The book begins with historical references that describe how Ethiopia was viewed by ancient civilizations, then moves to an analysis of Ethiopia's relationship with European powers in the late 19th century which shaped the psyche of its leaders. Ethiopias encirclement by potentially hostile colonial powers compelled its leaders to ally with the United States, which appeared to have no colonial motives. And the United States, despite its isolationist postures, saw commercial and strategic military potential in establishing links with Ethiopia. Ethio-U.S. relations gradually flourished, and the two countries collaborated on regional security in the Horn of Africa as well as through trade. Ethiopia supported the United States during the Korean War and provided a communications base in Asmara. Given Ethiopia's location between Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda, it continues to offer the United States crucial strategic opportunities. Yet somehow, despite longtime U.S. contributions to Ethiopia's development, institutional and human capacity building, Ethiopia has lagged behind in all indices of development. The book compels its readers to ponder why some countries remain marginalized and how development efforts could have maximum results. Dr. Metaferia affirms that even friendly relations between nations can potentially fracture as long as donor countries ignore the welfare of aid recipient nations, and he calls for a new paradigm for the establishment of a stable foreign relationship in the rapidly changing power alliances of the 21st century. Although the focus of the book is on Ethio-U.S. relations, the study and analysis has a wider ramification as it reflects the experiences of various other countries. Students of history, political science, and especially U.S. foreign policy and African studies, development strategists and the general public interested in the dynamics of relations between nations will benefit from this timely and seminal work. Academics, foreign policy practitioners and the general public will find the book useful as they seek to understand the current turmoil in Ethiopia and a range of other nations, as Ethiopia's experience with the United States mirrors in a microcosm the experience of many others. The book fills a gap in the libraries of graduate and undergraduate departments of African Studies, U.S. International Relations/Foreign Policy and Diplomatic History.