3.75 stars. An interesting recollection of Jamie’s time living and working on USAID projects around the world, in some of the poorest countries. Each country has a dedicated chapter, with lots of vignettes that can be short or medium stories of an event that happened. This makes it easy to “just read one more”, and leads to a quick read. I liked how Jamie embedded herself into the cultures, respecting them and trying to experience the different countries as much as was possible.

It would have been 4 or 4.5 stars, but towards the end there was a subtle shift for me that led a bit towards sounding like America could do no wrong - if so many people have a negative opinion, maybe question why that’s the case, instead of going on the defensive… I fully get standing up for your country and taking pride in it, but not blinkered. Also the bit where she basically engineers her boyfriend’s deployment to a country on the other side of the world because she felt the relationship was over, wasn’t really admirable (or in keeping with the impression I had of her as someone with morals). It left a sour taste for me.

Overall a decent book and interesting read. I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. Apologies for the delay in providing this.

This was such a great perspective, and I love seeing the travels of these intrepid people that can give us a different view of places we in the news.

I liked all the stories in this book. It was well written and very informative
This was so interesting. The author has managed to weave humour into this book

The author's account of navigating Kabul's chaotic traffic on a bicycle provides a refreshing and intimate view of daily life in the Afghan capital. It's a testament to the resilience and determination of both the author and the city's residents who continue to pursue ordinary activities despite the challenges they face.

What makes this book truly compelling is its ability to blend personal anecdotes with a broader exploration of the social and cultural fabric of Kabul. The author's keen observations and interactions with locals paint a vivid picture of a city that is far more complex and diverse than what is typically portrayed in the media.

These are usually my kind of reads, but this one didn't interest me. The book title grabbed me, but reading about international law, banking, and business loans bored me. I guess because I am an educator and not a business-minded person.

Bike Riding in Kabul by Jamie Bowman is an inspiring and heart-warming account of one man's journey to bring hope and joy to the children of war-torn Afghanistan. The book follows Bowman's adventures as he travels across the country with a team of volunteers, teaching young people how to ride bicycles and sharing the joy of this simple pleasure with those who have known so much hardship and suffering.

What sets Bike Riding in Kabul apart from other books about Afghanistan is its focus on the positive and the transformative. Bowman's love for the country and its people shines through on every page, and his dedication to bringing joy and hope to the children is truly inspiring.

The book is beautifully written, with vivid descriptions of the Afghan landscape and culture, and Bowman's sense of humor and humanity shines through in his interactions with the children and the people he meets along the way. The stories of the children who learn to ride bikes and the impact that this simple act has on their lives is both heart-warming and empowering, and serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience and spirit of the Afghan people.

Overall, Bike Riding in Kabul is a beautifully written and inspiring book that offers a fresh perspective on Afghanistan and the impact that one person can have in bringing joy and hope to those who have known so much pain and suffering. Highly recommended.

This was an interesting read regarding the role of a lawyer working on projects in different countries which are seeking support on developing new laws and systems. Travelling to war torn area's across African and the Middle East - it encompasses insights into the area like a travel book, showing the lives of the people who live and work in these places, and shines a light on the role played by western countries on trying to update laws and systems, and the culture clash that can exist.

The story isn't a direct narrative, more broken down into small vignette's within a particular country, although there are larger broad-stroke elements going on as it is also biographical.

The book isn't going to be for everyone, but there is some interesting content in there if you are looking to check it out!

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a tricky book to rate.

On the one hand it's really unique. Bowman takes us into her life and shares some unique stories about her experiences. We hear about her work in various USAID roles, learn about the people she met, and hear about her life traveling for work. Bowman seems pretty open about her feelings and her stories.

On the other hand I didn't really feel a narrative theme. Each chapter about a location and place in time is a collection of anecdotes and experiences that seem to sum up Bowman's time there. Everything is focused around Bowman's work, but most of the stories are fairly short. I'm also not sure that I understand all of them. Like at one point Bowman hears from an aid recipient that they didn't like that the US provided salted butter. Bowman is shocked by this and later shares the story with others who agree she's right to be shocked. Am I as the reader also supposed to be shocked? Am I supposed to draw my own conclusion from the story? I'm not sure and the ambiguity may be on me, but some deeper reflection would have been helpful for me to understand why certain stories were shared and others weren't.

Thank you to the author, Boyle & Dalton and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This memoir recounts the author's story of her career move from a steady corporate job in the US to using her skills as a lawyer to support emerging democracies in very diverse countries. The author’s ability to handle complex legal issues in countries without a background in Western law was fascinating, particularly given the challenges she faced. Some of these challenges were a result of culture clash or misunderstandings, some grew out of corruption, and some of the most difficult came about through a false understanding or misuse of power, even by the author's colleagues or supervisors. A bit surprisingly, the issue of bike riding - in Kabul or elsewhere - was an isolating, single incident in this entire story.

I have great admiration for the author's commitment to being open to new experiences, and her steadfast moral compass. In between her missions, we also get a glimpse into her relationship with her parents (while her father heartbreakingly slips into dementia), and her relationship with Roberto, who is her companion for many of her adventures.

Excellent.. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A lawyer leaves corporate America to work on projects in emerging democracies all over the world. Along the way, she meets an Argentinian boyfriend who joins her for a number of adventures. The book takes you to a wide variety of locations, many of them places you can't or won't be traveling to anytime soon (e.g. Ukraine). The author grows more savvy with each foreign posting, and this character change was well done as a memoir.

Personal note: The author's boyfriend was kind enough to greet and speak with a number of American parents and their just-adopted Russian children as they passed through Moscow. Thank you!!!!! My family was one of them, and though I don't think we met, I'm sure this kindness (and a friendly face) was much appreciated. Russia is a tough place to travel, and I admire the author for learning to "think like a Russian." Throwing down that Cold War card at the Russian driver to get through the horrible Moscow traffic was awesome.

Great read, highly recommended. Wish I had used my law degree this way!

It was interesting to read about the differences in the various cultures Bowman worked in, and the unique challenges to a free economy each one faced.

Even though the author was living in some fairly rustic conditions and dealt with incompetence of colleagues, she retained her sense of humor and doesn't use the book as an opportunity to just complain about everything, which I appreciated.

The book was entertaining enough, but not super memorable. Perhaps if I was more familiar with legal processes, it would have stayed with me more.

I understood from the ad-copy that the book was about legal work, but due to the title, I had assumed the author was an avid cyclist and that there would be a fair amount of "bike talk" included. In reality, the title comes from one very short tale which could have easily been edited out, because it added nothing to the book. I felt misled - not to mention disappointed, because the cycling aspect was about 75% of the reason I started the book in the first place.

There was some profanity and brief sexual references.

(Also, this is very minor, but I was confused by a comment she made about a guy who "spoke with the thick accent from the Great Lakes area in the United States." This area is located in the Midwest and the accent is considered one of the most neutral English accents in the world. I would hardly use the word "thick" to describe it.)