Rwanda, Inc.: How a Devastated Nation Became an Economic Model for the Developing World

by Patricia Crisafulli, Andrea Redmond

Eighteen years after the genocide that made Rwanda international news, but left it all but abandoned by the West, the country has achieved a miraculous turnaround. Rising out of the complete devastation of a failed state, Rwanda has emerged on the world stage yet again-this time with a unique model for governance and economic development under the leadership of its strong and decisive president, Paul Kagame. Here, Patricia Crisafulli & Andrea Redmond look at Kagame's leadership, his drive for excellence and execution that draws comparisons to an American CEO and emphasizes the development of a sophisticated and competitive workforce that leverages human capital. In Rwanda, the ultimate turnaround, strong and effective leadership has made a measurable and meaningful difference. Rwanda's progress offers an example for other developing nations to lift themselves out of poverty without heavy reliance on foreign aid through decentralization, accountability, self-determination, and self-sufficiency. The authors also explore Rwanda's journey toward its goal of becoming a middle-income nation with a technology-based economy, and its progress to encourage private sector development and foster entrepreneurship, while also making gains in education, healthcare, and food security-and all with a strong underpinning of reconciliation and unification. As so many nations stand on the brink of political and economic revolution, this is a timely and fascinating look at the implications of Rwanda's success for the rest of the continent-and the world.

Genres: Africa, Rwanda, Nonfiction, Economics, Politics, History, Audiobook

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 13, 2012

About the author

Crisafulli grew up in northern New York State near the Canadian border and worked as a journalist in New York City before settling in Chicago, where she was a reporter and correspondent for Reuters. Her work has appeared in a variety of media, including The Wall Street Journal and The Christian Science Monitor, and she is currently a featured blogger for Huffington Post.

Crisafulli also is the creative force behind what she calls her labor of love, Faith, Hope, and Fiction, a free, bimonthly literary ezine that features fiction, poetry, and essays.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rwanda Inc. by Patricia Crisafulli, is an interesting look at Rwanda in the modern world. Most people will remember the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda, where Hutu Génocidaires, with support from Rwandan politicians, clergy and military figures, massacred over one million people in the worst genocide the world has seen since the Holocaust. The international community largely stood by and did nothing, the UN security mission tied its own hands and watched in horror, and the French government actively supported Hutu politicians both at the beginning of the event, and as the perpetrators fled persecution by the victorious RPF forces.

After this event, Paul Kagame and his RPF forces took control of Rwanda, and tried to rebuild and
heal ties between Hutu and Tutsi communities. Kagame was in power for 6 years as an informal leader, while the country began to right itself. He stepped down for a time, but has been in charge for almost 14 years (two terms in Rwanda) as a popularly elected leader. Kagame in that time has been a hotbed for praise and controversy, being accused of making opposition figures disappear, presiding over the Congo Wars, largely a continuation of Rwanda's ethnic struggles in the Congo, and being accused of authoritarian practices - he has yet to announce his intentions after his 2017 term is up at the time of writing this review.

Kagame is also praised highly in international circles and at home. He has presided over a Rwanda that is struggling to rebuild, and has tried to put aside ethnic squabble in exchange for a single cultural identity. He has seen Rwanda's growth rate growing by 7-8% per year for almost a decade - no small feat for a landlocked and small African nation overcoming its war torn past and ethnic tensions. He has tried to forge his own path for Rwanda, shunning World Bank advice much to the chagrin of international investors and Western politicians. He has begun to mend ties with France, not an innocent party at all in the conflicts in Rwanda. This book is a look at the good side of Kagame.

