RECOMMENDED READING

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi:  Purple Hibiscus.  [Debut novel by a talented Nigerian writer tells the story of a 15 year old girl growing up in the power of a father who is seen as a pillar of society and a philanthropist but is an abusive tyrant at home.  The author who divides her time between the US and Nigeria was awarded a 2008 “genius grant” by the MacArthur Foundation.]

Ahmed, Leila:  Women and Gender in Islam.  [Historical review of the role women have played in Islamic societies across the centuries.]

Chayse, Sarah: The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban

Cole, Juan: Engaging the Muslim World

 

Coll, Steve: Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 200” and The Bin Ladens: an Arabian family in the American Century

Crossett, Barbara: So Close to Heaven: The Vanishing Buddhist Kingdoms of the Himalayas and a book of travel essays, The Great Hill Stations of Asia.

Elliot, Jason: An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan

Glendon, Mary Ann:  A World Made New:  Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Rights.  [A window on the formation of a statement of principles which while often honored in the breach, still serves as the conscience of the world.]

Hunt, Swanee:  This Was Not Our War: Bosnian Women Reclaiming the Peace.  [The testimonies of 26 women who survived Bosnia’s ethnic upheavals and are reconstructing their society following years of devastating warfare; Hunt is a former Ambassador to Austria (1993-97).]

Kennedy, Paul: The Parliament of Man: The Past, Present, and Future of the United Nations

Krasno, Jean: Confronting the Challenge of a Global Society; Leveraging for Success in UN Peace Operations

Kristof, Nicholas and WuDunn, Sheryl:  Half the Sky:  Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.

MacFarquhar, Neil: The Media Department of Hizbollah Wishes You a Happy Birthday: Unexpected Encounters in the Changing Middle East

Mortenson, Greg : Three Cups of Tea

Pazira, Nelofer: A Bed of Red Flowers: In Search of My Afghanistan

Prud'homme, Alex : The Ripple Effect; The Fate of Fresh Water in the 21st Century. See also DVD at New Canaan Library of Margaret Catley-Carlson presentation on "Water: More Critical Than Oil" as well as www.water.org for more on the subject.

Rashid, Ahmed: Descent into Chaos; also Jihad and Taliban. Also author of Taliban, Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia

Rohde, David:   "A Rope and a Prayer", the story of his kidnapping by the Taliban on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, and his subsequent escape.

Stewart, Rory: The Places In Between, and Prince of the Marshes

Stoddard, Hud: Engagements Abroad

Twist, Lynne:  The Soul of Money.  [Twist is an international activist who has worked with the Hunger Project and examines how our attitudes toward money affect our view of the world.]

Wintle, Justin:  Perfect Hostage:  A Life of Aung San Suu Kyi.

 

For additional reading suggestions, refer to  www.un.org/bookshop/default.aspx