Mercenaries and Missionaries examines the relationship between rapidly diffusing forms of capitalism and Christianity in the Global South. Using more than two hundred interviews in Bangalore and Dubai, Brandon Vaidyanathan explains how and why global corporate professionals straddle conflicting moral orientations in the realms of work and religion. Seeking to place the spotlight on the role of religion in debates about the cultural consequences of capitalism, Vaidyanathan finds that an "apprehensive individualism" generated in global corporate workplaces is supported and sustained by a "therapeutic individualism" cultivated in evangelical-charismatic Catholicism. Mercenaries and Missionaries uncovers a symbiotic relationship between these individualisms and shows how this relationship unfolds in two global cities—Dubai, in non-democratic UAE, which holds what is considered the world's largest Catholic parish, and Bangalore, in democratic India, where the Catholic Church, though afflicted by ethnic and religious violence, runs many of the city's elite educational institutions. Vaidyanathan concludes that global corporations and religious communities create distinctive cultures, with normative models that powerfully orient people to those cultures—the Mercenary in cutthroat workplaces, and the Missionary in churches. As a result, global corporate professionals in rapidly developing cities negotiate starkly opposing moral commitments in the realms of work and religion, which in turn shapes their civic commitment to these cities.

Missionaries, Mercenaries and Misfits is a book that will make us re-imagine our world and our place in it, and force us to reconsider the value of "development" and what it really means to the people of Africa. All the contributors to this anthology approach the notion of development through their own worldviews and experiences: many are convinced that it is time to declare the death of development as an idea, as an ideology, and as an industry. The essays in this book come from various writers, most of whom are either based in East Africa, or are part of its diaspora, or who have worked, often as developmentalists in their own way, within Africa. Consequently, this extremely accessible collection does not attempt the grand sweep, raging aimlessly against the development machine with general complaints that fail to hit their mark. Rather, it is a focused peep into international, regional and local attempts to develop Africa, thereby exposing the reader to a much-needed African perspective on the development industry and why it has failed so miserably in lifting millions of people out of poverty.

In 1986, Mogadishu, Somalia, was the safest capital in Africa. The people were nomads and their world view was different than that of Westerners. Somalia was an isolated and unique place. It was partitioned by the colonial powers of England, Italy and France. This partition remains a sore spot with Somalis. Many pan-Somalists want to unify Southern Somalia, Somaliland in the north, Djibouti, northeastern Kenya and the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. Mogadishu was where we were introduced to the Third World and where our adventure began. Mogadishu was peaceful, so we didn't worry about crime and the usual petty thievery of most African cities. Our biggest concerns centered on not getting sick, how to beat the heat and where to get a good meal. We learned to cope in an alien environment, and it was exciting. The motto of Papua New Guinea was "Expect the Unexpected." Beauty and danger existed in a strange harmony like nowhere else. The rugged terrain was punctuated by rushing rivers and plunging ravines. Some of the tribes remained isolated and primitive. Offshore, the waters of the Pacific Ocean varied in beautiful shades of green and aquamarine. There were many idyllic places to visit, but Port Moresby, the capital, was one of the most dangerous places on earth. Building houses in a squatter settlement among rascals, thieves and tribal wars was exciting, scary and fulfilling. The lessons learned in Port Moresby were helpful in our return to East Africa. A return to Somalia in 1994 was vastly different than our introduction to Somalia in the previous decade. A civil war had broken out, and Somalia was in chaos. Much of the time on a project site in southern Somalia was filled with routine relief work, but an ominous feeling always filled the air. The quiet could easily be broken and a crisis could quickly arise at any moment. This was necessarily a time of negotiating with clan leaders and dealing with clan militia. In addition, living in Nairobi, Kenya and working with street kids and dealing with the dangers they faced was an occupation in itself. The authors, Russell and Patricia, had different experiences and individually they participated in different events. Furthermore, when they experienced the same thing, they often viewed it differently. As a result this story is told in two voices. Author Bio: Russell Wolford was born in Ohio and graduated from Ohio State University. He worked as a government bureaucrat in pre-war Somalia, a project director building low cost houses in the South Pacific and a country director managing a relief project in war-torn Somalia. He founded a refugee resettlement organization in Ohio during the time of a large influx of refugees from East Africa. He has been in the middle of some tumultuous events and offers honest, first-hand accounts. Patricia Wolford was born in China to a Foreign Service family. She lived in many places and was familiar with the comfortable lifestyle of embassy personnel. She graduated from UCLA. After marrying Russell and joining him on Third World adventures, she showed that she was a rebel and willing to do the hard work necessary to help the downtrodden and to be an advocate for the underdog. She raised a family, helped juvenile delinquents in a Port Moresby slum and fed street children in Nairobi, Kenya. Her heart for the needy truly shows in her narratives. keywords: Religion, Missionaries, Mercenaries, Christian, Somalia, Civil War, Africa, Kenya, Genocide, Missionary