So how does it hold up? Frankly, I was disappointed. I have read many books on authoritarian figures like Park Chung-hee, Lee Kuan Yee, Deng Xiaoping and so on, figures who have not promoted democracy in their respective nations, but have presided over a massive increase in living standards, education, healthcare and international approval. Kagame is often thrown into their mix as a modernizer who will do what it takes to get things done, and improve the lives of the average Rwandans. This is no small task. Rwanda faces many challenges that each of the above figures (in South Korea, Singapore and China, respectively) never had to contend with. All of the other tigers have sea access, were able to count on support from the international community as trading hubs (Singapore), or to improve ties (China), or for Geo-strategic purposes (South Korea). Rwanda has none of these. It is a small landlocked nation with a population of over 10 million people. It has few natural resources, no international port, and is viewed with skepticism or outright hostility by many neo-liberal democracies. Kagame has sought to alter this viewpoint, and the book is largely a manifesto of sorts to his ideals.

Kagame has pushed for an open for business attitude in Rwanda by promoting international investment and encouraging pro-business laws and ideals. At the same time, he is seeking to mend ties with a community that once killed their own neighbours in brutal fashion, while maintaining the security of a state surrounded by East African neighbours with their own agendas, ethnic make-up and conflicts. The book is highly praiseworthy of Kagame, so much so as to resemble a corporate biography (which is its intention). This style did not work for me at all (as my rating can attest). I enjoy reading about Rwanda, the "Singapore of Africa" supposedly, because I enjoy developmentalism as a subject. Rwanda Inc. felt like the perfect read for me, but falls far short of what it should be. The book lacks much in the way of important information on how Kagame is doing things, and instead focuses on his "drive, ambition, courage" etc. This glowing book is difficult to read as it offers little concrete information on the subject at hand, and focuses solely on character traits which are not helpful in the least. It looks at the intentions of Rwanda as stated by the RPF and its leaders, but offer no critical insight, no metrics or information, and indeed, little sources at all, besides other books like Stephen Kinzer's A Thousand Hills, a much more in depth analysis of Kagame and his regime in Rwanda.

As mentioned, I enjoy books on alternative governance styles, and Kagame's fits the build of interest for me. However, this book glosses over his authoritarian tendencies, which may seem controversial, but are much more understandable in the context of Rwanda's many security issues. It seems the authors were intending this book for a specific audience of Westerners unfamiliar with Rwanda besides the genocide. They leave much information on Kagame's role in the Congo conflict (they barely mention it at all). It is inexplicable to me why they would do this. It is a huge part of the story, and needs to be told in order to gain a concrete understanding of Rwanda's struggles, and why many feel it is such a hopeful nation in the global community. Whether one would compliment or condemn (and indeed, this is the struggle faced by the international community, both racked with guilt over their role in the conflict, but ever critical of any system not mirroring their own) Rwanda is a literal ray of light for the world. This is a nation that has gone from devastated to rapid growth in just over 10 years. It is one of the most promising investments in Africa. It's leader is a fascinating person marred by interesting flaws, controversies and possessed with clear strengths and wisdom. Rwanda is a fascinating topic in the modern world.

Frankly, however, I did not enjoy this book. It's glowing portrait glosses over the facts. It is poorly sourced, and offers little useful or practical information. It is a bland CEO-biography style book. It has some interesting moments and insights on Rwanda's success, and it is a hopeful book in tone, which is refreshing. However, it struggles to keep ones interest due to it's lack of personality. This can be safely passed over for more interesting material for most readers, but for those looking for a book on Rwanda that is not so depressing or cynical, and know little of the country in modern times, this is a good introduction point. It has a purpose to serve, but it did not do so for me.

[Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had hoped for a serious engagement with this increasingly important if imperfect nation at the heart of Africa. What I got was a hack-writer working as a cheerleader for a dictatorship. This is a hagiography, not a serious book. Though Crisafulli says otherwise, I assume that she was paid to write this book. More annoying if not as troubling, this book was choke full of meaningless business buzzword and was, in general, poorly written.

