While Polak presents real solutions, namely small scale irrigation and treadle pumps that help the poorest of the poor, namely subsistence farmers, he takes a very simplistic "free market" view on poverty, claiming that lack of money is the only factor that really holds people back from development, which I found a wee bit one- sided.
128. Los detectives salvajes- Roberto Bolanos
The savage detectives, a pair of collegiate poets in search of a disappeared female poet from the early 19th century, end up telling a tale that goes all over the world, and like life, has no real point or no particularly satisfying ending, yet still makes for an interesting and reflective read.
129. Land, Power and Poverty: Agricultural Transformation and Political Conflict in Central America- Charles D. Brockett
This book is brilliant. Clearly and succinctly outlines agricultural changes in the region, looking at the role of market- oriented agriculture, revolutions and other exciting things.
130. Midnight's Children- Salman Rushdie
I've been on a big "Indian ______" writers kick. Liked it, but again, I'm big into magical realism.
131. What is the What- Dave Eggers
When I first heard about the concept of this book, telling the story of one of the "Lost Boys" of Sudan, I was kind of skeptical as to why Dave Eggers needed to write the story for him. But Eggers structures Valentine's narrative in a way that generates much more power and reflection about the ways life as an immigrant rivals life as a refugee.
132. Never Let Me Go- Kazuo Ishiguro
This novela starts off kind of slowly, almost boringly and then suddenly catches you off guard with huge moral questions. One of the best (short) books I've read in Peace Corps.
133. The Code of the Street: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City- Elijah Anderson
Brilliant, if a little repetitive. Desparingly, I found a lot of connections between inner city Philadelphia and the patterns of pregnancy among teenaged girls here in the chapter on relationships.
134. The Emperor's Children-Claire Messud
Sophisticated, funny and biting.
135. The Unbearable Lightness of Being- Milan Kundera (RR)
I read this in high school but found it much more powerful and relatable now.
136. Bridget Jone's Diary- Helen Fielding
Oh, so people everywhere are a pain in the ass to single women. Great. I was hoping it was just here.
137. Claire of the Sea Light- Edwinge Danticat
A story of the life of a young girl in Haiti that weaves in the stories of many characters, some of whom are embedded in small town nostalgia while others live bi-cultural lives. For me this book is so important for thinking about Haiti as a complex place, beyond the despairing headlines.
138. The Lowland- Jhumpa Lahiri
Interesting to see Jhumpa Lahiri throw politics into her tales of cross cultural life, a little dramatic compared to her other books, but with the same attention to characters' emotional development.
139. A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present- Howard Zinn
A cynical read that nonetheless gives hope for resistance.
140. Swamplandia!-Karen Russell
Narrated from different members of a family living in the Florida swamps, this book kind of hits you from nowhere and gives a sense of place better than any other.
141. Banker to the Poor: Micro Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty- Muhammad Yunnus
Interestingly detailed about how the Grameen bank got started. Yunnus' image of the "Museum of Poverty" is one of the most powerful human rights statements of all time.
142. Uncommon Grounds- The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World- Mark Pendergrast
This book could have been 300 pages shorter and been much better. While I learned a lot of interesting facts about coffee, I didn't need to know about every single merger or marketing technique that ever happened in the coffee industry. A less misleading title would have been "The History of Coffee Marketing..."
143. The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia- Peter Hopkirk
Irresistible tale of imperial quests.
144. Intersex (for lack of a better word)- Thea Hillman
Think the gender binary is a clearcut thing? Think again.
145. Revolution: The Year I Fell in Love and Went to Join the War-Deb Olin Unferth
A sarcastic, hilarious mishap filled chronicle of the author's treks in Central America with her Christian boyfriend searching for meaning in their college years.
146. The Female Brain- Louann Brizendine, M.D.
While this book downplays nuture in the formation of gender roles and frequently makes sweeping generalizations but offers interesting insights of the role of hormones in shaping development and emotions.
147. The God of Small Things- Arundhati Roy
Boom. It's fascinating the way this book narrates what will happen from the very beginning yet doesn't make sense til the end, while inventing a multicultural vocabulary that navigates the space between child and adult.
148. After Revolution: Mapping Gender and Cultural Politics in Neoliberal Nicaragua- Florence Babb
Mapping Gender and Cultural Politics in Neoliberal Nicaragua
By Florence E. Babb
149. The Global Soul: Jet Lag, Shopping Malls and the Search for Home- Pico Ayer
One of the best books I've ever read about "the modern age." While the dizzying array of characters almost sounds made up or at the very least exaggerated, Ayer's insights into human relations, capitalism, citizenship and belonging are poignant.
150. The Devil's Highway- Luis Alberto Urrea
A heart-rending story of immigrants coming from southern Mexico to the United States along the "Devil's Highway," a punishing desert. What I found most unique about this book, in addition to its unique prose style, was its balance and the way it fairly portrayed all players.
151. Born to Run: Superathletes, A Hidden Tribe, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen- Christopher McDougall
I read this to get motivation to start running again. While this story was inspiring and funny, and made me miss the craziness of fellow runners. However, there was something off- putting about reading this right after Devil's Highway. Why do we lionize one group of people for insanely risking their lives in search of nothing but glory yet punish another group in search of survival for their families?
152. La Casa Verde (The Green House)- Mario Vargas Llosa
Another challenge read in Spanish, tying together 3 different story lines in Peruvian settings ranging from jungle to sandy city, with a cynical message about the elusiveness of love.
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