Half the Sky
By Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas D. Kristof
When I decided to read this book freshman year, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I had no idea how lucky I was to even finish elementary school. Half the Sky is written by a husband and wife team of journalists about women primarily in developing countries, where women have fewer rights and are more likely to become abused physically, emotionally, and sexually. They talk about the dangers of giving birth in poverty, especially for girls under 16 years old, girls who are younger than I am who already have two children with a third on the way. It makes me unbelievably uncomfortable to know that I could be in her shoes if I had been born in a different country to different parents. There's also a section on prostitution and sex slaves, especially in southeast Asia. The personal narratives and stories keep the book from seeming too statistically heavy, although they do make it difficult to read at times, and the number of these stories support the authors' argument. I became more of a feminist and more aware of the women suffering around the world. This is the best nonfiction book I have ever read.