A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity

Description

An essential, galvanizing narrative about making a difference here and abroad--a road map to becoming the most effective global citizens we can be. In their number one "New York Times "best seller "Half the Sky, "husband-and-wife team Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn brought to light struggles faced by women and girls around the globe, and showcased individuals and institu-tions working to address oppression and expand opportunity. "A Path Appears "is even more ambi-tious in scale: nothing less than a sweeping tap-estry of people who are making the world a better place and a guide to the ways that we can do the same--whether with a donation of $5 or $5 mil-lion, with our time, by capitalizing on our skills as individuals, or by using the resources of our businesses. With scrupulous research and on-the-ground reporting, the authors assay the art and science of giving, identify successful local and global initia-tives, and share astonishing stories from the front lines of social progress. We see the compelling, in-spiring truth of how real people have changed the world, upending the idea that one person can't make a difference. We meet people like Dr. Gary Slutkin, who devel-oped his landmark Cure Violence program to combat inner-city conflicts in the United States by applying principles of epidemiology; Lester Strong, who left a career as a high-powered television anchor to run an organization bringing in older Americans to tu-tor students in public schools across the country; MIT development economist Esther Duflo, whose pioneering studies of aid effectiveness have revealed new truths about, among other things, the power of hope; and Jessica Posner and Kennedy Odede, who are transforming Kenya's most notorious slum by ex-panding educational opportunities for girls. "A Path Appears "offers practical, results-driven advice on how best each of us can give and reveals the lasting benefits we gain in return. Kristof and WuDunn know better than most how many urgent challenges communities around the world face to-day. Here they offer a timely beacon of hope for our collective future.

Reviews

""A Path Appears" is an exhaustive though not exhausting profile of giving, with surprising guidance--indeed, coaching--on how to be an effective giver....Upon finishing the book, readers are likely to...find themselves willing to do something in the world, unconcerned by questions of scale, but instead, to simply become more engaged, and in that, alive.""--"Rick Bass, "The Boston Globe" "Engaging and informative...Kristof and WuDunn's commitment and passion for substantial action is inspiring." --"Publishers Weekly" "[Kristof and WuDunn's] vibrant portraits of ordinary citizens who are motivated to effect real and dramatic change present a rallying call to action and a voice for the power of volunteerism....This is a slow-go read in the most positive sense; it is hard not to constantly put down the book in order to further investigate the many exemplary causes that are profiled.""--Booklist" "The authors deliver a profound message that packs a wallop.""--Kirkus" "This is a lyrical guide that addresses the deep human yearning to make a difference. It's full of indelible stories reminding us that, yes, helping people is hard--but it's both possible and infinitely rewarding. "A Path Appears" offers practical steps that any of us can take to empower others, and ourselves."--Anne Rice "Nobody clarifies the social challenges of our time, or the moral imperative to help meet them, better than Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Their latest book, "A Path Appears, " offers an inspiring roundup of the many simple and effective ways in which we can lend our hearts and talents to grow hope and opportunity both at home and around the globe--and an important reminder that just because we can't do everything doesn't mean we shouldn't do something." --President Bill Clinton "Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn have done us all a great service by shining a light on the problems faced by the poor. These stories of real people struggling for survival and opportunity serve as a powerful reminder that poverty is complex and painful, but the call to action doesn't need to be. With insight, compassion and optimism, Kristof and WuDunn show us that we can all play a role in making the world a better place. "A Path Appears" is a compelling read that can't help but to educate and energize." --Bill and Melinda Gates, co-chairs of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation "Cold facts, flesh and blood stories - the written word is their loud hailer. They write, we read, and our world view is not the same. Nick and Sheryl's meticulous arguments and free flowing eloquence is what inspires their readers to become activists...myself included."--Bono, lead singer of U2 and Co-Founder of ONE and (RED) ""A Path Appears" is an insightful book focused on how individuals can contribute to positive change and the remarkable people behind the organizations that make it happen. The authors' desire to motivate people to support good causes, learn about the situation in other countries, and find the best way to help their fellow men and women is inspiring." --Angelina Jolie "This book is a class act. Its insights and honesty touch me on the deepest of levels and inspire me to raise my game to help the poor." --Bill Hybels, founding pastor, Willow Creek Community Church "Helping suffering people around the world to transform their own lives is a rewarding challenge we all share as citizens of a global community. "A Path Appears" is a helpful and inspiring guide for anyone who wonders what difference a single person can make in building a more hopeful world."-- President Jimmy Carter, founder of the not-for-profit Carter Center "Rare is the book that can actually transform us into better, more fulfilled people. Having combed through the research and documented case studies all over the world, Kristof and WuDunn present the clearest view I have ever seen of the human soul. "A Path Appears" tells us whether we are intrinsically good, why specific ways we parent our newborns help predict their chances for success, and how we can live lives of greater significance. This book, full of rich and riveting true stories, reminds us that human greatness is all around us, and even within us, if we dare to look."--Ann Curry "Have you ever thought that compared with so many people in the world, you are blessed and should try to help those less fortunate--but you worry that you just don't know how to do it in a smart and effective way? Your problem has been solved. Read this engaging, moving, inspiring book. It will tell you about the world's myriad problems but also the dazzling array of efforts to solve them. It will tell you how you can make a difference--even if all you have is ten minutes or forty dollars. And it will remind you that by giving to others you will gain for yourself the ultimate gift, a meaningful life."--Fareed Zakaria "While reading" ""A Path Appears," I felt I was taking a much needed rest under a shaded grove of trees on my own journey to 'make a difference.' I highly recommend it as an absolutely terrific investment of time that will leave those who read it more hopeful and motivated." "--"Deborah Fikes, executive advisor of the World Evangelical Alliance

Author description

Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, husband and wife, have coauthored three previous books: "Half the Sky," "Thunder from the East," and "China Wakes." They were awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for their coverage of China and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Lifetime Achievement in 2009. Now an op-ed columnist for "The New York Times," Kristof was previously bureau chief in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo. He won his second Pulitzer in 2006 for his columns on Darfur. WuDunn worked at "The New York Times" as a business editor and foreign correspondent in Tokyo and Beijing. She now works in banking. @NickKristof; www.facebook.com/kristof @WuDunn; www.facebook.com/SherylWuDunn