My two favorite books are the two readings that I would like to recommend in this article. They are Pencils of Promise by Adam Braun and Half the Sky by Nicholos D. Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn. These two books have many similarities within the overall message and purpose of the text, but the style and context shed light on two different views of the major social injustices occurring in the world today.
Pencils of Promise is a book that revolves around the steps author Adam Braun took to quit his job at the corporate level and start an international non-profit organization that provides a proper education to those who couldn’t have one before. Braun used to be a businessman in New York City until he found a cause that piqued his interest more than any office job. He started when he participated in a semester at sea and was able to see the world. When he was in each of the countries he visited, instead of buying souvenirs at tourist trap destinations, he decided to ask one child in each place “if you could have one thing in the world, what would it be? “. Although he expected most of them to say they wanted a million dollars, or nice cars and houses, it was here that he discovered that most of his responses were something so simple that we take it for granted every day. One of the children even said that all he wanted was a pencil. These answers ultimately lead him to find his passion and work hard to achieve his goals of improving the world. Over the course of a year, he slowly made his way out of the world of finance and found himself traveling through Asia and Central America in search of the most underdeveloped places to build schools so that their young people could receive a proper education for the first time. It was not an easy decision for him, he knew that if he stayed in New York he would be unhappy but he would be financially secure for the rest of his life, although he would not be living his passion, the vision of living a life It was difficult to walk away from the life of comfort . However, that life of comfort and financial stability was not enough for him. He decided that he would rather live outside his comfort zone and be happy making a difference than stand still just to please those around him who doubted him from the start. He began by venturing through Thailand, expanding through Asia and eventually making his way through Central America to continue helping this dream grow. At 34, he is CEO and co-founder of MissionU, a debt-free education program, and founder of Pencils of Promise, which now has more than 100 schools around the world. He is also one of the New York Times bestselling authors of the book ‘The Promise of a Pencil: How an Everyday Person Can Create Extraordinary Change.’
The other book I recommend is Half the Sky by Nicholos Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn. This novel is also a national bestseller that takes a different approach on the same social issues. Although, the focus of this novel revolves around the oppression of women in the developing world. This book is made up of numerous short stories of women from Asia and Africa who have suffered something extreme. Although they have taken these harmful incidents and experiences and turned them into something beautiful. There is a story of a girl who was forced to work in a brothel in Cambodia and managed to escape from it and eventually build a retail business where she was able to support her family. An Ethiopian woman who was abused and as her injuries were treated and healed, she worked to become a surgeon. Although this novel is more about what women can achieve, it is a wonderful book for anyone to read. It shows the strength that an individual has and can achieve if she works for it. It shows that a person can make a difference and can achieve the ultimate goal that he works for in life. It is a very inspiring novel that I would recommend reading to any individual, especially if they are about to put themselves in a situation where they are providing help to people like the ones described here. Not only is what these women have done and are capable of inspiring, but it inspires you to know that you could be the person behind the push for someone in need to help themselves.
We live in a place where we have so much and many of us are not even aware of it. Reading books like the two I’ve listed above really helps bring attention to what a lot of people are going through. It also shows that there is hope. Just because the world isn’t perfect right now doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. If something as small as reading a novel draws attention to larger issues, that’s the first step we need. Just to bring more awareness to the issues so they can be properly addressed and handled.
Overall, I think both books are amazing, whether or not one plans on volunteering abroad. They really shed a new light on the problems facing humanity and how you can go off the beaten path to help those in need. It shows what others are going through and how they work to solve their lives, and the lives of others, in the most dramatic ways. It shows that working at a desk is not for everyone. Even if you started down that path, it’s never too late to turn back and pursue what you’re truly passionate about. I would suggest that anyone read these two books. They truly represent what the world is going through and how it’s never too late to pursue your passion.