Amber Armstrong

“The Ugly American” portrays Americans as ignorant, ethnocentric, and corrupt in this multi-million-copy bestseller by William Lederer and Eugene Burdick. This is a fiction story about Americans involved in foreign policies during the fight against communism in Asia. The title “ugly American” signifies how the Americans treat the natives. They all come across as arrogant and selfish. Many of the ambassadors and military officials sent into the country are only there to fulfill their own needs and don’t bother to learn the native culture or ways of life, much less interact with the people of the area.

Throughout the book, Americans are treated to first-class treatment, while the native people live their simple lives. There are a few Americans in this story that drastically improve the lives of the natives simply by learning their language and teaching them simple solutions to their problems.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in politics or foreign affairs. I felt the book was well-written and painted a clear picture of how many American officials act when they are placed in another country. Americans tend to be self-absorbed or ethnocentric. I feel the book reiterates this point. After reading this story, perhaps we as Americans will stop to take a look around and learn to appreciate other cultures and ways of life. We must work to understand and learn from each other.