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.

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.

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