
When a massive earthquake devastated Haiti, AP reporter Jonathan Katz witnessed how international aid became a second disaster. Jon Lee Anderson called it "THE book" on Haiti's reconstruction failure - revealing why billions in relief created more problems than solutions.
Jonathan Myerson Katz is the acclaimed author of The Big Truck That Went By: How the World Came to Save Haiti and Left Behind a Disaster, a seminal work of narrative nonfiction that exposes the failures of international aid and disaster response. An award-winning journalist and foreign correspondent, Katz draws on his firsthand experience as the Associated Press bureau chief in Haiti during the catastrophic 2010 earthquake, where he provided critical reporting and uncovered the UN’s role in a deadly cholera outbreak. His expertise in global affairs, conflict, and post-colonial history is reflected in his penetrating analysis of humanitarian crises.
Katz’s work has earned the Cornelius Ryan Award, the J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award, and the Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism. He is also the author of Gangsters of Capitalism, which traces America’s imperial history through the life of Marine General Smedley Butler.
A frequent commentator on CNN, MSNBC, and NPR, Katz shares incisive political analysis in his newsletter, The Racket. The Big Truck That Went By remains a definitive account of modern disaster capitalism, praised for its rigor and narrative force.
The Big Truck That Went By chronicles the aftermath of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, exposing systemic failures in the $16.3 billion international aid response. Journalist Jonathan M. Katz combines firsthand reporting with sharp analysis to reveal how well-intentioned efforts trapped Haiti in cycles of poverty, prioritized donor interests over local needs, and left the country more vulnerable to future disasters.
This book is essential for readers interested in humanitarian aid, global development, or modern Caribbean history. Policymakers, nonprofit workers, and students will gain critical insights into how aid structures often perpetuate dependency, while general audiences appreciate its gripping narrative of disaster, politics, and resilience.
Yes. Winner of the Overseas Press Club’s Cornelius Ryan Award and shortlisted for the PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award, the book is praised as “the most important written work to emerge from the rubble” (Miami Herald). It balances rigorous investigative journalism with vivid storytelling about Haiti’s struggle for recovery.
Jonathan M. Katz is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press bureau chief in Haiti. As the only full-time U.S. correspondent during the 2010 earthquake, he broke major stories, including the UN’s cover-up of its role in a post-quake cholera epidemic. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, and Foreign Policy.
Katz argues that aid often prioritizes donor visibility over sustainable change, bypassing local governments and creating chaotic short-term projects. He highlights how 99% of U.S. earthquake relief funds flowed back to American contractors, while Haitian-led initiatives were sidelined—a pattern reinforcing poverty and disempowerment.
As co-chair of Haiti’s reconstruction commission, Clinton promoted export-oriented industrial parks and luxury hotels, which Katz argues catered to foreign investors rather than addressing housing or infrastructure needs. The book critiques Clinton’s “disaster capitalism” approach for deepening economic inequality.
Katz uncovered that UN peacekeepers introduced cholera through improper waste disposal at their base. Despite overwhelming evidence, the UN denied responsibility for years, exacerbating an outbreak that killed 10,000+ Haitians. This scandal underscores the book’s theme of accountability in aid operations.
Unlike academic analyses, Katz blends investigative rigor with narrative-driven journalism, offering a ground-level perspective akin to Evicted by Matthew Desmond. It contrasts with Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo by focusing on systemic failures rather than opposing aid outright.
With climate disasters increasing, the book’s lessons about aid inefficiency remain urgent. Katz’s critique of “savior complexes” and his call for locally led solutions align with today’s emphasis on decolonizing aid and funding grassroots organizations.
Some policymakers argue Katz underestimates logistical challenges in crisis zones. However, critics widely praise his accountability-focused reporting, particularly his exposure of the UN’s cholera denialism and the Clinton Foundation’s missteps.
The title refers to Haitians’ sarcastic nickname for aid convoys that “went by” without stopping. One pivotal scene describes Katz witnessing a celebrity aid worker’s empty pledges while homeless earthquake survivors received no help—symbolizing the disconnect between intentions and impact.
Katz advocates for “smarter aid”:
These principles resonate with current movements to shift power to local leaders in global health and climate resilience.
Sinta o livro através da voz do autor
Transforme conhecimento em insights envolventes e ricos em exemplos
Capture ideias-chave em um instante para aprendizado rápido
Aproveite o livro de uma forma divertida e envolvente
“To understand Haiti, one must understand the Duvaliers.”
“Aristide was no saint, but he was the closest thing to a popular leader Haiti had ever known.”
“In Haiti, the line between reality and make-believe is often so thin as to be nonexistent.”
“Haiti was not merely poor. It was broken.”
“Haiti is a country where the past is always present.”
Divida as ideias-chave de Big Truck That Went By em pontos fáceis de entender para compreender como equipes inovadoras criam, colaboram e crescem.
Destile Big Truck That Went By em dicas de memória rápidas que destacam os princípios-chave de franqueza, trabalho em equipe e resiliência criativa.

Experimente Big Truck That Went By através de narrativas vívidas que transformam lições de inovação em momentos que você lembrará e aplicará.
Pergunte qualquer coisa, escolha a voz e co-crie insights que realmente ressoem com você.

Criado por ex-alunos da Universidade de Columbia em San Francisco
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Criado por ex-alunos da Universidade de Columbia em San Francisco

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On January 12, 2010, the ground beneath Port-au-Prince convulsed with terrifying force. "Tu panse se yon gwo machin ki pase?" my Haitian colleague Evens asked as we stumbled from my collapsing house. "You think it was a big truck going by?" The question seemed absurd-this was clearly an earthquake-but revealed how unprepared Haiti was for a disaster that would claim over 200,000 lives. With no major tremors in living memory, many initially mistook the shaking for a passing vehicle. That night, hundreds of thousands gathered silently at the crumbled National Palace, its collapsed dome symbolizing the fall of Haiti's central institution. The earthquake had been a great leveler-destroying government ministries and luxury hotels alongside modest homes. Whether in Haiti for decades or hours, in slums or five-star accommodations, survival depended solely on the strength of the structures around you when the fault gave way. Despite an unprecedented $5.2 billion in emergency relief and $10 billion pledged for reconstruction, Haiti remained broken years later. Nearly a million remained homeless, political riots erupted, and a devastating cholera epidemic emerged-likely caused by the very UN peacekeepers sent to help. How could such massive humanitarian efforts lead to such profound failure?