Book Description
Hugely charismatic, humble, and possessed of preternatural luminosity of spirit, Wangari Maathai, the winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and a single mother of three, recounts her extraordinary life as a political activist, feminist, and environmentalist in Kenya.
Born in a rural village in 1940, Wangari Maathai was already an iconoclast as a child, determined to get an education even though most girls were uneducated. We see her studying with Catholic missionaries, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the United States, and becoming the first woman both to earn a PhD in East and Central Africa and to head a university department in Kenya. We witness her numerous run-ins with the brutal Moi government. She makes clear the political and personal reasons that compelled her, in 1977, to establish the Green Belt Movement, which spread from Kenya across Africa and which helps restore indigenous forests while assisting rural women by paying them to plant trees in their villages. We see how Maathai’s extraordinary courage and determination helped transform Kenya’s government into the democracy in which she now serves as assistant minister for the environment and as a member of Parliament. And we are with her as she accepts the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded in recognition of her “contribution to sustainable development, human rights, and peace.”
In Unbowed, Wangari Maathai offers an inspiriting message of hope and prosperity through self-sufficiency.
Customer Reviews:
Stunning story of hope and action.......2007-10-16
Maathai is the first African woman and the first environmentalist to win the Nobel Peace Prize-in 2004.
Masthai's life is inspiring-from her humble beginnings as a child laborer on the plantation of a white English colonial farm with her family, to her early education in the primitive Ihithe primary school at age 8, to further education at St. Cecilia's at the Mathari Catholic Mission, to college in the United States. She taught at the University in Kenya, and was active in the National Council of Women in Kenya (NCWK) for many years.
Many failures are scattered throughout her life: she was divorced by her husband; she lost her job at the University when she tried to run for office, and she was arrested many times for her work in promoting democracy in Kenya. One of the projects she worked on was to stop the construction of a huge 60-story skyscraper in the middle of Uhuru Park in Nairobi; another was to obtain the release of over 50 men who had been imprisoned for agitating for a multi-party system. She held a hunger strike with their mothers, in Uhuru Park, and then they all retreated to a nearby Anglican cathedral to continue to protest after being routed from the park by armed police (Along with many others, Maathai was beaten and taken to hospital). Eventually the men were released.
Maathai started the Green Belt Movement in 1977. In 2002 Kenya finally held free and democratic open elections and Maathai won a seat in the Parliament. See the Green Belt web site for extensive details of her grassroots tree-planting program. The act of planting a tree is helping women throughout Africa help the environment. The GBM has planted more than 40 million trees across Africa, resulting in reduced soil erosion has affecting the critical watersheds
Everyone can make a difference. Just today I watched a report on the news about the devastating drought in the Southeast United States. Hard times are coming. We need to learn about climate change and what we can do to manage it.
Armchair Interviews says: One woman helping other women and her country.
Extraordinary Women's memoir.......2007-06-27
This memoir is an inspiring example of what one woman can do, bit by bit, and eventually have an internationally positive influence. The author's story resonates with anyone who wants to make a difference in her/his own molecule of the world.
Perseverance and hope.......2007-04-05
When Wangari Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, questions were raised regarding her choice by the Nobel Committee. Why should an environmentalist receive a prize that was identified with peace and human rights, voiced the critics. Reading Maathai's memoir sets the record straight, and justifying her selection for the award. In this fascinating and very personal account, she paints a vivid picture of her life, embedded in the realities of Kenya before and since independence. Her experiences during the Moi regime, in particular, demonstrate the challenges a young educated woman confronted in the face of traditional prejudice as well as political oppression.
Raised in rural Kenya, Wangari Maathai never lost the deep connection with the land and its the natural beauty. Over the years, she noticed the changes and the increasing fragility of the environment. Trees for her became a symbol and a tool for protecting the vulnerable ecosystem and assisting rural population to stem the growing poverty.
