Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Recommended Reads: Imperial Life in the Emerald City

Recommended Reads: Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaran (956.7044 CHA)


This suspensful, true life story tells of life in Baghdad's Green Zone during the American occupation of Iraq. After toppling Saddam's regime, American forces set up their headquarters in a protected bubble away from the turmoil and uncertainity that Iraqis faced daily. The narrative details the numerous mistakes the Americans made early in the occupation from spending billions of dollars to make the Green Zone just like America (complete with GMC Suburbans and bottomless quantities of pork available at every meal) to hiring people for important positions based on political affiliation. A movie based on the book and starring Matt Damon will soon be in theaters; read the book before heading to the show!