A few more great reads for anyone looking for one...
Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey Of A Desert Nomad by Waris Dirie:
The true story of a Somali girl that runs away from her family and their life in the desert and eventually becomes a super model. Being a ghost written book, it definitely has that feel, and while the story is somewhat interesting the latter half of the book starts to move in the direction of a commentary on the barbaric rituals performed on women in Somalia before 'woman-hood'. I'd skip this one unless you're desperate and can't find anything else.
The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good by William Easterly:
A very interesting book about the failure of Aid to help developing countries (primarily those in Africa). I would highly recommend this to anyone that has an interest in development work, from those that work in it to those that contribute financially to it, and especially those that have read 'The End of Poverty' by Jeff Sachs that I mentioned earlier. Definitely one of my favorite books of the trip. I'd love to discuss it with anyone that does manage to read it.
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barak Obama:
Admittedly I only made it through the first quarter of this book but plan to finish it when I can get a hold of a less bulky edition (I'm thinking pirated copy in India). Liberal of Conservative, this should be read, if not simply to provoke/promote some thinking. Don't worry, it's pretty engaging and moves fairly quickly.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy:
Another book about India that had come highly recommended and was excellent but again rather depressive as most of the India books I've read seem to be. A book about 'two egg twins', things said and not, and anglo influenced India. If you have to choose, I'd go with 'A Fine Balance' first though.
On Beauty by Zadie Smith:
I'd heard a lot of buzz about this book and had seen a few people reading it along the way, so finally picked it up when I passed through England last week. The book turned out to be quite different that I'd expected at the onset, and admit that when I finished I was left feeling a bit disappointed, but it did provoke a lot of thought and the more I think about the book the more I enjoy it. The characters are very relateable and the book moves smoothly as it carries you through a bit of a roller coaster, definitely worth a read.
Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey Of A Desert Nomad by Waris Dirie:
The true story of a Somali girl that runs away from her family and their life in the desert and eventually becomes a super model. Being a ghost written book, it definitely has that feel, and while the story is somewhat interesting the latter half of the book starts to move in the direction of a commentary on the barbaric rituals performed on women in Somalia before 'woman-hood'. I'd skip this one unless you're desperate and can't find anything else.
The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good by William Easterly:
A very interesting book about the failure of Aid to help developing countries (primarily those in Africa). I would highly recommend this to anyone that has an interest in development work, from those that work in it to those that contribute financially to it, and especially those that have read 'The End of Poverty' by Jeff Sachs that I mentioned earlier. Definitely one of my favorite books of the trip. I'd love to discuss it with anyone that does manage to read it.
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barak Obama:
Admittedly I only made it through the first quarter of this book but plan to finish it when I can get a hold of a less bulky edition (I'm thinking pirated copy in India). Liberal of Conservative, this should be read, if not simply to provoke/promote some thinking. Don't worry, it's pretty engaging and moves fairly quickly.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy:
Another book about India that had come highly recommended and was excellent but again rather depressive as most of the India books I've read seem to be. A book about 'two egg twins', things said and not, and anglo influenced India. If you have to choose, I'd go with 'A Fine Balance' first though.
On Beauty by Zadie Smith:
I'd heard a lot of buzz about this book and had seen a few people reading it along the way, so finally picked it up when I passed through England last week. The book turned out to be quite different that I'd expected at the onset, and admit that when I finished I was left feeling a bit disappointed, but it did provoke a lot of thought and the more I think about the book the more I enjoy it. The characters are very relateable and the book moves smoothly as it carries you through a bit of a roller coaster, definitely worth a read.
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