Thanks to the intervention of her older brother and the support of her mother, she was able to attend school beyond the primary level, which was all girls at the time could reach for. As luck had it and, being a bright student, her convent school was one of those selected to send graduates to the US under what became known as the Kennedy Airlift: a program to send young Africans to American colleges for further education. These young people were being primed to become future leaders of their societies in the soon to be independent African states. Maathai returned to Kenya with a Master's degree in biology, a subject that for her combined her scientific interests with her deep love for her natural environment. She was encouraged in her research and added a PhD in veterinary medicine to her record. Life should have been easy after that with a good husband, a blossoming academic career and three wonderful kids. But women in Kenya were not supposed to be independent and strong. Her fight for women's equal rights broadened her environmental commitments. Eventually she lost her academic position, her husband divorced her and she ended up as poor as she was a child. Not deterred by the adversities she was facing, she continued fighting on several fronts. She started the Greenbelt Movement to plant trees to reclaim the land as a campaign for and with rural women. Over time it gained such prominence that it was perceived as a threat by the authorities. Public show of opposition, such as the demonstrations to save Uhuru Park in Nairobi from President-friendly developers, increasingly identified Maathai and the Greenbelt Movement as a focus for opposition forces. They fought for human rights and dignity, anti-tribalism and democracy. The details of these struggles, the friendships and solidarity that Maathai experienced, both in Kenya in internationally, supported her morally and probably saved her life more than once.
Maathai's memoir is very personal and written from the heart. We get to know her thinking and feelings as well as a detailed description of the difficult life women and men who opposed the Moi regime faced. Her easygoing and conversational style softens the impact of her description of the arduous and sometimes even brutal experiences that she relays. At the same time, her story is a stirring example of how one person's strength and perseverance can make a difference to a people and the world. The Greenbelt Movement is now a motor for tree planting around Africa and beyond. This is an inspirational book as well as a historical record. Reading it will make you feel enriched. [Friederike Knabe]
Didn't grab me.......2007-03-09
I heard the author speak on NPR awhile ago, and thought this would be a fascinating book. However, I just couldn't get past the first couple of chapters. I think the lady has an interesting story to tell, but I just couldn't connect with what she had to say.
Impressive, Incredible, & Motivational. It will have you believing in the Impossible!.......2007-01-27
I enjoyed this book! "Unbowed" is a straight-forward, gripping, and majestic effort by Wangari Maathai --- a formidable woman who faced unimaginable hurdles in a noble effort to help others ... and shape the destiny of her country.
During her fantastic journey, she became a mother of three, an inspiration for millions, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Her life is an eloquent triumph of good versus evil. Those who have asked: "What can one person do?" Need only to read about her "Green Belt Movement". I'll give you a hint: It is about trees, self reliance, and human endurance.
Prepare yourself for spell-binding details (page 277) on crime, corruption, and monumental waste of natural resources by so-called leaders --- who feed off the carcasses of their people.
"Unbowed" is a book that will have you believing in the unattainable. Exquisitely written ... it is a compelling story of incredible courage, tenacious will, and survival in modern day Africa.
I loved it. You will, too!
Book Description
Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton gives American kids a firsthand look at growing up in Kenya as a member of a tribe of nomads whose livelihood centers on the raising and grazing of cattle. Readers share Lekuton's first encounter with a lion, the epitome of bravery in the warrior tradition. They follow his mischievous antics as a young Maasai cattle herder, coming-of-age initiation, boarding school escapades, soccer success, and journey to America for college. Lekuton's riveting text combines exotic details of nomadic life with the universal experience and emotions of a growing boy.
Customer Reviews:
Growing up as a Maasai warrior.......2007-09-20
I really liked this book. It is one of several that I purchased after coming back from Tanzania, and I have recommended it to others. The author is straight-forward about his situation, so I wouldn't recommend it to children under, say, 12, but it is quite moving as an adult book, though he wrote it for young people.
From the African bush to Harvard........2007-09-15
Facing the Lion is the amazing TRUE story of a Maasai boy growing up in Kenya. I first heard about this National Geographic book from my son's 8th grade world history teacher - it was on a summer reading list. B-O-R-I-N-G - right? Well think again. You will not be able to put this book down! The boy grows up tending his family's herd of extremely valuable cows - and that means standing guard at night when lions literally leap from the bush to decimate the livestock. The lessons that the boy learns from incredible adventure, adversity, and challenge in his African upbringing only serve to give him the drive, determination, and power to succeed at HARVARD. My husband read the book on a plane and now uses a number of examples in his consulting practice. A FUN read and a WONDERFUL book for ANYBODY - teens to adult.