This is not an attempt to engage with Rwanda, rather it is an attempt by the country to buy influence and control the narrative about the country. The introduction to the book is written by Visa, Inc., which plays a role in buying space in a skyscrapper. I am really unsure if this book was actually sponsored in part by the Kagame regime and in part by Visa. It felt like I was reading a hundred-page long advertisement.

Rwanda is an important country, and, although Kagame is a dictator who assassinates his opponents, he is also a visionary leader who is offering an alternative way for African states to rise. My critique of this book is not meant to detract from that, but Rwanda deserves a serious treatment by a skilled observer, not some asshole in PR who wrote what she was told to write.

I hope that Crisafulli finds something nice to spend her thirty pieces of silver on.

Made it 7% of the way through this shitty book before I had to stop.

[Philip · Rating 1 out of 5]

An infomercial (poorly) disguised as a book.

The book starts with an introduction that goes out of its way to clarify that the authors were not compensated by the Rwandan government. That's not exactly a good indication. But it definitely set the tone for the rest of the book, wherein the authors heap praise and accolades on the Rwandan government in general, and Kagame in particular - I mean, seriously, I got second degree burns from how brightly Kagame's star shines in the eyes of the authors.

They also go out of their way to make excuses for Kagame throughout the book. That's essentially the only times the authors mention any criticisms of/against Rwanda or Kagame, as a way of setting up the excuse - generally pointing out how Kagame was elected in two consecutive democratic election landslides (I dare anyone to count how many times this is mentioned - as if 90%+ election landslides are a good indication of democracy; hint, they, decidedly, are not).

The book was published in 2012, and throughout the book, the authors keep harping on about how Kagame will show his critics and detractors when he steps down in 2017. In this they also compare him to George Washington, and how Kagame will lead the way, as did Washington, by setting the standard of peaceful democratic secession. "For Kagame," they say, "a seamless secession through democratic election, is what will truly underscore his triumph." They also point out that the Rwandan constitution only allows for two terms.

As of today, four years after 2017, Kagame is still the sitting president. So, yeah, there's that...

All this aside, there are definitely some interesting stuff in this book. While the economic growth numbers are questionable, Rwanda has definitely grown into a country to be reckoned with. The improvements in living standards, education, health care, and many other areas are to be lauded. Obviously Kagame has a lot to do with those improvements. What the authors fail to acknowledge (or understand?), is that economic growth doesn't equal democracy. Plenty of dictators, despots, and tyrants have managed improvements to their countries without democracy.

Regardless, Rwanda offers some insights in how to go about achieving such growth (in ways that are also compatible with democracy), and for that I went back and forth between a one- and two-star rating. I just couldn't get past the nasty infomercial taste though, so I landed on one star.

The main reason I ended up reading this book was that I recently read a great book with a darker perspective on Kagame ("Do Not Disturb" - my thoughts, if you're curious). I wanted to read a positive book as a kind of counterweight to that one.

Suffice to say that "Rwanda, Inc" was the disappointment of the two.


April 7, 2022 update:
Since finishing Wrong's book, I've made good use of my University's journal access, and it is very interesting how disparate the opinions on Rwanda and Kagame are. Interestingly, the biggest indicator of which side of the divide an article lands on... appears to be whether its main concerns are economic/financial or democratic/human rights oriented. I think that about explains the situation.

[Lauren Milewski · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me a long time to finish this book because it wasn't very good. I found that it dealt overwhelmingly with the narrative coming from Rwanda's government and a few high-level people in the private sector, along with their cheerleaders in the Western world (Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, etc.). There was very little perspective from typical Rwandans about how life in their country is changing. Also, the "President as CEO" metaphor felt very forced and overemphasized at the end. It's not a new idea, as far as I can tell.

There were a few interesting insights and a bit of an attempt in the very last two chapters to scale back some of the unbridled optimism and simplification of the rest of the book, but I wanted more of the messiness that reflects what's actually going on in the country today. That would have made for a much more interesting and thought-provoking read.

[Lelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

its not too often that one reads of successful leadership in Africa. this book not only makes me wonder why Kagame doesnt have a Nobel peace prize already but also why his fellow African leaders havent tried to emulate his leadership. highly recommended read!

[Theo Anastopoulo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cringe

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't hear much about sub-Saharan Africa, and didn't expect a description of the current state of Rwanda to be too positive. My expectation was partly due to what I expected to be the lingering effects of a brutal civil war and genocide from less than 20 years ago. My expectation was also partly due to the recent devastating economic downturn in the Eurozone and the U.S. after the 2008 recession. So I was somewhat surprised that tiny Rwanda, as opposed to so much of the rest of the developed world and in contrast to most African nations, actually is experience an improving economy and improvements in government. As the subtitle of this book indicates, Rwanda now appears to be the new model for development in central Africa.

The author(s) paint the prospect for a promising future for Rwanda. This stands in contrast to the continuing horrors reported in other African Countries such as Somalia, Mali, Libya, Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Sudan, etc. And while problems still exist, they appear to be nowhere near as serious as I might have guessed. Going from a failed state just a few years ago, to a country which is achieving impressive economic development is a wonderful achievement. And it was especially impressive to hear of how the Country has managed to overcome the affects of the civil war, and how the government was able to foster peace given the massacre of over 800,000 Tutsi's at the hand of the majority Hutu's only two decades ago.

So much of what we hear of central Africa involves tribal wars, criminal heads of state, exploitation of the people and resources, etc., so it was refreshing to hear at least one story of economic growth, development of the infrastructure, educational efforts, universal health care, and general good governance. Good governance is not typically a term associated with central African nations, so while not quite perfect, the authors find things to praise about the leadership style of President Paul Kagame and his vision for the future.

In reading the book, you get the impression that Rwanda’s approach to promoting inclusive and stable politics and governance may be working. The country is at peace and among the most stable on the continent. More importantly, Rwanda's progress seems to offer an example for other developing nations to lift themselves out of poverty without heavy reliance on foreign aid. The authors leave you with a degree of hope for this region of Africa which has seen little but constant strife over the past decades.

[Urmila · Rating 3 out of 5]

***1/2. It's rare to hear good news in the news. Which is why it was so refreshing to read about how far Rwanda has come since the horrors of the civil war and genocide of the early 90's.

The stats speak for themselves - almost zero government corruption, 1 million people lifted out of poverty between 2006 and 2011 (that's 10% of the population), 98% of primary school aged kids in class, 92% of the population covered by universal health care. It takes 24 hours to register a business in Rwanda. 56% of the national parliament is female. The Rwandan army provides the UN's 6th largest UN peacekeeping force. The Rwandan government is determined to be able to turn down foreign aid within twenty years, and is partnering busily with international businesses and consultants to bring its infrastructure and economy (currently 80% subsistence farming) into the 21st century via a market-based model. Few nations can boast such rapid progress, even ones that haven't experienced such utter devastation.

The book doesn't delve particularly deep into accusations from some corners of President Paul Kagame's authoritarian streak, choosing to present the government's rebuttals to criticism at face value (these rebuttals tend to be along the lines of "the people who criticise us were architects of the genocide and want to see Rwanda fail"). I'd be interested to read a more nuanced take on the criticisms of the Kagame administration, in order to better understand why they seem so sticky. Leaving this aside and giving the benefit of the doubt based on the outcomes, it was quite inspiring to read about the high level vision and core principles that have steered Rwanda to be a model of hope, stability and progress in a troubled region.

[John Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading a book on the 1994 horrific genocide in Rwanda where about one million humans were slaughtered in 100 days, I was interested in reading more about what happened since that bleak time of their history. I’ve read NYTs articles both highlighting the progress and cautioning against the anti-democratic actions of their chiasmatic leader, former Major General Paul Kagame. This book glosses over the issues about free press and democracy but is a good snapshot of where they were prior to Kagame’s current, extended third term.

