In recent years, it has become notorious for the piracy off its coast and the rise of Islamic extremism, opening it up as a new "southern front" in the war on terror. At least that is how it is inevitably presented by politicians and in the media. In Getting Somalia Wrong?, Mary Harper presents the first comprehensive account of the chaos into which the country has descended and the United States' renewed involvement there. In doing so, Harper argues that viewing Somalia through the prism of al-Qaeda risks further destabilizing the country and the entire Horn of Africa, while also showing that though the country may be a failed state, it is far from being a failed society. In reality, alternative forms of business, justice, education, and local politics have survived and even flourished. Provactive and eye-opening, Getting Somalia Wrong? shows that until the international community starts to "get it right," the consequences will be devastating, not just for Somalia, but for the world.

    They got the adventure.The thirty-something golden boy and golden girl investment bankers have lost their passion, for life and each other. For three months—snorkeling Zanzibar, climbing Kilimanjaro, trekking to gorillas—the trip worked its magic. But when they begin their Kenyan safari at the start of the rainy season, their trust is shattered. They enter Maasai Mara park wondering if their marriage is over when an accident leaves them stranded and injured in the bush. The animals of the Mara are normally frightened of humans, but humans rarely walk the savanna hurt and weak. The fight for their marriage is now a fight for their life.