Book excerpt: A two year old girl is abandoned on the streets of Ulaan Bataar with a bag of clothes and a note pinned to her: ‘Please take care of me ...'Twelve year old Betty, alone looking after her dying mother, is kidnapped to become a child soldier ...An Australian aid worker finds himself off the tourist map confronted by the struggles of people in the developing world, across six continents. He discovers the inspirational and the beautiful; people and cultures responding to their changing landscape; the stories and courage of individuals who bring fresh perspectives to life. And so much that is just funny ... 'A bold, humane and utterly readable book.' GEORGE NEGUS