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A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide
by Samantha Power

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/368731.A_Problem_from_Hell_America_and_the_Age_of_Genocide?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide" border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1174179182m/368731.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/368731.A_Problem_from_Hell_America_and_the_Age_of_Genocide?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13271.Samantha_Power">Samantha Power</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3493203?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 5 of 5 stars "Problem from Hell: American in the Age of Genocide" by Samantha Power was great. I know the book sounds depressing, but it had me spellbound. It is a DENSE book- full of facts about the genocides of the 20th century…but her writing is concise yet engaging. As I read, I found myself hating Samantha Power bc she was doing SUCH a good job and I was SO jealous. 
 
 She had clearly reached conclusions about the subject and each chapter was organized accordingly- I don’t think I could have gotten through this book without her organization and the way her voice comes through… it’s one of the most incredible books I’ve read. Not just the writing style, but the topic… she does it justice. 
 
 When I say spellbound, I don’t mean I couldn’t put it down. I HAD to put it down bc there was so much to absorb. Stopping for a day or two let me think about whatever country she currently had me in; not actively think, in a way that implies work, but let it sink in. Doing that helped me remember the facts better.
 
 What’s also valuable about the book is that the topic of genocide is unfortunately very current, so when the people around you are making inaccurate generalizations (like about Iraq- there's a chapter about Saddam gassing the Kurds), you have the info to contradict them and/or give them better facts. 
 
 Problem from Hell won the Pulitzer. I’m not saying that as a way to persuade someone to read the book, I’m just saying, thank god they picked it so it gets the acknowledgement it deserved. 
 
 One more cool thing, is that one of the first people to send reports back to the U.S. about the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia was a diplomat named Charles Twining. I was a French major with a guy named Dan Twining whose Dad was at the time ambassador to Cameroon (he didn't brag about that, it just came up when we were talking about breaks and he was going to Africa). 
 Not until I read this book did I realize what else his Dad had been up to- that he was a diplomat in Cambodia when the genocide was gearing up, and he tried desperately to make the U.S. government understand what was happening. And, like Powers shows is a stage in every genocide, the government or the U.N. ignored what the people on the ground reported... and the leaders of the genocide had free reign to continue. 
 
 PS to my book club- in a WAY, this relates to conspiracy theory... a true thing that people try to cover up. Not that genocide in any way compares to like, aliens or who shot JFK. No offense, JFK.
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/185218?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Kristine's review
rating:
bookshelves: favoritestorecommend
recommended for: ppl who are interested in the world/politics

"Problem from Hell: American in the Age of Genocide" by Samantha Power was great. I know the book sounds depressing, but it had me spellbound. It is a DENSE book- full of facts about the genocides of the 20th century…but her writing is concise yet engaging. As I read, I found myself hating Samantha Power bc she was doing SUCH a good job and I was SO jealous.

She had clearly reached conclusions about the subject and each chapter was organized accordingly- I don’t think I could have gotten through this book without her organization and the way her voice comes through… it’s one of the most incredible books I’ve read. Not just the writing style, but the topic… she does it justice.

When I say spellbound, I don’t mean I couldn’t put it down. I HAD to put it down bc there was so much to absorb. Stopping for a day or two let me think about whatever country she currently had me in; not actively think, in a way that implies work, but let it sink in. Do...more "Problem from Hell: American in the Age of Genocide" by Samantha Power was great. I know the book sounds depressing, but it had me spellbound. It is a DENSE book- full of facts about the genocides of the 20th century…but her writing is concise yet engaging. As I read, I found myself hating Samantha Power bc she was doing SUCH a good job and I was SO jealous.

She had clearly reached conclusions about the subject and each chapter was organized accordingly- I don’t think I could have gotten through this book without her organization and the way her voice comes through… it’s one of the most incredible books I’ve read. Not just the writing style, but the topic… she does it justice.

When I say spellbound, I don’t mean I couldn’t put it down. I HAD to put it down bc there was so much to absorb. Stopping for a day or two let me think about whatever country she currently had me in; not actively think, in a way that implies work, but let it sink in. Doing that helped me remember the facts better.

What’s also valuable about the book is that the topic of genocide is unfortunately very current, so when the people around you are making inaccurate generalizations (like about Iraq- there's a chapter about Saddam gassing the Kurds), you have the info to contradict them and/or give them better facts.

Problem from Hell won the Pulitzer. I’m not saying that as a way to persuade someone to read the book, I’m just saying, thank god they picked it so it gets the acknowledgement it deserved.

One more cool thing, is that one of the first people to send reports back to the U.S. about the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia was a diplomat named Charles Twining. I was a French major with a guy named Dan Twining whose Dad was at the time ambassador to Cameroon (he didn't brag about that, it just came up when we were talking about breaks and he was going to Africa).
Not until I read this book did I realize what else his Dad had been up to- that he was a diplomat in Cambodia when the genocide was gearing up, and he tried desperately to make the U.S. government understand what was happening. And, like Powers shows is a stage in every genocide, the government or the U.N. ignored what the people on the ground reported... and the leaders of the genocide had free reign to continue.

PS to my book club- in a WAY, this relates to conspiracy theory... a true thing that people try to cover up. Not that genocide in any way compares to like, aliens or who shot JFK. No offense, JFK....less

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