Rwanda, Inc. highlights mostly the country’s incredible progress against unbelievable odds – a horrific turn of internal killing, working towards community reconciliation, moving two connecting races that had the same religion, language, and traditions to one unified country, and dealing with the deficit of human capital. OH yes and being a country where nearly everyone was in poverty with no money in the government’s bank.

Progress has been made on economic terms. According to this author, poverty was driven down from nearly 45% in 2011 to24% to 24% when the book was released a half dozen years ago. Extreme poverty was cut by 1/5th. Per capita income rose from $200 in 2000 to $560 in 2012. GNP shot up to an amazing 8.2% by 2011.

While government is slow and lacks some competence, the leader has kept corruption at bay, even willing to put allies and friends into prison for bribes and other actions that are tolerated by most African nations.

The country is also building for tomorrow. They installed a $95 million telecommunications network, built a stronger 12-year educational system, put money into their colleges and universities, and built their capital of Kigali to be a modern capital, including a 20-story skyscraper. Their investments in healthcare, assuring universal care for $2 per citizens – per year – is smart. Putting more investment into energy and transportation is also good building blocks both to attract more industry and to improve standard of living. The fact that they seem to be developing a way to do partnerships well, since they don’t have the national money that would allow them to buy what they have is smart – and needed. Moving to tourism to increase foreign currency is smart.

This small, dense population of 10.7 million people (as of the publishing of the book) is still majority Hutu and minority Tutsi, but President Kagame continues to bring people together under one country – and one goal. It’s fascinating that the country is moving to English as their main language, a smart move to help with economic development and a way to rid themselves of their French involvement.

It was interesting reading about Kagame’s history as a refugee from Uganda, starting the RPF, and going into the country to restore decency. Reading about the role of Belgium after WWI and then France was interesting, but nothing prepares us – even those who knew the history – to understand how the UN and world could sit on the sidelines as one million humans were slaughtered in a brutal manner. It would be interesting to read more about Bishop John Rugyahana, the chair of the Reconciliatory Commission.

This book was a fast read. The author seemed to put too much into putting the president up on a pedestal and minimizing the impact of not having a democracy and free press. It was mentioned that it is more complicated due to their history, but it was also mentioned that, like Germany, people can’t say certain things, even though in Germany democracy thrives. It was good that the book ends by mentioning the 2010 official French visit where the Foreign Minister came close to giving an apology and Rwanda provided 3,500 troops to the UN to help deal with Qaddafi.

[Bernard Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dominant image of Rwanda is a country engulfed in genocide in 1994. 400000 to 800000 Tutsis lost their lives in a mass orgy of killing.

30 years on, a visit to Kigali, Rwanda reveals something very different. The streets are both clean and green. The city is exceptionally safe. There are no homeless or beggers on the street. And it is a country largely free of corruption. Rwanda is one of the fastest growing country in Africa. In 2021, it recorded 10.87% in GDP growth and is projected to enjoy high single digit growth over the next decade.

How a country went from being a basket case to an economic miracle is worthy of study. Paul Kagame, viewed as a dictator outside Rwanda, takes a lot of the credit. He oversaw a unity and reconciliation process. No Rwandan today identifies himself as Tutsi, Hutu or Twa, but as "Rwandan". English was introduced as a compulsory language so as to allow the economy to better connect to the world. Growth and employment is key to him. He started an economic agency to attract investments (like EDB). He cleaned up the courts. And keeping the country clean and green was one of his pillars to bring discipline and belief to the people.

Kagame is Lee Kuan Yew reincarnated. In fact Kagame has said that he wants Rwanda to be the Singapore of East Africa. Like LKY, he rules with an iron fist. In a country of gangsters, the President needed to be the biggest gangster of all to bring order. The country is stable and people have seen their lives improve tremendously.

