A path appears : transforming lives, creating opportunity / Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

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 institu­tions working to address oppression and expand opportunity. A Path Appears is even more ambi­tious in scale: nothing less than a sweeping tap­estry 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 mil­lion, 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 initia­tives, and share astonishing stories from the front lines of social progress. We see the compelling, in­spiring 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 devel­oped 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 tu­tor 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 ex­panding 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 to­day. Here they offer a timely beacon of hope for our collective future.

Excerpt provided by Syndetics

Dr. Gary Slutkin was back in Chicago, his hometown, feeling restless. He was a rumpled infectious diseases specialist who had spent most of his career in San Francisco and Africa, battling tuberculosis, AIDS, and cholera. But he had burned out in refugee camps, his marriage had fallen apart, and now it was time to be nearer to his elderly parents. He had no clue what to do for work. As he explored options, Slutkin began hearing about gang violence in Chicago, about ten-year-olds shooting other kids; this was shocking, but it also sounded more like Somalia and other places he knew. Slutkin began to study inner-city violence and pored over graphs of homicides and shootings--and to an epidemiologist they all seemed oddly familiar. "It hit me: this is an infectious disease," he said. The more Slutkin looked at urban violence, the more he felt that it had been misdiagnosed as solely a crime problem when in many ways it was a contagion analogous to cholera or leprosy. As with other contagions, an infection depends upon exposure among susceptible people who have low resistance or compromised immunity. Slutkin saw that "an epidemic of violence" is more than just a metaphor; in some ways murder actually spreads like a contagious disease. "It is just as tuberculosis begets tuberculosis, or flu begets flu," Slutkin says, "that violence begets violence." Once Slutkin had the insight that violence could be considered, in part, an infectious disease, he decided to tackle it as a public health problem and slow the epidemic. He started an organization called Cure Violence, and turned to ex-convicts and former gang members to act as health outreach workers and interrupt the contagion. When someone is shot, they go to the hospital room to counsel against a retaliatory hit. They gather intelligence on threats and negotiate peaceful solutions. More broadly, they try to change community norms so that those who use violence are scorned rather than respected. "Violence is learned behavior," says Gary Slutkin. "Violence can also be unlearned behavior." In recent years, the Cure Violence model has spread to other cities in the United States and abroad--even to Iraq and Colombia--and results have been remarkable. Careful evaluations have found that Cure Violence can reduce serious violence by one-quarter or more, at a negligible cost. Gary Slutkin thinks that with some tweaking and enough resources, the model could reduce homicides by 70 percent. Rachel Beckwith, Lester Strong, and Dr. Gary Slutkin reflect a yearning to express our humanity by finding innovative and effective ways to give back. We crave meaning and purpose in life, and one way to find it is to connect to a cause larger than ourselves. This book is about innovators who are using research, evidence- based strategies, and brilliant ideas of their own to prevent violence, improve health, boost education, and spread opportunity at home and around the world--and to suggest to the rest of us specific ways in which we too can make a difference in the world. Some of these people we highlight raise or contribute the money, such as Rachel and her family and admirers who made something inspiring out of a tragedy. Some are organizers, such as Slutkin and Strong. Many more are foot soldiers. Together, they are all part of a revolution in tack- ling social problems, employing new savvy, discipline, and experience to chip away at poverty and injustice. On many issues ranging from failing schools in America to intestinal parasites in Africa, there are fascinating new approaches to making a difference; in some cases, the progress is startling. So many social problems in the twenty-first century seem intractable and insoluble. We explore Mars and embed telephones in wrist- watches, but we can't keep families safe in the inner cities. We can map subatomic particles such as gluons, and we can design robots that drive cars, respond to speech, and defeat grandmasters in chess, but we grudgingly accept failure in our struggles to keep kids in school, off drugs, and out of gangs. Many of us know that it's wrong and unfair that boys growing up in certain zip codes are more likely to end up in prison than in college, but we throw up our hands and surrender to the exigencies of ghetto life. Violence and poverty, whether in Congo or Chicago, remain towering realities. We started our married life together as foreign correspondents for The New York Times, and we have wondered for years how we can do a better job addressing the needs around us. Not everyone can help fight crime in a city's worst neighborhoods or volunteer in schools, so most of us are left to engage in piecemeal efforts such as a donation here or there. Like many Americans, we have day jobs we need to keep, and we have been busy raising our children; that has left us looking for great causes and people to support in modest ways. We aren't regular churchgoers who focus our giving on a particular religious establishment, and although we wanted to lend a hand, we never knew how to choose among the appeals from nonprofits that inundated us. Basically, we were mystified about how best to assist at home as well as abroad. So we investigated how one can do a better job of making a difference, how one can help institute effective change. This book is the fruit of our labors. Excerpted from A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity by Nicholas D. Kristof, Sheryl WuDunn All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Pulitzer Prize-winning husband-and-wife team Kristof and WuDunn (Half the Sky) here turn their focus to charitable giving, examining the psychological basis for altruistic impulses and offering advice on choosing an ethical charity. Kristof and WuDunn stress that their interest lies in "expanding opportunity worldwide because talent is universal but opportunity is not." The first section of the book features narratives about altruistic do-gooders that are meant to inspire readers before the authors delve into more practical matters, such as how to research a charity and ensure a donation is effective. The last chapter, "Six Steps You Can Take in the Next Six Minutes," closes the book on an encouraging note. Narration by Olivia Wilde is well done. Unfortunately, the recording's sound quality is not always the best. At least one hastily looped section is evident by a sudden shift in volume and clarity. VERDICT Despite its technical problems, this title is well researched and certain to be popular. Recommended for all collections.-Julie Judkins, Univ. of North Texas, Denton (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