One of President Obama's Favorite Books of the Year | A New York Times Notable Book | One of the Wall Street Journal Ten Best Books of the Year "Missionaries is a courageous book: It doesn’t shy away, as so much fiction does, from the real world.” —Juan Gabriel Vásquez, The New York Times Book Review “A sweeping, interconnected novel of ideas in the tradition of Joseph Conrad and Norman Mailer . . . By taking a long view of the ‘rational insanity’ of global warfare, Missionaries brilliantly fills one of the largest gaps in contemporary literature.” —The Wall Street Journal The debut novel from the National Book Award-winning author of Redeployment A group of Colombian soldiers prepares to raid a drug lord's safe house on the Venezuelan border. They're watching him with an American-made drone, about to strike using military tactics taught to them by U.S. soldiers who honed their skills to lethal perfection in Iraq. In Missionaries, Phil Klay examines the globalization of violence through the interlocking stories of four characters and the conflicts that define their lives. For Mason, a U.S. Army Special Forces medic, and Lisette, a foreign correspondent, America's long post-9/11 wars in the Middle East exerted a terrible draw that neither is able to shake. Where can such a person go next? All roads lead to Colombia, where the US has partnered with local government to keep predatory narco gangs at bay. Mason, now a liaison to the Colombian military, is ready for the good war, and Lisette is more than ready to cover it. Juan Pablo, a Colombian officer, must juggle managing the Americans' presence and navigating a viper's nest of factions bidding for power. Meanwhile, Abel, a lieutenant in a local militia, has lost almost everything in the seemingly endless carnage of his home province, where the lines between drug cartels, militias, and the state are semi-permeable. Drawing on six years of research in America and Colombia into the effects of the modern way of war on regular people, Klay has written a novel of extraordinary suspense infused with geopolitical sophistication and storytelling instincts that are second to none. Missionaries is a window not only into modern war, but into the individual lives that go on long after the drones have left the skies.

Exploring the elite team concept with lessons gleaned from the Special Forces, and injecting those qualities into the workplace, is a sure-fire way to create a thriving business. If you're a business owner and want to achieve results in a way that feels great, this book is for you. It presents a compelling new methodology enabling you to design, develop and lead high-performing, autonomous teams. You'll learn how to: Inject clarity, cohesion and commitment into your organisation Understand three powerful and fundamental principles of leadership Eliminate the friction that occurs within a growing team Boost your power to influence and communicate effectively Leverage the full creative potential of your team Develop the three core skills necessary for exponential results Build an organisation that's fit for purpose in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

"Great teams are comprised of ordinary people that are empowered and inspired. They are empowered to solve hard problems in ways their customers love yet work for their business. They are inspired with ideas and techniques for quickly evaluating those ideas to discover solutions that work: they are valuable, usable, feasible and viable. This book is about the idea and reality of "achieving extraordinary results from ordinary people". Empowered is the companion to Inspired. It addresses the other half of the problem of building tech products?how to get the absolute best work from your product teams. However, the book's message applies much more broadly than just to product teams. Inspired was aimed at product managers. Empowered is aimed at all levels of technology-powered organizations: founders and CEO's, leaders of product, technology and design, and the countless product managers, product designers and engineers that comprise the teams. This book will not just inspire companies to empower their employees but will teach them how. This book will help readers achieve the benefits of truly empowered teams"--

It’s been said that software is eating the planet. The modern economy—the world itself—relies on technology. Demand for the people who can produce it far outweighs the supply. So why do developers occupy largely subordinate roles in the corporate structure? Developer Hegemony explores the past, present, and future of the corporation and what it means for developers. While it outlines problems with the modern corporate structure, it’s ultimately a play-by-play of how to leave the corporate carnival and control your own destiny. And it’s an emboldening, specific vision of what software development looks like in the world of developer hegemony—one where developers band together into partner firms of “efficiencers,” finally able to command the pay, respect, and freedom that’s earned by solving problems no one else can. Developers, if you grow tired of being treated like geeks who can only be trusted to take orders and churn out code, consider this your call to arms. Bring about the autonomous future that’s rightfully yours. It’s time for developer hegemony.