Rating: 
Summary: He Answered All My Questions!
Review: After researching every Peace Corps site on the net, I have finally began to continue my reading in local book stores and libraries. I read this book in one sitting and found many answers to the questions I had and even questions I hadn't considered yet. Sometimes the information gets a little redundant, but this book could have been a little better if Banerjee provided his readers with more personal volunteer stories. But all in all, if you have questions this book has plenty of answers and you won't walk away feeling like you wasted your money.
Rating: 
Summary: Get the Insider Info
Review: Dillon Banerjee directly answers questions ranging from what you should pack to loneliness, disease, relationships and ET (Early Termination of the two-year commitment) in the Peace Corps. His candid answers to these and many more questions are introduced with a page listing the acronyms that pepper PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer) conversations.The book grew from Banerjee's personal frustration trying to answer these questions for himself: he couldn't find a single book written from the perspective of a Volunteer. Those questions, informed by his later experiences in 1994-96 as a PCV in Cameroon, plus those of many other RPCV's (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) are the basis for this unusual book. It is organized around 73 questions starting with "1 What is the application process like?" and ending with "73 Would you go back and do the Peace Corps all over again?" The sometimes poignant answers to this final question were written by twelve RPCV's including Anne Hauk who wrote, "... I feel passionate about Uzbekistan, I also feel passionate about the Peace Corps; there's so much to love and hate about them both...." The nine appendices are rich with information including PCV requirements and how to strengthen your own application plus lists of loan programs and RPCV support groups arranged by state. The style is simple, direct and immediately useful as one expects with books from Ten Speed Press. I recommend this book to anyone thinking about joining the Peace Corps. It will also be invaluable to friends and family members who stay behind. It gives a rich context in which to understand the Peace Corps experience that the rest of us must imagine mostly from letters
Rating:
Summary: The straight stuff about joining the Peace Corps
Review: Dillon Banerjee directly answers questions ranging from what you should pack to loneliness, disease, relationships and ET (Early Termination of the two-year commitment) in the Peace Corps. His candid answers to these and many more questions are introduced with a page listing the acronyms that pepper PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer) conversations. The book grew from Banerjee's personal frustration trying to answer these questions for himself: he couldn't find a single book written from the perspective of a Volunteer. Those questions, informed by his later experiences in 1994-96 as a PCV in Cameroon, plus those of many other RPCV's (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) are the basis for this unusual book. It is organized around 73 questions starting with "1 What is the application process like?" and ending with "73 Would you go back and do the Peace Corps all over again?" The sometimes poignant answers to this final question were written by twelve RPCV's including Anne Hauk who wrote, "... I feel passionate about Uzbekistan, I also feel passionate about the Peace Corps; there's so much to love and hate about them both...." The nine appendices are rich with information including PCV requirements and how to strengthen your own application plus lists of loan programs and RPCV support groups arranged by state. The style is simple, direct and immediately useful as one expects with books from Ten Speed Press. I recommend this book to anyone thinking about joining the Peace Corps. It will also be invaluable to friends and family members who stay behind. It gives a rich context in which to understand the Peace Corps experience that the rest of us must imagine mostly from letters
Rating:
Summary: FINALLY! A GREAT book on the Peace Corps!
Review: I got this book yesterday and read it straight through. It is one of the most informative and useful books about the Peace Corps that I have ever read. As a former PCV in Cameroon, I can honestly say that Dillon Banerjee has successfully captured "the Peace Corps experience," which is no easy task. He gives very clear answers to some very tough questions. This book is sure to become an instant classic, "The" book to read. I would (and will!) recommend this book to anyone interested in joining the Peace Corps.
Rating:
Summary: Should be mandatory reading before applying
Review: My job is to work with college seniors who want to apply to post-graduation service programs like the Peace Corps. My office owns 4 copies of this book, and I constantly pass them out to students who are interested in applying to the Peace Corps. Students consistently say that it answered all of their questions AND all of the questions they didn't think of but wish they had. One caveat: Banerjee mostly writes from his own perspective as a returned volunteer. The answers to most of the questions in this book are highly variable, depending on your country placement and job. While his answers are truthful, as a returned volunteer who went somewhere very different from Banerjee, I would answer many of the questions differently.
