Name: SAVE THE DATE Book Event: Bullshit without Borders
Start: 2026-10-15T17:30:00.000-04:00
End: 2026-10-15T19:30:00.000-04:00
Location: Busboys And Poets

Personal

Susan Davis (Bullshit without Borders)

October 15 is Global Handwashing Day. Come celebrate with a lively book event launching "

Bullshit without Borders: Let's Change the Way We Change the World

" by Susan M. Davis; published by Ripples Media.

For the next generation of changemakers who care too much to settle for just good intentions.

The system of “saving the world” is broken—and it’s time to call bullshit. After seeing good intentions lead to bad outcomes in 30 countries, international development veteran Susan M. Davis is challenging the sacred cows of the aid industrial complex. She urges a radical rethink of how Global North outsiders approach social impact, starting with listening to the people closest to the problem.

Drawing from three decades of experience, from a scrappy startup that became Water.org to managing a multi-million-dollar USAID contract, Davis reveals the shocking truth: 

the system designed to end poverty may be perpetuating it.

 For example, half of all charitable water projects fail today, just as they did in the 1980s.

 is a provocative, self-implicating, and often hilarious exposé of the weird world of global aid. 

With unflinching honesty both endearing and uncomfortable, Davis uncovers the sector’s most oft-repeated mistakes. Each chapter closes with a C.R.A.P. (Curious Reflection and Provocation) to encourage a mindset reset. Essential reading for anyone brave enough to question how those with privilege can truly “help” others and those determined enough to do better.

We've been trying to change the world for a long time. It's time to change the way we do it.

Paid parking available on the street; free parking in the garage between the Harris Teeter and Shirlington Library