Stability proves elusive in troubled Afghanistan --- It is said that life in a war zone is cheap, but conditions in southern Afghanistan in the last century have been singularly difficult. -- In a style marked by smoothness as well as clarity and exceptional detail, Canadian foreign correspondent Graeme Smith describes the stressful state of conditions in Afghanistan, particularly the southern part. -- He was 26 and full of optimism when he arrived in the troubled country in 2005 with his Globe and Mail assignment. He hoped to find Canadian and other NATO troops supporting some kind of democratic lifestyle. - More, Reviewed by: Ron Kirbyson, at: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/books/stability-proves-elusive-in-troubled-afghanistan-239722561.html