Anne-Meike Fechter is Professor of Anthropology and International Development at the University of Sussex

'Everyday humanitarianism is characterized by small-scale, privately financed, grassroots approaches to locally identified needs. Fetcher explores the motivations of those engaged in offering humanitarian assistance, the interest and willingness of potential and actual participants, the features that have led to the success or failure of projects, the relationships between aid and government institutions, and how programs are assessed in terms of their impact on individual lives and human welfare. The examples, analyses, and conclusions are universally relevant.'CHOICE: Highly recommended

• Introduction 1 Making scales and relations 2 The part and the whole 3 Every person counts 4 Distance and proximity 5 Desire to connect 6 Humanitarian kinship 7 Affinities and shared biographies Conclusion Index