Synopsis
Two Pulitzer Prize winners issue a call to arms against our era's most pervasive human rights violation: the oppression of women in the developing world. They show that a little help can transform the lives of women and girls abroad and that the key to economic progress lies in unleashing women's potential.
When people encounter histories related to slavery in the 18th century, they typically distance themselves from the tales of atrocity with a moral buffer, founded in the bedrock certainty that such abhorrent treatment of humanity is unthinkable in the age of modern enlightenment. But the sad fact is that there are countless cruelties being tolerated in the contemporary world which will cause similar shame to future generations. Violent and open oppression remains ubiquitous to the lives of millions of women around the world, who are subjected to genital mutilations, sex slavery, sanctioned rape, and communal murder. In fact, the global plague of misogyny is so rampant and widespread that it seemingly defies response, for how does one begin to address a problem which is embedded in so many cultures? One might begin by buying this book. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn have done the world a tremendous service by collecting examples of astonishing courage and hope from women who not only survived, but triumphed in the face of unspeakable brutality. Perhaps more significantly, the authors focus specifically on what every citizen can do to contribute to the fight against the subjugation of women. It is difficult to conceive of a more essential and benevolent book than Kristof and WuDunn's epic endeavor. Selected by Publishers Weekly as one of the 100 Best Books of 2009.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 2009-09-08 |
| Size | | Length: | 294 pages | | Height: | 10.3 in | | Width: | 6.5 in | | Thickness: | 1.2 in | | Weight: | 22.4 oz |
Publisher's Note
A Pulitzer Prize-winning husband-and-wife team speaks out against the oppression of women in the developing world, sharing example stories about victims and survivors who are working to raise awareness, counter abuse, and campaign for women's rights.
Industry Reviews
"HALF THE SKY is a call to arms, a call for help, a call for contributions, but also a call for volunteers. It asks us to open our eyes to this enormous humanitarian issue. It does so with exquisitely crafted prose and sensationally interesting material. It provides us with a list of individual hospitals, schools and small charities so that we can contribute to, or at least inform ourselves about, this largely unknown world. I really do think this is one of the most important books I have ever reviewed."
(09/11/2009)
"[HALF THE SKY] comes close to being a masterpiece of modern journalism....It's a humbling story in a book full of humbling stories.... Perhaps that sounds depressing. But on the contrary, Kristof and WuDunn's book is empowering for the reader. It shows that, while there is a mountain of misogyny to be climbed, it is being ascended, woman by woman, day by day. The authors are constantly pointing readers toward practical things they can do, from giving to the best charities to volunteering..."
(09/14/2009)
"HALF THE SKY tackles atrocities and indignities..., and absorbing the fusillade of horrors can feel like an assault of its own. But the poignant portraits of survivors humanize the issues, divulging facts that moral outrage might otherwise eclipse....Throughout, Kristof and WuDunn show faith in the capacity of ordinary citizens, including Americans, to initiate change....Mingling tales of woe with testimonials to people power, the authors explain how tragedy can spawn opportunity."
(09/20/2009)
"Full of vivid firsthand reporting, and packed with information...HALF THE SKY...calls passionately, even angrily, for a grand campaign....[The authors] make...a strong case for gender justice,...demolish...the unthinking moral relativism that shrugs at atrocities, and...fills the reader's heart with so much sympathy and indignation..."
(10/05/2009)
"[A] brilliantly argued case for investing in the health and autonomy of women worldwide...." (starred review)
(08/17/2009)
"[Kristof] and WuDunn are very clear that they have not written HALF THE SKY simply to document the condition of child brides in Ethiopia and girls forced into prostitution in Cambodia, but to inspire readers to change the dynamic and shift the paradigm....it is a testament to their skills as writers and reporters that they've managed to write this call to action without having to raise their voices."
(11/19/2009)
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