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Lost Decency, the Untold Afghan Story
IBPA Ben Franklin Award Silver Medalist Atta's thrilling and inspiring story uncovers the truth about how his beloved and once-peaceful nation turned into one of the deadliest and most dangerous in the world. Every refugee's story deserves to be heard, but many memoirs written by exiles represent the country's more privileged classes with money and means. In Lost Decency, Atta Arghandiwal shares the Afghan people's untold story, embodied in his turbulent journey to escape their war-torn country.
- GenresMiddle East
282 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
Atta Arghandiwal
21 books15 followersMy journey: From Resilience to Responsibility
My life trajectory has been marked by proud achievements through resilience, self-sufficiency, and the power of taking ownership. As a first-generation Afghan American, I have traveled the long road from a war-torn childhood in Kabul to a 29-year career as a banking executive in the United States. Today, my mission is to use that experience to challenge humanity toward a deeper sense of responsibility and service.
My formative years in Afghanistan were defined by a deep commitment to my homeland, including my service in the Air Force. However, the political devastation of the late 1970s and the subsequent Soviet invasion forced me onto a life-altering path. In August 1980, I left everything behind and spent two years as a refugee in Germany while preparing for a future I could not yet see.
When I immigrated to the United States in December 1981, I didn’t just look for a job; I looked for a way to master the American promise.
I started as a bank teller and climbed the ranks to become a Senior Vice President and Regional Manager. This professional success was never the end goal; it was the foundation for my true calling: uplifting the global immigrant community and advocating for those who are often overlooked.
Driven by pride in my heritage and a passion for human dignity, I committed my story to paper. My memoir, “Lost Decency,” earned the Benjamin Franklin Book Award and has since grown into a series of resources, including Immigrant Success Planning, designed to move newcomers from dependence to autonomy.
I believe that even in the Age of AI, our greatest assets remain our human values: honor, respect, and clear priorities. This conviction led me to evolve my previous work into my latest guidebook, The Self-Sufficient Immigrant in the Age of AI. I don’t just offer advice; I offer a challenge. I am here to mentor, advocate, and provide the pragmatic tools every global citizen needs to thrive.
The question I ask you is this: Are you ready to take full
My life trajectory has been marked by proud achievements through resilience, self-sufficiency, and the power of taking ownership. As a first-generation Afghan American, I have traveled the long road from a war-torn childhood in Kabul to a 29-year career as a banking executive in the United States. Today, my mission is to use that experience to challenge humanity toward a deeper sense of responsibility and service.
My formative years in Afghanistan were defined by a deep commitment to my homeland, including my service in the Air Force. However, the political devastation of the late 1970s and the subsequent Soviet invasion forced me onto a life-altering path. In August 1980, I left everything behind and spent two years as a refugee in Germany while preparing for a future I could not yet see.
When I immigrated to the United States in December 1981, I didn’t just look for a job; I looked for a way to master the American promise.
I started as a bank teller and climbed the ranks to become a Senior Vice President and Regional Manager. This professional success was never the end goal; it was the foundation for my true calling: uplifting the global immigrant community and advocating for those who are often overlooked.
Driven by pride in my heritage and a passion for human dignity, I committed my story to paper. My memoir, “Lost Decency,” earned the Benjamin Franklin Book Award and has since grown into a series of resources, including Immigrant Success Planning, designed to move newcomers from dependence to autonomy.
I believe that even in the Age of AI, our greatest assets remain our human values: honor, respect, and clear priorities. This conviction led me to evolve my previous work into my latest guidebook, The Self-Sufficient Immigrant in the Age of AI. I don’t just offer advice; I offer a challenge. I am here to mentor, advocate, and provide the pragmatic tools every global citizen needs to thrive.
The question I ask you is this: Are you ready to take full
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 3, 2014
LOST DECENCY
Is well titled given the content—It’s the story of a man growing up in Afghanistan in a world quite different from the country described in the news today. The author paints a picture of a beautiful land and the people who lived there before the Soviet Invasion and subsequent American involvement.
He describes a country where large extended families were the norm and a benevolent expression of Islam formed the context or approach to life. Women were appreciated, respected and cared for, girls went to school.
Then came the Russian invasion and suddenly everything changed.
Able to escape and rescue his family Atta was fortunate not to be trapped by the generosity afforded immigrants, which can easily foster dependence.
