A fascinating foray down the alleys of the 'hawala' world, this book is as rich in its insights as it was daring in its research. There are lessons here for both policy makers and scholars, for the concerned citizen as well as the international expert. If we insist on behaving as 'ugly Westerners', Thompson leaves us without excuse.

Thompson's masterful approach has tapped into a crucial intellectual and very human component that we must draw upon in order to understand the nexus of terrorism, religion, the worlds of licit and illicit finance, corruption, government legitimacy, and insurgency. She has woven these strands together brilliantly in a manner that should inform the design and implementation of coherent peace-making and state-building strategies, not just in Afghanistan, but all around the world. A must read for policy makers, practitioners, and informed publics.

Thompson offers an analysis which boasts a rare combination of theoretical and policy relevance. While scholars will find much to learn from her approach to the interplay of institutions, networks, and practices, her empirical analysis challanges a number of assumptions that have both shaped approaches to the War on Terror and perhaps even undermined its effectiveness.

The highly topical nature of the research and subject matter clearly came at heavy personal price given that a white, Western foreigner was conducting interviews at the height of the War on Terror Afghanistan within Afghanistan.... Fortunately, her efforts have been richly rewarded given that this is a remarkable piece of work.