Simple, yet informative!.......2007-09-10
Narrated in the voice of a child as he grows up in a Maasai village, this is a quick, easy-to-read book for learning a lot about the Maasai culture (ie; before traveling to Africa, or for general interest). It was recommended by my travel agent and, while very simple, I will agree it is very well worth the read!
Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai.......2007-06-08
This book was absolutely fascinating to adults as well as younger readers.
Joseph Lekuton is elected to Kenya Parliament.......2006-07-27
On July 24, 2006, this remarkable young man was elected to the Kenyan parliament to represent his home district. He says thank you for the help and encouragement he received while living in the United States.
Book Description
-- Heartwarming and Inspirational True Story Shows the Power of Love --
This compelling, bestselling account of adoption, reunion and heritage provides a timely and provocative perspective on multicultural families and powerful insights on overcoming racism and poverty.
Brooks grew up as the only child of a struggling single mother in inner-city Pittsburgh. He was battling racial stereotypes at school and searching for a place among his peers. Then he was told at age eleven that he had been adopted as an infant. He did not know it at the time, but Brooks had actually been born to a white biological mother who descended from Lithuanian Jews and a black Kenyan foreign student father.
Years after that stunning revelation, Brooks escaped the ghetto and traveled to search for his heritage. He found his biological mother in London with his previously unknown British siblings. He then located his biological father and extended family in Nairobi. His international search and the resulting reunions have profoundly affected three families in the United States, England, and Kenya.
A Wealth of Family is a "Best Books" Award Winner as selected by USA Book News.
Customer Reviews:
Heartwarming story.......2007-09-03
A Wealth of Family is a gripping chronicle of Thomas Brooks quest to discover the true wealth of family as he reunites with his birth family and in turn discovers his true self. It is inspiring story that will encourage members of the adoption triad and "traditional" families as well. As an adoptive mother, I highly recommend this book. It will help give you a healthy view of open adoption and the reunion experience.
It's That Good!.......2007-07-12
Brooks' captivating writing style coupled with his amazing life story and steadfast approach to life make this book both an entertainment and thought-triggering masterpiece that had me hooked right to the last page.
a must read!.......2007-05-07
I thought this book was inspiring, especially for those seeking their roots. I felt as though I knew the author personally by the end of the story as I went along for the journey with him. It is a must read!
Becoming a Citizen of the World.......2007-04-28
At age eleven, Thomas Brooks learned he was adopted and at first it shook his secure world. At age 25, while pursing his MBA, he decided to find his birth parents to complete the circle of his life. In A Wealth of Family, readers are treated to an international travel log and multicultural experience as we travel with Brooks in discovering his true roots.
Although Brooks was acclimated and culturally African American, he always suspected he might be of mixed heritage. When he received a document from the adoption agency, he was surprised to find that his mother was of Lithuanian Jewish background and his father was from Kenya. His parents had a brief affair while his mother was an undergraduate and his father was a graduate student at Penn State. After assuring his beloved adopted mother, Joan, that, no one would usurp her place in his life, he began to earnestly search for his birth parents.
Brooks grew up in a large extended family in the Pittsburg, Pennsylvania area surrounded by his mother's large family, the Lowrys. His parents divorced when he was four and he had little contact with his father. Brooks spent most of his growing years struggling with poverty because his mother was unable to work to support them. After a series of moves, they settled in Brighton, a white working/middle class suburb of Pittsburgh. After a rough start, Brooks began to excel in school, making excellent grades and was active in sports. He found himself fighting racism and stereotypes at time but preserved and was valedictorian of his high school class and going on to the University of Pittsburgh. Again, he applied himself to his studies and became immersed in a full college experience to include joining the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, a Greek Black organization and other clubs. He pursued engineering and then an MBA at the University of Maryland.
Because his birth mother, Dorothy, left contact information in his file at the adoption agency, he was able to quickly establish contact with her. Dorothy, who was living in England, flew to Houston, where Brooks was then working. They established a rapport and thereafter, Brooks flew to England and met his sister and three brothers. He was received with open arms and they slowly built a relationship, along with his grandmother, Maryan, Dorothy's mother, who was living in Pittsburgh. Dorothy wanted to meet Joan, but he realized it was a delicate situation and it would need more time for the two women, his birth mother and his adoptive mother to meet.
