Book Description
John Wood discovered his passion, his greatest success, and his life's work--not at business school or leading Microsoft's charge into Asia in the 1990s--but on a soul-searching trip to the Himalayas. Wood felt trapped between an all-consuming career and a desire to do something lasting and significant. Stressed from the demands of his job, he took a vacation trekking in Nepal because a friend had told him, "If you get high enough in the mountains, you can't hear Steve Ballmer yelling at you anymore."
See how John Wood came to start Room to Read and write Leaving Microsoft to Change the World in this video clip: high bandwidth or low bandwidth |
Instead of being the antidote to the rat race, that trip convinced John Wood to divert the boundless energy he was devoting to Microsoft into a cause that desperately needed to be addressed. While visiting a remote Nepalese school, Wood learned that the students had few books in their library. When he offered to run a book drive to provide the school with books, his idea was met with polite skepticism. After all, no matter how well-intentioned, why would a successful software executive take valuable time out of his life and gather books for an impoverished school?
But John Wood did return to that school and with thousands of books bundled on the back of a yak. And at that moment, Wood made the decision to walk away from Microsoft and create Room to Read-an organization that has donated more than 1.2 million books, established more than 2,600 libraries and 200 schools, and sent 1,700 girls to school on scholarship-ultimately touching the lives of 875,000 children with the lifelong gift of education.
Leaving Microsoft to Change the World chronicles John Wood's struggle to find a meaningful outlet for his managerial talents and entrepreneurial zeal. For every high-achiever who has ever wondered what life might be like giving back, Wood offers a vivid, emotional, and absorbing tale of how to take the lessons learned at a hard-charging company like Microsoft and apply them to one of the world's most pressing problems: the lack of basic literacy.
Book Description
John Wood discovered his passion, his greatest success, and his life's work—not at business school or leading Microsoft's charge into Asia in the 1990s—but on a soul-searching trip to the Himalayas. Wood felt trapped between an all-consuming career and a desire to do something lasting and significant. Stressed from the demands of his job, he took a vacation trekking in Nepal because a friend had told him, "If you get high enough in the mountains, you can't hear Steve Ballmer yelling at you anymore."
Instead of being the antidote to the rat race, that trip convinced John Wood to divert the boundless energy he was devoting to Microsoft into a cause that desperately needed to be addressed. While visiting a remote Nepalese school, Wood learned that the students had few books in their library. When he offered to run a book drive to provide the school with books, his idea was met with polite skepticism. After all, no matter how well-intentioned, why would a successful software executive take valuable time out of his life and gather books for an impoverished school?
But John Wood did return to that school and with thousands of books bundled on the back of a yak. And at that moment, Wood made the decision to walk away from Microsoft and create Room to Read—an organization that has donated more than 1.2 million books, established more than 2,600 libraries and 200 schools, and sent 1,700 girls to school on scholarship—ultimately touching the lives of 875,000 children with the lifelong gift of education.
Leaving Microsoft to Change the World chronicles John Wood's struggle to find a meaningful outlet for his managerial talents and entrepreneurial zeal. For every high-achiever who has ever wondered what life might be like giving back, Wood offers a vivid, emotional, and absorbing tale of how to take the lessons learned at a hard-charging company like Microsoft and apply them to one of the world's most pressing problems: the lack of basic literacy.
Customer Reviews:
John Wood, you inspire me!.......2007-09-07
Reading about John Wood's motivations and personal sacrifices, I found myself re-engergized for the volunteer work I do. This book is not just for business people, but for anyone who wants to make a difference in this crazy, beautiful world we live in. Providing children with books whether on a global scale or locally is one of the best gifts (and investments) a person can make. Bravo John! And thanks for making your adventures accessible to the rest of us.
Life Altering Book.......2007-08-21
I managed to finish this book on a flu episode with a fever that lasted two days. It was a great companion at that horrible time.
Now, i read a lot of books. And over time, i got to quickly notice good books from bad books. And ever more, i get to know great books from "books you buy to balance your shelf" books. I try to buy only good books and strive to get all the great ones. This is one of the great ones.
When first browsing through Amazon(yes, i am a very loyal customer), i noticed the title. And being the geek that i am, i wondered what it would talk about(you have to admit, MS and changing the world do not mix easily). I was afraid it would turn out to be a lame book as many books which carry a similar title are. So i took a gamble and i bought it.
