Iveta Silova and Gita Steiner-Khamsi, eds., How NGOs React: Globalization and Education Reform in the Caucasus, Central Asia and Mongolia (Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press, 2005). 303 pp. $27.95 (paper), ISBN: 9781565492578. What do we really know about reforming educa- tion in post-Soviet states? his is the pivotal question that Iveta Silova and Gita Steiner-Khamsi attempt to answer in a retrospective look at the Soros Foun- dation’s network in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Mongolia. his book addresses nongovernmental organization (NGO) governance issues relating to sustainability, funding, accountability, effectiveness, and, in small part, advocacy. George Soros believes in the limited lifespan of his projects, which is quite different from the current NGO paradigm that assumes the organizations are self-perpetuating. he national Soros Foundations NGOs critiqued in this case study will eventually “phase out, spin off, or leave” (ix). his new paradigm allows for a critical retrospective of their accountabil- ity, effectiveness, and legitimacy. Silova and Steiner-Khamsi edit a series of case stud- ies from former or current Soros Foundation/Open Society Institute educational experts who assess the performance of the Soros network’s programs and policies for education reform in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Mongolia in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Eight case studies focus on the Soros Foundation networks as leading actors in advancing democratic civil society initiatives through capacity-building programs, including curriculum development, textbook publishing, teacher training, and student learning initiatives, as well as in address- ing the length of primary, secondary, and university education. he case studies compare government-led education programs and policies with the Soros Foun- dation’s reform and initiatives from the early 1990s through 2007. One might ask why these case studies are of importance to the larger NGO community. he assumption is that as the Soros Foundation phases out its direct support of its transnational networks in this area, the NGOs’ roles and strategies for influencing education reform in a centralist government envi- ronment will leave an action legacy of benefit to the international NGO community. Silova and Steiner-Khamsi and the other chapter authors do not set out to justify the activities of the Soros Foundation in the well-documented and reported case studies; instead, they seek to present how NGOs operating under centralist and authoritar- ian or quasi-authoritarian governments can adopt a new paradigm for accountability, effectiveness, and sustainability. In the introduction, Silova and Steiner- Khamsi posit that NGOs are transnational epistemic communities in terms of policy studies. Transnational epistemic communities are organizations that believe in a mission-centered cause and seek to advance it at every opportunity. he work of the Soros Foundation in the selected regions evidences this policy position, and the case studies are conducted from this epistemic viewpoint. he book focuses on the Open Society Institute’s and the national Soros Foundations’ rela- tionships with three actors—states, donors, and other NGOs. Each case study presents a contextual analysis for the NGO’s perceived legitimacy and effectiveness. A brief sociopolitical and historical background and activities surrounding educational capacity building and reform are provided in each chapter to showcase the conditions facing the Soros Foundation networks. How NGOS React addresses three questions relating to the purpose of reform within the development and education literature: Who gives aid to whom? Who deserves aid? What does aid do? Answering these three questions means addressing donor logic and mission, which countries are targeted for aid, the conditions of aid, and the impact of external assistance on exist- ing practices and structures. For the purposes of this book, the editors have tailored the third question, ask- ing what the (imported) reforms have accomplished. he editors recognize that 15 years of evaluation is NGO Legitimacy: Challenges with Globalization and Education Reform Patsy Kraeger Arizona State University Patsy Kraeger is a doctoral candidate in the public administration program at Arizona State University. She also will receive a graduate certificate in nonprofit studies from the same university. She has an interest in nongovernmental organization governance and cross-cultural issues affect- ing those organizations’ legitimacy. She has worked extensively with and for nonprofit organizations in the United States. E-mail: patsy.kraeger@asu.edu 168 Public Administration Review • January | February 2010