The United Nations was reluctant to get its forces embroiled in civil war.
The government was reluctant to sanction intervention in the crisis.
The government is understandably reluctant to do anything which might spoil the harmonious relations between the country's ethnic groups.
The risk is that clinicians increasingly will be reluctant to do quite ordinary procedures to help patients because of existing guidelines.
At this critical juncture government was still reluctant to get involved but private initiative stepped in and took the lead.
Most readers interested in one volume will also want to read the other, but will be reluctant to pay £190 for the whole collection.