It talks about the story of a man(John Wood, marketing executive working at Microsoft) who took a "no-computers" vacation to Nepal. And this vacation changed his life. He describes his life in detail. The details are typical of a modern young successful man working in a high-tech firm. Basically his life consisted of work, work, work and an almost non-existent social life(or any other kind of life for that matter). He thought he was happy this way, we all do, until we stop and take a good look at what we have accomplished.
In Nepal, he noticed that even though some provinces had schools, there were no books and no libraries. So he started out with a little project of collecting a few books for one particular school in Nepal. This all started with a promise to return to Nepal with books. And the whole idea avalanched into one of the most successful projects. An organization that builds schools/libraries and provides books and scholarships for young girls.
I don't want to give out too many details. The beauty of this story is in the events that took place and their chronological order. So i don't want to spoil it. However, i will talk about why i liked this book so much.
John saw the kids in Nepal. He saw that they were trying to learn, but with very poor resources. He also understood that education is the most important gift that you can bestow on a child. Especially girls, since these girls will grow up with this education in mind and carry this belief over to their children and families. "You educate a girl, you educate an entire generation."
After John returned from Nepal, he tried to get back to his old lifestyle. But he could not. How could he? Everything he will do now will seem so empty. How can he go on working knowing that there are children in the world that are not getting the opportunities that we take for granted. He felt so empty. And even if, according to our standard, he is very successful....his life felt meaningless in light of this issue. Everything he accomplished looked so insignificant.
What is truly remarkable though, is that he ran his organization in the same way he would run a normal business. So unlike the other charities around, he never asked people for money out of pity. So instead of showing children with sad faces and sick people like all charities do, he showed the schools he built and the books that he got and the children making use of all of this. It is his belief that contributers do not give money to charity because they don't know where their money is going. They never see results.
I also believe that any book you read must alter your life in some sense. This book did just that. I learned that you shouldn't listen to all the nay-sayers. I learned that for every 1 idea you come up with, there will be a 100 people telling you how it won't work. I also learned to never give up.
If i would only take away one thing from this book, it would be my current favorite quote(which according to the book is an old Chinese quote)
Those who say it cannot be done should not criticize those who are doing it.
This books is highly recommended with 5/5 stars.
great inspiration along with fantastic advice for those who want to change the world.......2007-08-20
Wood brings a fresh, business-like perspective to the often stale world of not-for-profits. His personal journey from career success, to existential angst, to leaving the rat race to change the world is a true inspiration.
Giving back by giving effectively.......2007-07-06
There are plenty of books about one individual's accomplishments in the march to change the world. This book is different because--along with his passion for education and libraries--John Wood brings a model for transforming that passion into sustainable organizations on the ground. If you are actively involved in a nonprofit organization, you will enjoy John's down to earth advice about focusing on results, fundraising, and having fun while you're doing the hard work.
going from corporate executive to do gooder champion.......2007-06-05
This is a good book to understand risk that is inspired by passion. this guy had everything to lose and so much to gain and he did it. Kudos to him and kudos for a well written book.
Average customer rating:
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10 Minute Guide to Microsoft Profit
Linda Flanders
Manufacturer: Alpha Books
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ASIN: 1567611192 |
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Microsoft Profit
Stephen L. Nelson
Manufacturer: Microsoft Pr
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1556155131 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Soft-Letter, published by Soft-letter on May 31, 2000. The length of the article is 585 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: ARE MICROSOFT'S NUMBERS TRUSTWORTHY?(Company Financial Information)
Publication:
Soft-Letter (Newsletter)
Date: May 31, 2000
Publisher: Soft-letter
Volume: 16
Issue: 14
Page: NA
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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This digital document is an article from San Diego Business Journal, published by CBJ, L.P. on September 29, 2003. The length of the article is 1278 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: ATC finds itself contradicting negative ink: Microsoft consumers are eligible to recover costs following $1.1b settlement.(Cyberbucks)(American Technology Corp.)
Author: Mike Allen
Publication:
San Diego Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 29, 2003
Publisher: CBJ, L.P.
Volume: 24
Issue: 39
Page: 9(3)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Soft-Letter, published by Soft-letter on June 15, 2001. The length of the article is 777 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: DATA POINTS: MICROSOFT'S PROFIT-PER-EMPLOYEE RATIO.
Publication:
Soft-Letter (Newsletter)
Date: June 15, 2001
Publisher: Soft-letter
Volume: 17
Issue: 14
Page: NA
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Software Industry Report, published by Millin Publishing, Inc. on August 3, 1992. The length of the article is 326 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Gates says don't expect record profits in fiscal 1993. (Microsoft Corp.'s Bill Gates)
Publication:
Software Industry Report (Newsletter)
Date: August 3, 1992
Publisher: Millin Publishing, Inc.
