Reading
Here is a list of books I’ve read during - and in preparation for - my service in the Peace Corps:
Twilight by Stephenie Myer - A Young Adult novel about a 17-year-old girl who falls in love with a vampire. I was smitten, even though the novel lacked substantial substance. I read all 498 pages in just a few hours.
Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner - I liked this book almost as much as The Undercover Economist. Almost. I love Levitt’s ability to break complex matters down to the level of the ordinary folk. Makes me want to study economics myself.
Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell - The author demonstrates how crazy she is in this memoir about a road trip to investigate the murders of three of our presidents. Entertaining, even though history really isn’t my thing.
Dune by Frank Herbert - A great book. Gripped me to the end. Can’t wait to see the movie, someday.
Swift as Desire by Laura Esquivel - A short read from the author of Like Water for Chocolate. I enjoyed it, though not as much as her more famous novel, which won international acclaim.
The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford - This is a wonderfully easy-to-read primer on economics as it relates to every aspect of our world…from a cup of coffee to a second-hand car. Loved it.
Ant Farm: And Other Desperate Situations by Simon Rich - This book landed in my hands by chance through our informal PCV trading system. Absurd comedy. I didn’t get most of the humor, but it was an entertaining read. Took me about 30 minutes from start to finish.
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Afar Nafisi - A wonderful memoir about the experiences of several young women, a university professor, and a reading club, in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits by CK Prahalad - Mr. Prahalad shares a lot of the same ideas and concepts as Mohammad Yunnus. And he uses real-life case studies to show how they work. Definitely worth a read.
Creating A World Without Poverty: How Social Business Can Transform Our Lives by Mohammad Yunnus - Professor Yunnus’ most recent book. It explores the idea of creating a new class of business called “Social Business,” where socio-economic development ranks equal in importance to profits, and where all profits are reinvested into the business, rather than paid out to shareholders. While his ideas are very appealing, I felt that this book was filled with rhetoric and ideals. I thought that Banker to the Poor was a much better read, but I suspect that many people in my line of work would find this book very useful and insightful.
Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty by Mohammad Yunnus - The story of the founding, growth, and challenges of the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, the first micro-finance institution of its time. The Grameen Bank and its founder, Mohammad Yunnus, won the Nobel Peace Price in 2006. This is a fabulous and very motivating book.
Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone by Martin Dugard - A narrative historical account of the search for Dr. David Livingstone by Henry Morgan Stanley, the man who found him in the depths of the Dark Continent and uttered the infamous words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” Although the writing style was too passive for my taste, the research was very in-depth and I enjoyed the weaving of stories and time lines.
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller - A historical novel set during the World War II era. Catch-22 is a rule which states that “a concern for one’s safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind” and that an airman can be grounded and sent home if he were deemed crazy – all he had to do was ask. Yet, as soon as he did ask, he was deemed sane, and therefore denied the request. Great book. The plot is not as important as the character development, which is riotous.
How to Change the World - A fabulous compilation of success stories about several Ashoka Fellows - “social entrepreneurs” who have demonstrated significant progress in social development around the world.
Dispatches from the Edge - A memoir of war disasters, and survival by Anderson Cooper, CNN reporter. I found his stories very real and touching.
Africa: A Biography of the Continent - A very thick comprehensive book about the history of Africa, from Pangaea to present.
Global Etiquette Guide to Africa and the Middle East - A great guide on social etiquette. Although the intended audience is business travelers, this is a handy book, nonetheless.
A Life Inspired: Tales of Peace Corps Service - A compilation of stories by Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. This little booklet is produced and distributed by the Peace Corps; I obtained mine at an information meeting I attended before submitting my application.