© 2004 the Authors and Penguin Publishing
		The pros and cons of the Peace Corps, as sampled on our home page, are taken from a detailed chapter about the Peace Corps, in the book, How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas.   The chapter includes a detailed analysis of 20 pros and cons of the Peace Corps -- for example, for the Con: "The technical training is often reported by Peace Corps trainees to be weak, vague, irrelevant and/or not specific to the assigned site and work." We share specific examples and quotes from volunteers about why they perceived their training to be insufficient.   The chapter is based on interviews with over 100 Peace Corps volunteers who worked in diverse countries from Bolivia to South Africa to Kazakhstan. We also interviewed top level and on-the-ground Peace Corps staff, and members of the communities where Peace Coprs volunteers worked.     The chapter includes: Advice on how to get into the Peace Corps Typical Peace Corps placements Safety of volunteers, including special issues for female Peace Corps volunteers Why the Peace Corps has had a 20-30% drop out rate in recent years How the Peace Corps does and does not live up to its mission Advice for making the most of your Peace Corps experience if you to decide to join In short, the chapter presents an honest, detailed, up-to-date, and balanced view of the Peace Corps that simply is not available anywhere else. In the words of one former Peace Corps volunteer, the book is "an essential resource for anyone considering a volunteer experience overseas."     Click to order this book