"It's time to rethink what a charity should be," write award-winning husband-and-wife journalists Kristof and WuDunn (coauthors of Half the Sky) in their latest collaboration, which will be the basis of a PBS series. Such is the tone of this broadly inclusive and multifaceted account of possible solutions to today's "overwhelming and unrelenting" social problems. Heartening anecdotal sketches of both givers and receivers in the "charity industry" are engaging and informative, and Kristof and WuDunn hope to provoke serious thought about the role of charity in today's world. They applaud "innovators who are using research, evidence-based strategies, and brilliant ideas of their own to prevent violence, improve health, boost education, and spread opportunity at home and around the world." Of particular note is Kristoff and WuDunn's endorsement of "social entrepreneurship" and for-profit organizations as the most promising models for change. Readers may quibble with their points of emphasis, but Kristof and WuDunn's commitment and passion for substantial action is inspiring. The book's appendix includes a valuable list of organizations that work in education, crime and violence prevention, family planning, public health, and other fields. Agent: Anne Sibbald, Janklow & Nesbit. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Altruism: what inspires it, sustains it, and channels it in the most effective direction? Does it take a special breed of person to care deeply and give generously? Continuing their selflessly indefatigable brand of personal-issue journalism that opened the world's eyes to the horrors of female repression and gender inequities in Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide (2009), the authors now address dozens of other domestic and international challenges, from violence in Chicago to water scarcity in the Congo, from lack of education in Ethiopia to teenage pregnancy in Tacoma. Their 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. Each serves as an electrifying role model for doing good, whether it is the relatively simple act of writing a check or the more substantial commitment of uprooting one's life for a chosen cause. In an arena where, sadly, cons and scams abound, the authors' meticulous research into the most worthy charities gives welcome guidance on how and where to contribute securely and responsibly. 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.--Haggas, Carol Copyright 2014 Booklist

Kirkus Book Review

A primer on "finding innovative and effective ways to give back," from Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalists Kristof and WuDunn (Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, 2009, etc.). In their fourth collaborative effort, the husband-and-wife team addresses how ordinary people can participate in "a revolution in tackling social problems, employing new savvy, discipline and experience to chip away at poverty and injustice." While big-name charitable givers such as Warren Buffett and Bill Gates garner the headlines, the authors cite surprising statistics showing that poor and middle-class Americans collectively donate more to charity than the heavy hitters. Small, targeted donations can make a major difference in the lives of children by providing clean water and inexpensive medicationse.g., deworming an African or Asian child for a cost of only 50 cents per year. Kristof and WuDunn cut across ideological barriers in their discussion of how to address poverty in America, and they reject the notion that charitable giving is an alternative to government intervention; both are needed. "Let's recognize that success in life is a reflection not only of enterprise and will power but also of chance and early upbringing," they write, "and that compassion isn't a sign of weakness but a mark of civilization." They make a strong case for the importance of early intervention in the lives of children, as well as prenatal assistance and guidance to mothers. These challenges are especially evident on Native American reservations, where fetal alcohol syndrome is prevalent. Using anecdotes to illustrate their case, the authors squarely face the problems inherent in charitable giving, and they examine how clever-sounding projects may look good on paper but prove ineffective in the field. Noting that "the ability to empower others [by] giving is self-empowering," they warn that social entrepreneurship must be accompanied by practical business experience and careful management; this means monitoring outcomes as well as initiatives. The authors deliver a profound message that packs a wallop. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.