Volume: v24
Issue: n15
Page: p2(1)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS FOR SUPPLIERS.(Adobe Systems Inc. and Microsoft Corp.): An article from: NewsInc
Manufacturer: The Cole Group
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ASIN: B00082BQP8
Release Date: 2005-06-01 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from NewsInc, published by The Cole Group on March 22, 2004. The length of the article is 2143 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS FOR SUPPLIERS.(Adobe Systems Inc. and Microsoft Corp.)
Publication:
NewsInc (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2004
Publisher: The Cole Group
Volume: 16
Issue: 12
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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Human Resource Information Systems: Development and Application (Kent Human Resource Management Series)
Michael J. Kavanagh ,
Hal G. Gueutal , and
Scott I. Tannenbaum
Manufacturer: PWS Pub. Co.
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0534919456 |
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Virtual Corporate Universities: A Matrix of Knowledge and Learning for the New Digital Dawn (Integrated Series in Information Systems)
Walter R. J. Baets , and
Gert Van der Linden
Manufacturer: Springer
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1402073828 |
Book Description
Over the past years, business schools have been experimenting with distance learning and online education. In many cases this new technology has not brought the anticipated results. Questions raised by online education can be linked to the fundamental problem of education and teaching, and more specifically to the models and philosophy of education and teaching.
Virtual Corporate Universities: A Matrix of Knowledge and Learning for the New Digital Dawn offers a source for new thoughts about those processes in view of the use of new technologies. Learning is considered as a key-strategic tool for new strategies, innovation, and significantly improving organizational effectiveness. The book blends the elements of knowledge management, as well as organizational and individual learning. The book is not just a treatment of technology, but a fusion of a novel dynamic learner (student)-driven learning concept, the management and creation of dynamic knowledge, and next-generation technologies to generic business, organizational and managerial processes, and the development of human capital. Obviously, the implications of online learning go far beyond the field of business as presented in this book.
Average customer rating:
- For educators, trainers and managers.
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Web-Based Training
Colin Steed
Manufacturer: Gower Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0566081032 |
Customer Reviews:
For educators, trainers and managers........1999-06-22
Web-based Training by Colin Steed is an excellent book for educators and managers to decide if they want to consider Web based training. It would also be good for Web based training 101 if such a course were taught.
It discusses and compares traditional training methods and how they would be applicable on the Web. Discusions on instructional and curriculum development are very clear and concise.
He cites Web sites to look at and provides pictorials of the sites. The book discusses what is currently available and what is in use already. He also includes a section on how to evaluate and justify this type of training.
The price is a little high when compared to other web based training topic books but for a college text book it is in line. If you are a developer this book may not be for you however, if you are an educator, trainer or instructor of any type, it is worthwhile reading material. It is dedicated more on the processes of Web based training and not on the technical aspects of it (probably because it changes hourly). I am keeping it as a reference book. I rate it as a quality book that should be on every educator's bookshelf.
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Developments in electronic employment relations.: An article from: International Journal of Employment Studies
John Burgess , and
Peter Waring
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B000OT7R6C
Release Date: 2007-03-22 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from International Journal of Employment Studies, published by Thomson Gale on October 1, 2006. The length of the article is 6041 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Developments in electronic employment relations.
Author: John Burgess
Publication:
International Journal of Employment Studies (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 14
Issue: 2
Page: 83(20)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Books:
- Los Cambios En El Poder Adquisitivo de La Moneda: Su Reflejo En La Informacion Contable
- Macroeconomics and Active Graph CD Package
- Making Critical Technology Decisions: Leading CTOs & CIOs on Identifying Opportunities, Calculating Return on Investments, and Aligning Technology with Business Goals (Inside the Minds)
- Managerial Accounting: Manufacturing and Service Applications
- McGraw-Hill Personal Computer Programming Encyclopedia: Languages and Operating Systems
- Measuring Business Interruption Losses and Other Commercial Damages
- Microeconomics: A Contemporary Introduction (with InfoTrac®)
- Microeconomics: A Contemporary Introduction (with InfoTrac®)
- Microeconomics: Principles And Policy
- Miller Gaas Guide 2004: A Comprehensive Restatement of Standards for Auditing, Attestation, Compilation, and Review (Miller Gaas Guide)
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