Creating Room to Read: A Story of Hope in the Battle for Global Literacy - Hardcover

Wood, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670025984 ISBN 13: 9780670025985

Publisher: Viking, 2013

Synopsis

The inspirational story of a former Microsoft executive’s quest to build libraries around the world and share the love of books

What’s happened since John Wood left Microsoft to change the world? Just ask six million kids in the poorest regions of Asia and Africa. In 1999, at the age of thirty-five, Wood quit a lucrative career to found the nonprofit Room to Read. Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “the Andrew Carnegie of the developing world,” he strived to bring the lessons of the corporate world to the nonprofit sector—and succeeded spectacularly.

In his acclaimed first book, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, Wood explained his vision and the story of his start-up. Now, he tackles the organization’s next steps and its latest challenges—from managing expansion to raising money in a collapsing economy to publishing books for children who literally have no books in their native language. At its heart, Creating Room to Read shares moving stories of the people Room to Read works to help: impoverished children whose schools and villages have been swept away by war or natural disaster and girls whose educations would otherwise be ignored.

People at the highest levels of finance, government, and philanthropy will embrace the opportunity to learn Wood’s inspiring business model and blueprint for doing good. And general readers will love Creating Room to Read for its spellbinding story of one man’s mission to put books within every child’s reach.

About this title

About the Author

John Wood worked for Microsoft for nine years, helping grow the company’s international profile. He resigned at thirty-five and founded Room to Read, which is widely regarded as one of the world’s top nonprofit organizations. He documented his decision and the creation of Room to Read in his memoir, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World. He lives in New York City.

Reviews

To John Wood, founder of Room to Read, books are not simply inanimate objects; they are vehicles of change, stepping-stones for children out of poverty and into a brighter future. Continuing the story from his earlier work (Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, 2006), Wood explains how, in 10 short years, Room to Read became an enormously successful nonprofit, opening more than 10,000 libraries. Bringing his experience from the corporate world, Wood melded his business savvy with an insatiable desire to help educate children from poverty-stricken areas around the world through the creation of libraries and schools. Throughout the book, Wood celebrates the many successes of Room to Read and includes inspiring stories of the children whose lives were changed by gaining access to books. Yet Wood doesn’t shy away from the difficult aspects of establishing an international charity. He includes stories of donors reneging on promised funds and dealing with embezzlement by local team leaders. Wood’s passion for literacy and education infuses every page of the book. An inspiring read on the power of books. --Eve Gaus

Edition details

• Publisher: Viking
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0670025984
• ISBN 13: 9780670025985
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304