Rating:
Summary: The straight dope for Peace Corps applicants
Review: Peace Corps, who've evidently dropped "the" from their name, is a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, wrapped in a tortilla (or flat bread). In this reviewer's opinion, the official info sessions offered by Peace Corps don't tell the whole story about the operation. Fortunately, Dillon's book does. He answers questions you were too embarrassed to ask during info sessions; questions you need answers to in order to make a fully informed decision. A tremendous resource for Peace Corps applicants or anyone thinking of becoming a Peace Corps volunteer. We've needed something like this for a long time. If it had nothing else of interest -- and it has plenty else of interest - Dillon's discussion of the application process, and how to keep it moving along, would be worth the cost of the book alone. The book pays for itself, demystifying the Peace Corps experience, giving you Peace of Mind. If that's not enough for you, writers will appreciate Dillon's prose; clearly, care was taken in the writing and editing of this book. It's eloquent without being flowery or pompous and is a joy to read. Dillon's either a terrific writer, has a terrific editor, or both. Too frequently, editors have a reverse midas touch -- turning perfectly good prose into dumbed-down dross. Bravo.
Rating:
Summary: This is exactly what I was looking for!!
Review: Peace Corps, who've evidently dropped "the" from their name, is a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, wrapped in a tortilla (or flat bread). In this reviewer's opinion, the official info sessions offered by Peace Corps don't tell the whole story about the operation. Fortunately, Dillon's book does. He answers questions you were too embarrassed to ask during info sessions; questions you need answers to in order to make a fully informed decision. A tremendous resource for Peace Corps applicants or anyone thinking of becoming a Peace Corps volunteer. We've needed something like this for a long time. If it had nothing else of interest -- and it has plenty else of interest - Dillon's discussion of the application process, and how to keep it moving along, would be worth the cost of the book alone. The book pays for itself, demystifying the Peace Corps experience, giving you Peace of Mind. If that's not enough for you, writers will appreciate Dillon's prose; clearly, care was taken in the writing and editing of this book. It's eloquent without being flowery or pompous and is a joy to read. Dillon's either a terrific writer, has a terrific editor, or both. Too frequently, editors have a reverse midas touch -- turning perfectly good prose into dumbed-down dross. Bravo.
Rating: 
Summary: General questions answered here.
Review: This book fills a certain need among Peace Corps applicants. Questions are typically answered with huge, sweeping generalizations within the PC world. Banerjee goes a long way in his attempt to quell the anxiety felt by anyone who has received, extensively, those vacuous responses. The problem is, however, that the life of a PC volunteer varies from one volunteer to the next. There is so much depending on your site, your country, and your personality that it is difficult to answer any one question without beginning to generalize as your recruiter or placement officer (or medical officer, or staging personnel, or...) has to do on a daily basis. It's just REALLY hard to answer any questions about PC life that will translate across the board to everyone. My suggestion: read the book. If you've had that nagging feeling that this is something you want to do, that you really want to join the Peace Corps, this book will not sway you either way. It might even answer some questions. But you know if you really want to go. So just do it. I'm speaking as someone who survived an evacuation and re-assignment. It will all work out.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect
Review: This book has everything you need to know about the Peace Corps! Wanting to join myself, I haven't been able to find a lot of updated books on the subject. There are a lot of fictionalized accounts, but this is the best book I could have found! The author himself served in Camaroon a few years back and has first hand knowledge of what its like. He talks about everything I wanted to know, including: the application process, traveling after the two years are up, the different jobs that are offered, statistics on who serves, dating, whether or not there will be electricity, and other important things!! The book has a different question on every page, so you can turn to the subject you need---gets right to the point! I recommend this for anyone looking to go into the peace corps or anyone interested in seeing what its like... he describes it so clearly, you feel like you are there.
Rating:
Summary: He Answered All My Questions!
Review: This book is the only one of its type that I have found, and is a thorough resource for those considering joining the Peace Corps. Much of it is practical advice for when you are actually a Peace Corps Volunteer serving overseas. However, it can be quite useful if you are just considering joining, as it gives you a good look at the realities of serving in the Peace Corps. I have read it cover to cover and still have many un-answered questions about life in the Peace Corps, but it did address many of my concerns in a realistic way. The question-and-answer format makes it exceedingly easy to read and find the answer to FAQ's of prospective Peace Corps Volunteers. However, I felt the book was too short and would have liked to know much more than was printed. Overall, it's an excellent starting resource for anyone considering joining the Peace Corps, or those who have already joined and are waiting to leave for their assignment.
| 
