Description
John Wood discovered his passion, his greatest success, and his life's work not at business school or helping lead Microsoft's charge into Asia in the 1990s but on a soul-searching trip to the Himalayas. He made the difficult decision to walk away from his lucrative career to create Room to Read, a nonprofit organization that promotes education across the developing world. By the end of 2007, the organization will have established over 5,000 libraries and 400 schools, and awarded long-term scholarships to more than 3,000 girls, giving more than one million children the lifelong gift of education.
If you have ever pondered abandoning your desk job for an adventure and an opportunity to give back, Wood's story will inspire you. He offers a vivid, emotional, and absorbing tale of how to take the lessons learned at a hard-charging company like Microsoft and apply them to the world's most pressing social problems.
About the Author
After earning an MBA at the prestigious Kellogg School of Management, John Wood worked for several years in banking before joining Microsoft in 1991. Through hard work and determination, he ascended rapidly, earning coveted overseas assignments in Australia and China. While serving as Microsoft's Director of Business Development for the Greater China region, Wood decided to change his life's focus to help children break the cycle of poverty through the lifelong gift of education. In 2000, he founded Room to Read, a nonprofit organization that promotes literacy in Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and soon in Africa. When not traveling the world fund-raising and visiting Room to Read communities, he lives in San Francisco.
Praise For…
“In this captivating memoir....Wood provides recipes for how to succeed at operating nonprofit firms globally, regardless of local cultures.” — Library Journal
“The bottom line is passion, and it seems the world is better off for John Wood having followed his.” — USA Today
“One-third business saga, one-third world travelogue, and one-third human drama -- a 100% great book ....” — Marc Andreessen, co-founder, Netscape Communications
“Room to Read is one of the best long-term investments I have made.” — Don Valentine, founder, Sequoia Capital, early investor Apple, Electronic Arts, Google, Oracle, and Yahoo