Dear Luc,
I happened to find your book about Nauru by accident. Two weeks ago I had coffee at my favorite place. I wanted to drink something afterwards. So I asked the barista about a bottle with a light yellow liquid, which was standing in the shelf. He said it’s a wine spritzer with Guaraná. I was irritated and asked „with bird poo?“. He laughed and said „no that would be guano“. And then he asked me if I happen to know about the little pacific island which got amazingly rich from bird shit and then dramatically poor? I had never heard of such a story and got curious.
After a little research I found your book. And here is why I am writing you. As I read the book I was totally thrilled by the development of this little country and I was totally irritated that I had never heard of it before. Not even during my economic studies, where this story would have been a great example for a capitalistic and political disaster. The way you brought all the facts together, all that what happened in such an understandable and stringent stile, made me understand what effects globalization can have.
I was talking to my friend about the bad influence on health and the cultural heritage this vast amount of money had to this country and his people. She said she would try to do better with so much money. I bet she would! But she is from a totally different culture and thus follows a different stereotype. This loss of culture is something I was very surprised about.
I will tell more people about your research on Nauru and I will think deeper about the loss of cultural identity and heritage due to the influence of capitalism.
Thank you for your book!
