Books

Corbett and Fikkert explore the complex nature of poverty and offer insights in to the reasons that so much well-intentioned “charity” goes awry, particularly in short-term international missions. They provide helpful ways for all of us to address various types of poverty – that of others, as well as our own.

Lanier’s compact and readable book is packed with stories and wisdom that will help anyone who hopes to relate across the North-South cultural divide. Whether you are a cross-cultural worker or simply live in a cross-cultural neighborhood, you’ll find this book to be a valuable resource for understanding and relating to others from a different “climate”. It is revealing, humourous and very practical.

The personal stories captured by Nolen are vastly different, except that they each represent one million of Africa’s 28 million HIV-infected people.  This is an eye-opening, educational and emotionally-gripping read, and will give the reader a new understanding of the AIDS crisis, as well as the fortitude and hope that exists in each person whose life is featured.

Sirolli’s discovery of a way of engaging people in their own dreams of better lives led to remarkable events in communities around the world, as people awoke to the resources and opportunities around them.  A compelling alternative to the model of large-scale NGO projects.

Most people know Mandela as an icon of the anti-Apartheid movement, and South Africa’s first democratically-elected president.  His autobiography chronicles the experience of life during Apartheid, his nearly three-decade long imprisonment, and his personal journey to become a leader of national forgiveness and reconciliation.

Paton’s classic South African novel tells the poignant story of two fathers who must face a shared tragedy. Their friendship reveals much about the nation in which they live, at a time just before Apartheid becomes law. An excellent, moving read.