Before we start, let me tell you the story about how I got to know this book.
I have been following Bill’s book recommendations for a while now and a member of his blog. When Melinda published her book “Moment of lift” a few months back, there was an email from Gates recommending the book, but I was a bit skeptical so I didn’t buy it at the time. Honestly, I didn’t know much about Melinda Gates, except that she works with Bill on their foundation. Yes, the foundation work is impressive and I have read quite a bit about its work through Bill’s blog. Even when the book became the New York Times bestseller, I wasn’t convinced.
Then I stumbled upon an episode on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman about Melinda Gates, in which she talked more about herself and her work. I came away very impressed with her humanity and passion. I am particularly struck by her facial expression/body language when David said to her that he “was talking to a person who is making a difference in the world.”
Now, back to my review of the book. While the book is written in an easy-to-read language, but it is tough to go through. It is heart-wrenching and uplifting at the same time. Melinda tells us stories about the women whom she has met over the years, the women on the margins, the poorest of the poor. These stories invoke strong emotions no doubt. And with the perfect blend of data and science, Melinda helps us to learn about new ideas and channel our emotion to action on how best we can “lift” humanity. Melinda has understood “big truths in a deeper way.” Through their effort and their work, they have found powerful levers which can lift humanity in a meaningful way.
By sharing her own growth stories, I can sense Melinda’s authenticity and the power of her strong voice.
There are so many powerful passages, sentences in the book which I remember. However, I won’t spoil the experience for you.
I recommended this book to my wife, my friends and will continue to recommend it to anyone as it has so much to guide us about humanity and life.
Thank you very much, Melinda, for your dedication, your passion, a wonderful book.
Chandler