As coronavirus continues to spread around the globe, and as local, state, and federal governments continue to implement progressively stricter stay home policies, there has never been a better time to snuggle up in your favorite chair with a good book for the rest of the day.
What does giving back look like? Is there such a thing as giving incorrectly? How do you do effective service? Due to the nature of our work, we consider these questions in regards to each community project we engage in. This list is some of our favorite books related to the topic of development work and inspire us to continue our mission. In the coming days, if you find your interest peaked to learn more, here is a list of recommendations from our team at Solea Water!
When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett is a non-fiction novel that discusses common perceptions regarding poverty and solutions to relieve it. One of the most interesting points considered is how poverty is defined and what the implications are when different definitions of the word are used for planning service.
Toxic Charity by Robert D. Lupton confronts the American mindset of cultural superiority and how good intentions can oftentimes have destructive outcomes. Lupton describes, for example, how mission trips traveling abroad with items to just give away create a relationship of dependence rather than working in solidarity and providing resources for a community to develop itself.
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder
The End of Poverty by Jeffrey D. Sachs
The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good by William Easterly
The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World by Jacqueline Novogratz
Good News About Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting World by Gary A. Haugen
Memoirs
Little Princes by Connor Grennan is a memoir that describes Grennan’s decision to take a year-long trip around the world, a decision that forever changed his outlook on life. Through a three-month stint volunteering in Little Princes Orphanage in Nepal, Grennan met victims of child-trafficking and upon his return to America, made it his life’s work to reunite the little princes he had met with their families.
Kisses from Katie by Katie J Davis is a memoir of Katie’s work volunteering in Uganda for a year prior to going to college. After returning to the United States and her “normal” life, Katie decided it was no longer what she wanted and returned to Uganda for good. Her story reminds us to see the beauty in the little things and the power in even the smallest actions.
Love Does by Bob Goff is a Christian non-fiction novel that encourages readers to see the incredible in what is usually considered to be ordinary. Each chapter is as compelling as the last, whether including a whimsical life experience or an eye-opening discussion, and is guaranteed to inspire you.