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“One of the best books I have ever read--a touching and challenging look into the world of international aid.”
Kelly S wrote this review Wednesday, July 14, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I was really shaken by this book. I thought conditions in drought stricken areas in India were bad, but this really Beggars Description. How can mankind indulge in such systematic violence again their own brethren?
mala wrote this review Thursday, July 8, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The author is right in saying that only human beings are capable of such rational violence.”
“An Imperfect Offering is one of those rare books that not only breaks your heart but puts it back together again and at the same time, inspires you. Dr. James Orbinski has experienced the horrors of war, famine and genocide. Despite that, he writes about the ordinary people he's either treaded or worked with and the compassion and courage they each display. Dr. James Orbinski is a true humanitarian in every sense of the word. This is a tender and beautifully written book that you will never forget.”
Ruth G wrote this review Sunday, June 27, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I admire very much the work of Doctors without Borders (MSF). Dr James Orbinski has worked for MSF and in his new book "An Imperfect Offering" shares with readers his experiences as well as his thoughts and feelings about both the rewards and the difficulties of being an MSF doctor.”
Mary D wrote this review Monday, January 25, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Very well written, very easy to read, despite the gruesome subject matter. Orbinski deals with very tough issues that are of concern to those in the humanitarian aid community...can you become part of the problem, how do you help everyone, when do you walk away and what are the repercussions, is there a greater good and how do you justify it?”
Julia G wrote this review Saturday, November 29, 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“All in all, I'm not sure what to say about this one. Orbinsky is trying to draw a distinction between politics and humanitarianism that I think is conceptually dangerous - it's well past time we stop thinking of politics as what goes on behind closed doors between white guys in suits and start recognizing it in our daily lives. Or so I think. But who am I, right? Well, I'm someone that happens to think that in a holistic world where everything is connected, every decision matters politically.
Shauna T wrote this review Sunday, November 16, 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Oddly, Orbinski seems to be coming from the same place here, and maybe he draws the distinction between humanitarianism and politics to make compassionate action more immediately accessible to his readers and in his own life. Certainly, he has taken such action, and certainly, it is detailed here. But part of me thinks this book was written about 5 years earlier than it should have been, with much more of the book dedicated to Orbinski's working out his post-traumatic demons gained after years of working in the world's most dangerous, forsaken and deranged places with MSF. More time may have given Orbinski the emotional and mental space to have crafted a more logically cohesive argument of just what it is that is required for humanitarian action in a world where politics is so removed from humanitarian efforts. As it is, An Imperfect Offering is still a solid work that does a powerful job of illustrating the sheer necessity and impossibility of navigating the divide between the two, even if it gives few answers on how this is to be done.”
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