This book is a reasonable primer on Rwanda, although it reads like something that was written by the government. The authors are clearly Kagame fans. The authors also embarrassed themselves by spending the final chapter convincing the reader that Kagame will step down in 2017. He hasn't. He changed the constitution and is now serving his third 7-year term.

[Jakub Dovcik · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Rwanda's post-genocide transformation is fascinating, but unfortunately this book is a bit too brief and limited to fully capture the esence of it. As much as I might share some of the optimistic perspectives, a lot of time is spent praising the leadership and its qualities and less given to actual structural factors that underpin its developmental success in past decades.

There were chapters that focus on the development of human capital and the importance it is given, like the chapter on education (a fascinating statistic was that at the time of the writing of the book, spending on education was 17% of GDP), but generally a lot is explained shallowly and through the visionary leadership of a single man. There is some discussion of other figures like Rose Kabuye (chief of protocol for President Kagame) or Richard Sezibera (minister of health, later of foreign affairs and the Secretary General of East African Community), but again, most is about Kagame. And that might be very well true in the greater sense, it just limits how much one can learn from the structural changes the country has went through in past 30 years.

[Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at the economics behind the recovery of a country torn by genocide. I found a couple of things really interesting. First, the book made is sound like the reason Rwanda has done so well since 1994 is because it doesn't receive a bunch of foreign aid. The Rwandan's themselves know they're going to have to pull themselves out of poverty and set policies to help encourage the entrepreneurial spirit. The second is how their president Paul Kagame has been pivotal in turning the country around. It makes you wonder a little about 2017 when Kagame will step down and allow Rwanda's next democratically elected president to take office. The book was a bit of a dichotomy that way. There was a lot about how strong Rwanda had become and how it'll be fine when Kagame's term ends and then in the next paragraph, words of worship about how great Kagame was and how he had done all these things that no one else could do.

[Brandon Stiver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting picture of Rwanda and it's history since 1990, especially 1994 and beyond. The book gives a cursory history that is easy-to-read (though tragic), succinct and compelling. I find the governance of Rwanda to be very interesting as it seems a lot more progressive and effective than what I've seen from living in Tanzania for the last eight years. I do feel that Kagame has been a good example of African leadership and the proof is in the pudding. I feel that there is a good impulse to collaborate with westerners while maintaining your sovereignty as a nation and Kagame seems to have found that. Interesting that this book was written over five years ago and that it ended looking forward to succession. Of course Kagame did amend the constitution and is still in the presidency. It'd be great to have a few more chapters that cover what has happened since 2013. All the same, a good book and a quick read.

[Cy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for getting up to speed with the background of he Rwandan Genocide and how it has made a remarkable recovery since, with a heavy emphasis on the leadership of Rwanda’s President Paul Kagabe. The authors portrayed Kagabe as quite the hero, which I believe is well deserved, but they also made a big deal of their hope and expectation that he would not change the constitution and seek a third term as president... which is exactly what he did (in 2017, book was published in 2012)

When authors make specific predictions like this in current events books it unfortunately has a tendency to cause the book to age poorly.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Peace Corps volunteer in Rwanda, I thought parts of this book provided good insights and reflected what I have already seen in the country. Still, reader be warned, parts of this book are QUITE dry. I'm biased because I corporate/investment topics aren't really my cup of tea (I read the book because it was a gift and I hoped to get some good insights about how Rwanda has made such remarkable rebound post-genocide). I ended up just skim reading a couple of chapters at the end.

If you don't get bogged down in the boring business details, it's a well researched and MOSTLY fair book (there are parts that come across as a bit TOO pro-Kagame but overall it's well balanced).

[Read a Book · Rating 1 out of 5]

There's a lot of helpful detail in this work, but it surprisingly does not offer a critique of the Rwandan socioeconomic story of the past few decades. There's quite a bit of normativity, and unsubstantiated claims (e.g., Rwanda's inferred goal is to enter economic parity with Singapore, at least on a household income level) and anecdotal stories (people being fearful/not fearful of venturing out in Kigali at night).