What Atta describes is something that can happen to any nation. Cultures and civilizations tend to flourish for a time and then unexpected events happen and within a relatively short time they disintegrate. Respect, generosity and kindness are replaced by greed, violence and fear. It is well to keep this in mind as there do not appear to be any exceptions.
Although it seems unlikely that Canada and the US are at risk of invasion at the moment there are other catastrophic events that can happen, unexpected and sudden. The Philippines, Haiti and Japan are recent examples. Environmental destruction damage to the food chain and the use of pharmaceuticals by the medical profession are things that put Canada and the US at risk today and cumulatively they could be as deadly as war.
We are not immune from what happened and is still happening in Afghanistan. In a recent visit to his home country Atta encounters the same hunger for power and the same greed that lies behind so much of what puts Canadians and Americans at risk.
If we are not aware of what is happening we may also mourn lost decency.
An excellent book.
Is well titled given the content—It’s the story of a man growing up in Afghanistan in a world quite different from the country described in the news today. The author paints a picture of a beautiful land and the people who lived there before the Soviet Invasion and subsequent American involvement.
He describes a country where large extended families were the norm and a benevolent expression of Islam formed the context or approach to life. Women were appreciated, respected and cared for, girls went to school.
Then came the Russian invasion and suddenly everything changed.
Able to escape and rescue his family Atta was fortunate not to be trapped by the generosity afforded immigrants, which can easily foster dependence.
What Atta describes is something that can happen to any nation. Cultures and civilizations tend to flourish for a time and then unexpected events happen and within a relatively short time they disintegrate. Respect, generosity and kindness are replaced by greed, violence and fear. It is well to keep this in mind as there do not appear to be any exceptions.
Although it seems unlikely that Canada and the US are at risk of invasion at the moment there are other catastrophic events that can happen, unexpected and sudden. The Philippines, Haiti and Japan are recent examples. Environmental destruction damage to the food chain and the use of pharmaceuticals by the medical profession are things that put Canada and the US at risk today and cumulatively they could be as deadly as war.
We are not immune from what happened and is still happening in Afghanistan. In a recent visit to his home country Atta encounters the same hunger for power and the same greed that lies behind so much of what puts Canadians and Americans at risk.
If we are not aware of what is happening we may also mourn lost decency.
An excellent book.
October 19, 2014
I was moved by the story of Mr. Arghandiwal’s struggles and accomplishments. Tight and concise writing makes the chronological flow of the book interesting and thought provoking. People (like myself) who have lived in North America all our lives sometimes take for granted the freedom and security we have and forget the struggles people in other countries not as fortunate have to endure.
I would have really liked to experience the Afghanistan that Mr. Arghandiwal grew up in. It is sad what the country has become after so much politics and war.
It is heartening that the author and his family were able to overcome such hardship and accomplish so much in their lives. It gives others hope.
I highly recommend, Lost Decency.
Lawrence Verigin, author of, DARK SEED
I would have really liked to experience the Afghanistan that Mr. Arghandiwal grew up in. It is sad what the country has become after so much politics and war.
It is heartening that the author and his family were able to overcome such hardship and accomplish so much in their lives. It gives others hope.
I highly recommend, Lost Decency.
Lawrence Verigin, author of, DARK SEED
July 25, 2012
This is a charming book that I have learned much from. Being a first generation Afghan American comes with misunderstandings of the past. This book put things in perspective and has allowed me to appreciate where I come from. Lost Decency has inspired me to create memories throughout my life and to never take things for granted. I hope that I can give back to the Afghan people one day. Thank you for inspiring me.
May 28, 2017
This is a short book, almost a summary overview, of his escape from Afghanistan after the Russian invasion, how his family joined him in the US, and his return trip to see what had become of his home country after the US, uh, hmmm... invasion? It's a true story by a real person who seems quite likeable overall. I really wish that he had made the book two to three times as long and included a great deal more detail about three things: what exactly did the Afghanistan infrastructure look like before he left, his family's exodus (the how's, what's, and why's), and the talk that he gave his son after 9/11. He managed to communicate the basics but I have a lot more questions now than I started out with.
April 30, 2014
Lost Decency describes Afghanistan before the Russian invasion, when Islam had not leaned into fundamentalism and women were respected and had freedom to attend schools. Atta described his experiences when Communism, followed by the Russian invasion, devastated the culture.
