Half The Sky

Half the Sky
by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

Since I love to read but barely ever have anyone to discuss the books I read with, I decided to write my thoughts about them on my blog!
Half The Sky is a nonfiction book about the oppression that women face worldwide. I picked this up out of curiosity at a Border's sale because I recognized the title as one of the books Angelina Jolie recommended in an interview.
Some of the issues addressed in this books are things I had never heard of and can't imagine living through. I can't imagine living in a world where I am treated like property, unable to go to school or have a job. While I may complain about both of those things, this book brings to light many things that we take for granted as American women.
I found the beginning chapters most disturbing. The first few chapters are dedicated soley to the stories of prostitutes around the world, most of them just children. I was disgusted by the fact that women actually sell their own daughters to brothels and that it is considered normal behavior in some countries.
My automatic reaction to these sort of things is, "Why doesn't the government stop them?" The book goes on to explain why making laws does not help many of these girls. Citizens don't listen, police take bribes, and making laws truley effective is expensive for countries who already do not have enough money.
Lately, all I've heard is people complaining about the healthcare bill. If you would like to put everything into perspective I would suggest reading this book. At least in America we have hospitals to go to. There are many villages around the world where people just die because there is no where to go for help, particularly women.
Salt may seem like the simplest commodity in our country, but we really don't realize the impact it has on the health of our children. Salt in America and many other developed countries is iodized, and while most people don't even know what that means, it has a huge impact on our culture. Iron is necessary to prevent certain birth defects and everyday healthy children are born because as Americans we get enough iron. This is not the case in the third world. Something as simple as iodized salt could change the lives of so many people.
Half The Sky will definately make you grateful for the life you have as an American whether you are a man or a woman. It is not a particularly easy read, especially for someone like myself who is not a fan of the non-fiction genre, but I am very happy that I read it. It made me aware of many problems that women all over the world face that I had never even heard of. It may be a bit depressing, but it offers solutions and hope for these suffering women.

Next up on the reading list: "Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies." Definately a change of pace after this book. Does it really deserve all of the hype it has recieved. I'll let you know!