A book of utmost importance. It explains how humanitarian organizations operate, how they proceed, and why this work is successful or fails. It also offers new insights into the rationality of bureaucracies - a profound analysis written in clear, refined language. Richard Sennett, New York University. Humanitarian organizations are committed to saving lives, alleviating suffering, and securing basic human needs. They assist people across national borders - regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or religion, and they provide essential support during earthquakes, tsunamis, wars, and pandemics. But how do these organizations decide which aid projects to offer, where, and for whom, given the extraordinarily many regions in need of assistance around the world? Monika Krause delves into the decision-making processes.