Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Plume (2014), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 304 pages
Description
The inspirational story of a former Microsoft executive's quest to build libraries around the world and share the love of books. He strived to bring the lessons of the corporate world to the nonprofit sector--and succeeded spectacularly. Now, he explains his vision and the story of his startup.
User reviews
LibraryThing member DarthDeverell
John Wood’s Creating Room to Read: A Story of Hope in the Battle for Global Literacy picks up from his previous book, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur’s Odyssey to Educate the World’s Children, and documents the successes and trials of the Room to Read non-profit that
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works to build libraries and foster gender equality in global literacy. He retells the formation of Room to Read so that the reader need not be familiar with the previous book and discusses how the program only works with input from the communities they help and how he and his employees bring a business mindset to non-profit work in the hope of making the most direct changes. Wood draws upon a wealth of evidence to demonstrate how education, specifically literacy, directly benefits people around the developing world, both in terms of what types of employment they can make and in how long they may expect to live. He draws upon his old boss Steve Ballmer’s methods, specifically the idea of Get Shit Done, to argue for making bold decisions. Wood also demonstrates how the things that make a company like Room to Read work are not necessarily cash donations, but things that foster access and cut overhead. The story is both inspiring and thought-provoking as Wood’s story is sure to resonate with readers looking to make a difference with what time they have on this world. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2013-02-07
Physical description
304 p.; 8.08 inches
ISBN
0142180505 / 9780142180501