Based on the pre-publication hype, I was expecting a sensationalistic expose of U.N. incompetence. Instead, it’s a very personal story of three smart and enthusiastic young people who came to peacekeeping for very different reasons, but who all found it enriching. When, for bureaucratic reasons, the organization disappoints them, it leaves them all personally depressed and professionally bitter. After reading this book, I was more aware than ever of the massive impact of the “Black Hawk Down” incident on world peace and security.

It’s also very funny in places.