About This Book

Overview

"A haunting account of one man's determination and the struggles of a people living in a deeply troubled country."—Booklist

When William Powers went to Liberia as a fresh-faced aid worker in 1999, he was given the mandate to "fight poverty and save the rainforest." It wasn't long before Powers saw how many obstacles lay in the way, discovering first-hand how Liberia has become a "black hole in the international system"—poor, environmentally looted, scarred by violence, and barely governed. Blue Clay People is an absorbing blend of humor, compassion, and rigorous moral questioning, arguing convincingly that the fate of endangered places such as Liberia must matter to all of us.

Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
"A Masterful storyteller…Powers has a keen ear for dialogue and dialect, and his prose is lovely and lyrical…[His] honesty about his own flaws places him in the congregation rather than the pulpit."—ProvidenceJournal

"So few educated Westerners agree to work in Liberia that any book illuminating the situation there would be welcome. It is a bonus that William Powers, one of those few, is also sensitive, reflective, and a fine stylist."—St. LouisPost-Dispatch

"Powers sketches scenes of transcendent beauty and grotesque violence, and writes with disarming honesty about his struggle to maintain his ideals when the right course of action is far from clear."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781582345321
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
  • Publication date: 1/10/2005
  • Pages: 304
  • Product dimensions: 5.32 (w) x 8.96 (h) x 1.31 (d)

Meet the Author

William Powers directed food distribution, agriculture, and education programs for the largest non-governmental relief group in Liberia. His commentaries on international affairs have appeared in the New York Times and on National Public Radio.

Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 4 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(3)

4 Star

(1)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
Sort by: Showing all of 4 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 26, 2012

    Atsu

    Hey welcome to pandora.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 24, 2005

    Liberia: Land of Beauty & Pain

    My wife and I visited Liberia while our son was working there. We might have been the only 'tourists' in the war- and corruption-devestated West African nation! Bill showed us much of the country, from the teeming market places of Monrovia to the lush forests and dusty towns far from the capitol. It was sad to see the poverty: delapidated housing, little food, no postal service, no electricity (other than private generators), no piped water, no sanitation system. At the same time, the scores of people we met were warm and filled with hope. This was despite the fact that they had recently undergone the trauma of a protracted and bloodly civil war and now lived under the tyranical heel of President Charles Taylor. While idealistic, Bill was also realistic. Although he saw many of his development projects fail, he adapted, tried new things, got the people involved in rebuilding their own society. Despite the overwhelming odds, he never lost hope. Blue Clay People is a look at the role of foreign aid work in Liberia, and one assumes its insights are applicable to other countries as well. Most of all, the book is the engaging memoir of a young American's two years in Africa.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 16, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 28, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 4 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)