His description of the airplanes which droned overhead for days bringing the invading army was very powerful. As was the speed at which an open friendly society became one governed by fear and secrecy.
Atta emigrated to Germany as a refugee with the idea of eventually bringing his large family to freedom. He was shocked by the fact that refugees were held in camps for many years, jobless, relying on welfare and afraid of being returned to the country from which they fled. The US was a place where immigrants were allowed to work and live freely and Atta’s message to refugees is to learn and work and become part of society.
To read a book which describes the gradual deterioration of a society written by a gentle and caring man who does not allow hatred or blame to shadow his life is a privilege. To accompany him on his path to a life of freedom is a joy. The US is lucky to have Atta and his family.
His description of the airplanes which droned overhead for days bringing the invading army was very powerful. As was the speed at which an open friendly society became one governed by fear and secrecy.
Atta emigrated to Germany as a refugee with the idea of eventually bringing his large family to freedom. He was shocked by the fact that refugees were held in camps for many years, jobless, relying on welfare and afraid of being returned to the country from which they fled. The US was a place where immigrants were allowed to work and live freely and Atta’s message to refugees is to learn and work and become part of society.
To read a book which describes the gradual deterioration of a society written by a gentle and caring man who does not allow hatred or blame to shadow his life is a privilege. To accompany him on his path to a life of freedom is a joy. The US is lucky to have Atta and his family.
April 27, 2014
Lost Decency is the story of heartbreak. It is about a proud and progressive nation and its people and the external forces which sought to subjugate its citizens. The invasion of Afghanistan by Russia was, to say the least, a difficult and dangerous time. Once promising futures had to be set aside. The personal goal became the defence of a homeland. The Russian withdrawal did not result in times of peace. We are painfully aware of the the continuous spiral of violent tragedy the Afghanistan people have, subsequently, been living through. Lost Decency tells this story and the story of a reluctant escape but it is not so much a history book as a it is the mapping of a heart. Lost Decency is gripping; it is true; it is award winning, and it needs to be read.
February 17, 2013
When I started to read Lost Decency I immediately became mesmerized, it was very difficult to put down. It is written in a way that you feel like you are there. It is a story about a journey that a family needed to make to survive. I read this book in two days. Reading a book by someone who was born there and had to leave a country he loved was just heartbreaking. Anybody that reads this book will get a better understanding of the tragic of our current times, what war does to a country and why immigration is so important to the United States.
I just loved this book.
I just loved this book.
November 29, 2012
It's such a rare gift for an American, a "Westerner", to get such a personal and insightful peek into the world of Afghanistan. This is not the CNN viewpoint, but the intimate experience of one who grew up in this fascinating and mysterious part of the world. Arghandiwal is telling of living with his family, working a job, enduring what was going on around him right at the the crucial time of change for his country. A true insider's story, detailed and moving.
December 24, 2012
This book is the story of a man who lived through the changes in Afghanistan. He grew up in the period when Afghanistan was a tourist destination and a country in the process of modernizing. Atta left after the invasion by the Russians, starting a long period as a refugee, first in Germany, than in the United States. This book was a very interesting read, but it was very sad to see the decline of an entire people.
January 8, 2013
Overall, I really liked this book. I learned a lot about a country which although in our news for much recently, it was difficult to understand from the point of view of an immigrant. I would have liked to better understand the current state-it seemed to be glossed over some which may have more to do with the short time the author had on his return visit. Still, I would recommend this book for those interested in learning about this country and its people.
November 9, 2012
Great book! It is an amazing story of survival. But most importantly, provides unbiased realities that not only impact the people of Afghanistan but the loss of thousands of American troops and billions of wasted dollars. A must read for all!
January 15, 2013
A beautiful and inspiring memoir as well as a book that will be a real education for most Americans. Lost Decency goes a long way towards promoting understanding and reclaiming the dignity of the Afghan people.
June 9, 2013
WOW... this book is enlightening and fascinating while maintaining the truth of Atta's life. I absolutely loved it, and was unable to put it down. Truely an outstanding memoir... I would recommend to anyone interested in history or Afghan culture. A must read.
(Received from Goodreads)
(Received from Goodreads)
Want to Read
May 28, 2013B ARGHANDIWAL,A
October 4, 2014
I thinking I will read it again as it is a great book
Read
October 7, 2018" the lost decency" was a book covering the personal happenings of a afghan refugee in the larger context of his country, Afghanistan.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews