This book is about the real world of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) seen through the eyes of men and women touched by ‘’Big Development’’ – the industry into which international charitable, humanitarian aid has evolved. Here are stories from individuals living and working in the poor countries. The book provides an insight into why the development industry spends vast amounts of tax dollars, yet there are still billions of people living in deep poverty, exposed to disease, malnutrition, exploitation and violence.

These are stories of the "international experts", the enormous armies of desk-bound "task managers", and a few of the beneficiaries of all this activity. Stories of how development aid grew out of much darker activities in conflict zones that assumed a cloak of benevolence. Although operated at the grassroots largely by decent people wanting to improve lives, it is an industry managed by sharp, ruthless people in banks, government offices, consulting companies and all manner of non-government institutions and agencies. The stories are collected and related by a practitioner with forty years in every aspect of the business, most of it in the countries from whence these stories originate.