HS Mom in NC Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 If you have any recommendations that fall into the incredibly large category of "people who solved or improved huge societal problems" I'd be glad to add them to my reading list and fit them in when I have the time.This year I've decided to spend time reading about people who have actually solved or significantly improved huge problems. This is instead of listening to people propose solutions that have never been implemented and remain theoretical. I think, in our culture, the wrong people are being given the metaphorical microphone and spotlight-we should be listening quietly to and studying carefully people who have actually succeeded at making things much better for others or themselves in terrible situations.I've already read The Beautiful Tree by Tooley where the desperately poor all over the world are providing, at their own expense, private education for their own children and free education for orphans that matches or surpasses the education provided by their local government funded schools. It's a great read for any educator because it clarifies what is essential in attitude and resources and applies to people all over the socioeconomic spectrum.Now I'm reading A Thousand Hills: Rwanda's Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed it by Kinzer about Paul Kagame and how he secured power and brought law, order and increasing prosperity to a country truly devastated by a complex group of problems leading up to waves genocide. I watched The Long Way Down with Ewan McGregor (the coolest travel show you'll ever watch) and noticed Rwanda being such a stark contrast to many countries near it that I had to know the story behind it. Don't assume I have to like everything the person the book is about ever did. I have a very realistic view of the world and know that even very admirable people can be terribly flawed and can even be flat out awful in other aspects of their lives. I'm interested in problem solving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Maybe not what you're looking for, but perhaps The Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson. (I think trash, over-consumerism in our culture, excessive waste, etc... are societal problems for us now & down the road too.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tohru Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 I loved these two books about North Korea and what people are doing to help others. Escape from North Korea: The Untold Story of Asia's Underground Railroad Escape from Camp 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 You NEED to read this book if your topic is solving big problems. The Power of Positive Deviance by Richard Pascale and Monique and Jerry Sternin. It's an amazing book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Biographies of Ghandi or Nelson Mandala? Biographies of Marie Curie describe the long hours she put in at the lab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 I read Leadership by Giuliani, it talks about how they responded to 9-11 as well as other things he did in NY while in office. I am not a total fan of Giuliani, but I enjoyed this book and have a little bit more respect for him. I think he really is likely to be a pretty good leader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Anything by Torey Hayden, and ED teacher. Her first book, One Child, shows the impact of her teaching on a very special little girl, and also the impact of that little girl on Torey. Unfortunately, the follow up, Tiger's Child, shows what happens later. It's not quite in your catagory of Problem Solving, but, in dealing with human beings, who are not, of course, problems to be solved but people to be loved, it does show what influence can and cannot do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 You might want to add some TED Talks into the mix as well: http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_pritchard_invents_a_water_filter http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_turere_a_peace_treaty_with_the_lions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBM Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 If you don't mind a documentary, The New Heroes is worth watching. It's my all-time favorite, worth owning. http://www.pbs.org/opb/thenewheroes/ The New Heroes tells the dramatic stories of 14 daring people from all corners of the globe who, against all odds, are successfully alleviating poverty and illness, combating unemployment and violence, and bringing education, light, opportunity and freedom to poor and marginalized people around the world. Also known as "social entrepreneurs," they develop innovations that bring life-changing tools and resources to people desperate for viable solutions. What is possible? You'd be surprised. Take a journey into a world where people take action to make a big difference. At the above site, they also have a list of other social entrepreneurs and I suppose you could try to find biographies about them. http://www.pbs.org/opb/thenewheroes/whatis/whatis_ss_1.html http://www.pbs.org/opb/thenewheroes/teachers/ Another documentary about a man and his girlfriend who travel to Africa with a container full of used bikes and how that changes life in rural Africa: http://www.bikesforafrica.net Another one, Emmanuel's Gift is about a disabled man from Ghana who rides his bike across Ghana (I think) to persuade others that the disabled are worthy and capable individuals, too: A few other people: Jane Addams Peter Cooper Linus Pauling maybe Mother Teresa Some websites that list social entrepreneurs. I wish these people would get more media coverage. http://www.skollfoundation.org/skoll-entrepreneurs/ http://www.forbes.com/special-report/2012/30-under-30/30-under-30_social.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 I wasn't going to post, but I see other people are posting documentaries. It is 13 minutes long. When I think of heroes doing great things, I think of ... rats. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HxrNYBx3l0 Rats are being used to sniff out land mines and use TB detection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Maybe not what you are looking for but Gifted Hands by Ben Carson is a great true story of how he overcame poverty to become one of the most gifted surgeons and how much his mother did to make sure her kids succeeded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 Thank you all! I think everything listed fits the category. I've already read Ben Carson's books Gifted Hands and Take The Risk several years ago, so it's a good reminder to go back and review. I'll keep checking back for more ideas and I'll try to figure out how to prioritize them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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