Without a critical and independent eye from its narrative, it's difficult to evaluate Rwanda Inc's take on the nation's economic development and trajectory. I had a hard time treating this as a piece of researched scholarship as opposed to a more journalistic style.

[Chuck A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the title says ‘How a devastated nation became an economic model for the developing world’, this book touches on the history of Rwanda from the genocide in 1994 to 2014(?) when it was written.

Pretty cool to learn about one of the only countries that was able to correct itself and is now on the road to thriving with very little foreign aid or involvement. Not only does the book go into detail about Paul Kagame’s vision2020, detailing what he had hoped and was planning for the country, but it also talks about the various companies that have popped up with the help of Kagame’s policy toward growth in the country. Good book.

[Emory · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gives you a look at Rwanda since the genocide, but it reads a bit like propaganda. Politically, I think Rwanda's situation deserves nuance, particularly because it centers around the genocide which is not as one-sided as one might think. However, this book is solidly on Kagame's side. Additionally, it is extremely repetitive to the point that I think everything said in this book could have been said in a single essay. That aside, what Rwanda has been able to accomplish is highly impressive and this book does a good job demonstrating that.

[William Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very positive take on Rwanda's rising from its ashes that serves as a good contrast to criticisms as voiced, for example, in BBC's 2014 documentary (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0LFb...). A very thorny issue, very difficult to see through, if not impossible, and as such it can serve as a sample for gauging the complexity of the whole of humanity, without jumping to hasty conclusions.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not have a background understanding of the genocide. This book did provide that in simple terms. However the bulk of the book is about the country’s recovery from the genocide. Where they have come in such a short time is remarkable. I do agree with other readers that the book seems at times to be fawning over Kagame and his achievements which is not necessary as his accomplishments stand on their own and do not need to be explained or repeated several times.

[Brandon Wilde · Rating 2 out of 5]

An optimistic look at Rwanda’s progress and bright future. However, the heavy emphasis on President Kagame’s singular leadership makes it feel at times like a study in personality cult.

A dark shadow hangs over the narrative after the authors insist again and again that Kagame’s character would be vindicated when he peacefully stepped down in 2017… only for me to realize he’s still in power in 2025.

[Simon Semelin · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ett land som var kört i botten efter inbördeskrig och som tidigare levde på ditt jordbruk har påbörjat kampen att ställa om till ett IT-mecca. De ser framtiden i den branschen och låter inte historien hindra dem. Paul Kagame, deras president har påbörjat denna process och får hjälp av bl.a. Tony Blair i sitt arbete.
"

Ännu ett afrikanskt land som har vänt sin utveckling. Läs och inspireras!

[Jack D · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good intro to some of the history of Rwanda and how it's progressed quickly along its development journey. However, I think the book was far too optimistic and uncritical in its review. Additionally, the praise of Kagame as a benevolent leader and his intention to step down in 2017 has unfortunately aged very poorly.

[Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book describes the rebuilding of Rwanda after the genocide. It came off as a rather dubious sales pitch for how great the nation and its leader are. The author is imbued with a dubious grasp of history. At one point she claims that the atomic bombing of Japan was an act of genocide. She is positive that Kagame would step down as President when his term expired. Instead, keeping in the mold of other African dictators, Kagame just changed the constitution. The book is a disappointment.

[E Lemont · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about how Rwanda has moved beyond genocide and created a high tech, connected economy.

[WT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being my first book on Rwanda, enjoyed it

[Ann Singer-Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at the rebuild of Rwanda but a dull read at times

[Julio Cesar Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative about the country. Great example of what can happen when the leader of a country cares about its people.

[Charlene McClaren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

After returning from my trip to Rwanda, I was anxious to know more about the turn around of this country. I was very interested in the leadership qualities of the president and the programs involved in Vision 2020. This book was exactly what I was looking for!