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kimcheel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
fiwilson's review
5.0
A real story. I was curious about how the mix of personal experiences and the horrible things happening at the time would mesh, but it does it well.
this is not a graphic account of the UN missions, rather a real account of real people working for the UN at the time.
this is not a graphic account of the UN missions, rather a real account of real people working for the UN at the time.
mustafa_marwan's review
2.0
Self righteous memoir
Oscar Wilde said the some people criticise themselves so others won't. I have seen many humanitarian workers who become bitter only when they have enough of playing white saviours while earning quadruple the salaries they would have gotten back home.
The writing is sometimes good but most of the time shiny but shallow and cliched.
Oscar Wilde said the some people criticise themselves so others won't. I have seen many humanitarian workers who become bitter only when they have enough of playing white saviours while earning quadruple the salaries they would have gotten back home.
The writing is sometimes good but most of the time shiny but shallow and cliched.
alegrya's review against another edition
3.0
Quite an eye opening view into the world of UN volunteer work. Some chapters were exceedingly difficult and uncomfortable to read, let alone actually having to face those situations. Interesting and worth a read for interested parties. Thank-you Miss Wired for the much prolonged loan.
erinmp's review against another edition
5.0
I found this to be absolutely fascinating. A great inside look at how the UN operates 'on the ground.' Highly recommended.
rachhenderson's review against another edition
4.0
Emergency Sex is the real life story of Americans Andrew, Heidi and Ken, who met in Cambodia in the early 1990s while working for the UN. Andrew was a young doctor who'd had enough of chronic overwork in the US hospital system so started working in a Cambodian hospital before being recruited by the UN. Heidi divorced her husband and was struggling to pay the bills alone when she found out about the financial rewards for taking a remote posting with the UN. Ken graduated from Harvard Law and wanted to do something other than corporate law.
From Cambodia, the UN took them to Haiti, Bosnia, Somalia and Rwanda, including being in Somalia for the events immortalised in Black Hawk Down. Their stories look at how events in one country impacted UN and US foreign policy and their willingness to intervene in subsequent world events. There was also a fair chunk of their personal lives, including a fair bit of sex for Heidi!
Being in my teens in the 90s, and therefore fairly self absorbed, there was a lot of history in here that I didn't know a great deal about, and I found it hugely interesting. I also found Heidi's personal life entertaining, even if I did often find myself wanted to give her a good shake over some of the risks she took.
4.5 stars rounded down
From Cambodia, the UN took them to Haiti, Bosnia, Somalia and Rwanda, including being in Somalia for the events immortalised in Black Hawk Down. Their stories look at how events in one country impacted UN and US foreign policy and their willingness to intervene in subsequent world events. There was also a fair chunk of their personal lives, including a fair bit of sex for Heidi!
Being in my teens in the 90s, and therefore fairly self absorbed, there was a lot of history in here that I didn't know a great deal about, and I found it hugely interesting. I also found Heidi's personal life entertaining, even if I did often find myself wanted to give her a good shake over some of the risks she took.
4.5 stars rounded down
nanirump's review against another edition
4.0
Ineresting look into what UN was really like in the genocides and atrocities of the 90's.