John Wood (2) (1964–)

3.5 stars

John Wood was working for Microsoft when he took a trip to Nepal only to discover the lack of books/libraries in the schools there. Being an avid reader since he was a kid, he promised to return in a year with books for the school. It didn’t take long before he became so passionate about it, that he quit his job and started up what later became Room to Read in order to help developing countries build schools and libraries. This was later extended to grant scholarships to be sure show more girls would complete their schooling, as well. Room to Read has also expanded beyond Nepal into a number of other (mostly Asian) countries.

This was good. He obviously loves what he does and it’s amazing how quickly Room to Read grew and how many countries it now helps. The first half of the book includes parallels and how working at Microsoft helped him start up this small non-profit. In the second half, he tells more stories of some of the kids who were/are personally impacted by the schools, and particularly some of the girls who have been granted scholarships. show less

This is one page turner of a book! I admire the author's can-do attitude, and the change he has brought to universal education. The book is filled with success stories, so in comparison with other books on charity in the developing world, this one initially seemed a little too positive. However, I'm fully on board- he dreamt big and he achieved big - yes, he probably faced much adversity and failure, but he accomplished so much more, and that is what is worth sharing.

John Wood's LEAVING MICROSOFT TO CHANGE THE WORLD is highly reminiscent of Greg Mortenson's THREE CUPS OF TEA and his subsequent book, STONES INTO SCHOOLS. Those who have read any of these three know the theme of the other two. All three were undoubtedly written for the same reason as well, to raise funds for the nonprofit education-oriented organizations founded by Wood and Mortenson (and, for that reason alone, all three are worth purchasing). As with Mortenson's books, Wood's is a memoir, show more and, while it doesn't include some of the adventures recounted by Mortenson, it is nonetheless an attention-binding read.

One must wonder, at least a little bit, if John Wood actually wrote all 258 pages of LEAVING MICROSOFT. Why? Judging solely by the text of the book, Wood's life has been a veritable whirlwind of activity, first for Microsoft and then for his own organization, Room To Read. When he actually carved out time to write a book one cannot imagine. The same was true for Mortenson, of course, but he readily admits that a co-author, David Oliver Relin, did most of the actual writing. There is no mention of a co-author in Wood's book, and perhaps he did compose every word in it, but I still would not be surprised if a ghost writer was involved.

One other point that readers may ponder is how precisely accurate the facts in LEAVING MICROSOFT prove to be. Considering the level of detail in the book, Wood had to have either an eidetic memory or a ponderous journal in which he meticulously recorded multitudinous events as they occurred. Mortenson has, in fact, been publicly taken to task over purported inaccuracies in THREE CUPS OF TEA.

Having raised the questions of sole authorship and factual accuracy, I want to add that neither really matters to me all that much, either in Wood's or in Mortenson's books. The stories, whether they adhere absolutely to historical events or not, are interestingly written and may even exert a very beneficial effect on the reader's value system in that both men forsook the self-aggrandizing, mammon-worshiping world of capitalism to devote their energies toward humanitarian goals. (This is not to say that Wood gave up all of his worldly pleasures for he still writes of wine-tasting parties and trekking in out-of-the-way places, so do not make the mistake of feeling that he is one of the "common people" of whom God made so many according to Abraham Lincoln. This makes him rather more difficult for readers to relate to than Mortenson, though he, too, was trekking in an out-of-the-way place when his first story begins, and it definitely takes money to reach and play in such locales.)

LEAVING MICROSOFT is, overall, quite well written, but the reader will encounter a few pages that the proofreader apparently skipped. For instance, on page 145, we learn that "Steve could care less were someone is in the hierarchy." Fortunately, such typographical errors are exceedingly few and far between; I simply have zero tolerance for such in professional writing offered for purchase.

Okay, even considering the unanswered questions of sole authorship and factual accuracy that niggle at me, I can truthfully say that I enjoyed reading Wood's book and that I recommend it highly to all who enjoy memoir-style writing of uncommon acts in esoteric settings. I did not set out to compare Wood's book with those of Mortenson, but they are a natural fit. Anyone who enjoyed Mortenson's books will also enjoy Wood's and vice versa. If one has not read any of them yet, LEAVING MICROSOFT TO CHANGE THE WORLD is a good one to start with. Be prepared to be inspired. show less

John Wood’s Creating Room to Read: A Story of Hope in the Battle for Global Literacy picks up from his previous book, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur’s Odyssey to Educate the World’s Children, and documents the successes and trials of the Room to Read non-profit that works to build libraries and foster gender equality in global literacy. He retells the formation of Room to Read so that the reader need not be familiar with the previous book and discusses how the show more program only works with input from the communities they help and how he and his employees bring a business mindset to non-profit work in the hope of making the most direct changes. Wood draws upon a wealth of evidence to demonstrate how education, specifically literacy, directly benefits people around the developing world, both in terms of what types of employment they can make and in how long they may expect to live. He draws upon his old boss Steve Ballmer’s methods, specifically the idea of Get Shit Done, to argue for making bold decisions. Wood also demonstrates how the things that make a company like Room to Read work are not necessarily cash donations, but things that foster access and cut overhead. The story is both inspiring and thought-provoking as Wood’s story is sure to resonate with readers looking to make a difference with what time they have on this world. show less