It is not very common to find a World Bank economist who writes with a touch of humor, humility and eloquence, but that is exactly what you will discover in this unique book. The author was a World Bank advisor assigned to the tiny African nation of Equatorial Guinea in the late 1980's, a time when many African nations were beginning to flirt with market reforms and economic liberalization. This book is kind of like a personal diary of the time he spent there. It is written in an easygoing, informal style. He alternates between discussing his job- trying to develop an economic strategy that will enable E. Guinea to qualify for a World Bank loan- and discussing his recreational activities, which range from surfboarding to hanging out with African rock stars. He introduces us to many people- government officials, "experts" from the UN and other international organizations, and ordinary Equatoguineans. He seems to be particularly critical of the so-called "experts," many of whom are in this remote backwater merely because "they couldn't find jobs in their own countries." Many economists and other academics seeking a rigorous, theoretical analysis of African political economy might be frustrated by this informal style, but I think it adds an extra dimension to the story of economic reform in the third world. It helps remind us that these structural adjustment policies thought up in Washington D.C. are implement by real people facing real constraints in recipient countries. Klitgaard does an excellent job of relating the pressures faced by well-intentioned (and some not so well-intentioned) government ministers, as they must deal with corruption, apathetic bureaucrats, nasty military officers, and the poor infrastructure found in every developing country. All in all, this is a great read for anybody interested in the troubles facing third-world countries, for anyone curious about why these countries can't seem to get out of their economic malaise. Although it was written in 1991, it seems just as relevant today as it did when it was written.

This was the cheer statement of an old spanish allien in EG: "people in your country is not going to believe you, they'll tell you're crazy man! Surely he knew all the characters of this amazing book. I did too. I've been ther six months after Bobs departure,and spent two years inside this contradictory scenary of beauty and madness; one of my collegues in a UN Project was this fascinating woman CHA-CHA (or what rhitm it was?)Well for someone who has not been there this could not count as histories about Mr. Kurtz or worst, but all i can said is: being there is living in permanent fear no matter how far your white collar work is from the crude day to day reality of this people. Bob surely did an excelent work, but damn! why not try to surf across the "filariasis" waters of the Malabo coast? Thanks Bob, for remind me some of the better experiences in my life, those that help to know the worth of living in a developing country with all of his ups and downs but surely better as happily I'm now. Finally I'm happy for not catching malaria in those long years. A record! The book tells the truth, but I know there are many worst things that hardly one could see or tell. Want some more? I'll tell you about Andrew, a young and handsome british consultor being beaten on his barefeet by Malabo's police -headed by the strong police chief and Obiang's brother, - his fault was showing off at a Malabo disco bar.The reaction in the UN context was: "don't make waves". Want to know more about "etiopia"? You wouldn't believe it, you'd tell I'm Crazy. Cheers Bob!

Tropical Gangsters gives you an interesting look into Equatorial Guinea through the eyes of an economist, but also a human.

If you're interested in development, foreign aid, etc you'll find this book fascinating. No groundbreaking theories are found here, but the practical side is conveyed clearly and precisely.

It reads like a diary of sorts, there are insights into cultural differences, personal life and political science questions.

The premise of this book was most intriguing but the character development was poor. The main character seemed almost like a rehash of characters found in previous novels by Cook. The scientific details were fascinating and obviously a lot of research went into these details. The geographic descriptions were also quite vivid but the ending was most abrupt and extremely poorly written. This could either be the fault of the author who lost interest by the last chapter or else the editor was overzealous and did a hatchet job on it. Either way, it was most disappointing. If you feel a need to read it, buy a used copy.

Chromosome 6 is a very good book, you never get bored.
There are a lot of action and suspense.
The story is about the clonage , and that show what the clonage can do, some human-animal, that make thinking.
The book speaks about what past now.
It's sometimes hard to understand because there are a lot of the medical terminology.
and about a medical examiner named Jack Stapleton who discovers at the morgue in New York City while working that something strange is going on. He notices during an autopsy that a man had had a liver transplant but for some reason he has trouble finding out where and when and also the man didn't need anti - immunity drugs, in other words the body did not try to reject the liver. Jack digs deep to find the answer and the two plots finally connect.
I very enjoyed it!

This is a great read . I loved the characters, especially Stapleton. The mix of the Mob and medical scenarios involving transplants kept my attention thoughout. I enjoyed this read so much that I am currently reading Contagion because the characters here were introduced in that work. I can see the possibility of a sequel because of the inevitable ending. Gene manipulation in any species could open a Pandora's box of trouble for future generations. I read one or two books a week and the only other book that I've liked this much is, Alien Rapture, by Steiger, which is also a mystery thriller. Go Cook, I can hardly wait for future novels from this medical stylist. -

Len Deighton is 3 different writers. His first books (1962-82) are directionless, pointless, storyless, boring.

His Bernard Samson books are good.

After that (mamist, city of gold) he goes into his second childhood with simpleton, stupid, unbelievable plots and characters.

Not recommended

I read this book right after a Tom Clancy novel, and well, it's hard to compete with the master, Tom Clancy. I would probably have enjoyed this more if I had read it first. The plot just wasn't near as exciting as the the Clancy book, and I think that did play a part in my opinion of this book. All in all though, it was a good book and well written

Comparing Len Deighton to Tom Clancy works only in that both authors choose from time to time to operate in the shadow world of espoinage. In a Clancy novel there is never any doubt who wears the white hat; it is this distinction that separates Deighton from Clancy. A generation back the comparison between Deighton and Clancy would have been Graham Greene and Ian Fleming. Which you choose says more about the types of novels you read than which story you preferred.

MAMista is a story written by an author quite comfortable examining the moral ambiguities presented, with good detail to his fictional surroundings, direct in his presentation, and very agile in his story-telling abilities. The characters always come alive with the story, including some minor ones you'd rather not have done so. The only complaint; in setting the mood so well, Deighton can go on a bit more than necessary. This is a minor flaw in an otherwise graceful novel.

All three novels are wonderful. They are real page turners, and I would definitely recommend reading them all. However, combining three novels into one hardback book is a BAD idea, despite the great price. The book weighs a ton, and it is cumbersome to read and carry around with you.