I found this to be a strong and engaging account of one of the more intractable problems I’ve run into. I wish it had left me feeling hopeful, but it was far too consistent with my own experience to permit such self-delusion. Instead, it left me fill

ed with admiration for a hero (John Githongo) who, thanks to the author’s incorporation of her personal experience, can be seen as a human and not as the caricature that time will eventually make of him. I also appreciate the historical and political canvass she offered to illuminate just how audacious his actions were.

Wong’s book is cast as a biography of John Githongo, the former Kenyan anti-corruption czar who blew the whistle on the Anglo Leasing scandal and fled for his life. Using Githongo’s story, Wong is able to weave in a substantial amount of important background information on Kenya, on ethnic politics, on corruption, and on aid delivery. It’s a lovely and readable introduction to these issues, if a bit long. Although at the beginning Wong’s writing style dips into a maddening form of purple prose, she soon

rights herself. She’s at her best

when explaining issues rather than engaging in cinematic story telling; and she has an excellent grasp of the

issues, and of the human costs of the issues that comes through clearly.