Brooks then took the steps to make contact with his father, Mboga Mageka Omwenga, which was much more difficult. In 1995, he and Dorothy made the trek to Kenya to make his paternal connection. First, they went on a safari to take in the beautiful country and then went on to Nairobi. All he had was a name and the fact that his father was of the Kisii tribe, according to a Kenyan friend in Houston. After a series of word-of-mouth connections, placing an announcement in the newspaper, and a few hits and misses, Brooks connected with his father's daughter, Margaret. She explained the father was out of the area but the two of them became acquainted. Brooks went back to Houston but thereafter started corresponding with his father. He went back to Kenya several months later finally met his father and was warmly received by the entire village and all his relatives, including his 100 year-old grandmother. He slowly established a relationship with his Kenyan family overcoming a few cultural challenges and miscommunications.
After his mother, Joan met Dorothy, the families seemed to blend and accept each other. Brooks came to love and appreciate having three families who all loved and supported him. His world travels served to broaden his understanding of different cultures and heightened his appreciation of his multiracial heritage. While he considers himself African American, he calls himself a world citizen. He learned to value the traits both his birth mother and father passed on to him, such as their intellectual ability.
Part memoir, part family history and genealogy, Brooks has written a memorable account of how race, culture, and family intersect while also recounting his own life lessons. He is a successful businessman living in Atlanta with his wife and family, mentoring inner-city youth and active in several social and civic organizations. There are many stories about bi-racial children but Brooks' story was unique in that it spanned three continents and melded three families to include a wealth of love, forgiveness and acceptance. This book is recommended for those interested in the topics of multiculturalism and adoptees seeking their roots.
Reviewed by Dera R. Williams
APOOO BookClub
What would you do if you discovered that you were adopted?.......2007-02-09
What would you do if you discovered that you were adopted?
A. Abandon the parents that raised you?
B. Immediately search to discover your heritage by any means necessary?
C. Take the time to understand the raw emotions involved and wait for God's voice to go forward.
Thomas Brooks picked option C. He took the high road by respecting and loving his adopted mother, Joan, and waiting until he was in college to begin his search. The adoption agency served as the initial contact when they delivered his request to reunite with his birth mother. Soon after, Dorothy faxed a letter and photo desperately wanting to know her first-born son. Thus begin his journey towards uncovering his biological roots - August 1992.
Over the course of the next few weeks, Thomas communicated with Dorothy uncovering the details surrounding his conception and her decision. Their conversations were open and honest with information flowing in both directions. This made their first face-to-face meeting extraordinary allowing for an immediate soul connection. Thomas took time to nurture the bonds between Dorothy and her family but he wanted to know more about his father. In December of 1994, they made the long trip to Kenya determined to find Mboga, his biological father.
A WEALTH OF FAMILY is a carefully crafted story of finding your biological identity while accepting and learning different cultures. Brooks details how to carefully heal emotional wounds and develop loving relationships with all people involved in making him who he is today. A WEALTH OF FAMILY should serve as a how-to-guide to enrich family ties; investigate family background and loving all of that makes you unique. This uplifting book is not only for those that have been adopted but also for anyone that has family issues that need to be resolved. This book proves that family is much more than those that live under your same roof.
Reviewed By - Deltareviewer for Real Page Turners
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Colors of Kenya (Colors of the World)
Fran Sammis
Manufacturer: Carolrhoda Books
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ASIN: 1575052822 |
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Risks Of Knowledge: Investigations Into Death Of Hon. Minister (New African Histories)
David William Cohen
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Ordinary Woman, Extraordinary Life.......2000-06-01
This book is the culmination of a lengthy relationship between Claire Robertson and a market woman in the area of her research work in Africa. Robertson aims to portray the everyday life and struggle of an average woman in Western Africa. What comes through the pages is no less than an ordinary woman leading an extraordinary life. Through the course of reading this book, you will hear Berida's life story in her own words. As she encounters one obstacle after the other, from problems with her husband, to theft, to the birth and tragic death of her children, she continues to rise above and triumph. For all those who believe that African women are submissive and unempowered this book will be an eye-opener.
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Kenya
Pateman
Manufacturer: Marshall Cavendish
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Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JGVET6 |
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Kenya : The Magic Land
Mohamed, Duncan Willetts and Brian Tetley Amin
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ASIN: 0370312252 |
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