Making a Difference: The Peace Corps at Twenty-five

Describes the formation of the Peace Corps, depicts the experiences of volunteers, and examines the accomplishments of the Corps

This praiseworthy selection of essays, commissioned as part of the Peace Corps' silver anniversary and edited by the author of Hostile Allies and Fall from Grace, contains a wide range of contributors. Among them: Sargent Shriver, the agency's first director, and its current feisty leader, Loret Miller Ruppe, who tell about the Peace Corps' origins and where it is headed; prominent alumni like Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, president Alan Guskin of Antioch College and novelist Paul Theroux; and world leadersfor one, Abdou Diouf, president of Senegal and of the Organization of African Unity. Most informative are the pieces by actual workers who write about their assignments around the world from the '60s to today, some rejoicing in their opportunities, others more reserved, still others concentrating on the difficulties of the job, but none whining or self-pitying. This collection will make readers proud of their fellow Americans who have served in the Corps.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The Peace Corps was begun by President Kennedy in 1961 and in its short 25-year life has had a significant impact on the role of the United States in developing nations. While Gerard T. Rice's The Bold Experiment ( LJ 11/1/85) is a more scholarly study of the evolution of the Peace Corps, Making a Difference is a worthy contribution to the literature, especially since there is little on the subject. The book is a compilation of essays and excerpts by individuals who were involved in the formative years of the Peace Corps. These contributions vary in quality, but most are well written and aimed at the general reader. An example is Landrum's review of Peace Corps veterans. Another insightful section includes brief letters from the field. Recommended for public and academic libraries. Boyd Childress, Auburn Univ. Lib., Ala.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.