Ponds of Kalambayi A Peace Corps Memoir

A hilarious and wrenching memoir from a Peace Corps volunteer in Zaire Lovers of fine travel- and adventure-writing will savor Mike Tidwell's richly acclaimed narrative of his days as a Peace Corps volunteer. His task was to help people in the remote corners of Zaire raise tilapia in ponds they would dig themselves, with muscle-power alone. By turns hilarious and gut-wrenching, this book--whose new edition includes a new introduction by the author--is a masterful account of culture clash, generosity of spirit, and true grit. It is a must-read for anyone with aspirations to "change the world."

Mike Tidwell is founder and director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. He is also an author and documentary filmmaker whose books include, most recently, The Ravaging Tide: Strange Weather, Future Katrinas, and the Coming Death of America’s Coastal Cities. He has been featured on NBC’s Meet the Press and NPR, and in the New York Times and the Washington Post. He lives in Takoma Park, Maryland.