India Untouched: The Forgotten Face Of Rural Poverty (Hardcover)

~ Abraham George (Author) "I was born and brought up in the seaside town of Trivandrum in the coastal state of Kerala, at the southwestern tip of India..." (more)
Key Phrases: lead poisoning prevention, arts village, awareness creation, Shanti Bhavan, United States, World Bank (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A remarkable story of what one man can accomplish with vision and determination." -- Ralph Nader, Consumer Advocate and Environmentalist

"A wake-up call." -- James F. Hoge, Jr., Editor, Foreign Affairs, Council of Foreign Affairs, New York

"Abraham George has precisely the kind of imagination that we should all want to emulate." -- Thomas L. Friedman, Foreign Affairs Columnist, The New York Times

"Dr. Abraham M. George has written an important and moving story about one of the world's most critical issues. -- Alex S. Jones, Director, Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard University

"I see what a single man’s vision can do. I complement Mr. George for his incisive understanding of the situation." -- I. K. Gujral, Former Prime Minister of India

Product Description

Product Description

In India Untouched, Dr. Abraham George provides a compelling, first-hand account of one man’s struggle against a well-entrenched system to make a difference. He offers fresh insight and incisive analysis into why previous attempts to improve the quality of life in rural India have failed, and what must be done in the future. His book is the story of suffering, cruelty, disease, and illiteracy, of corruption, waste, prejudice, and superstition. It is the story of fifty years of poor governance, and a stunning rebuke to the myth that globalization alone will distribute wealth to where it’s most needed. More importantly, the book is about what can be done to improve the lives of millions of poor people.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Writers' Collective; 1ST edition (February 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594111227
• ISBN-13: 978-1594111228
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #658,328 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exactly as we saw it when we visited!!, May 18, 2005

By	Wes Bernard "Bookworm in transition" (Christchurch, New Zealand) - See all my reviews

India is an interesting place, and a land of extremes. Nestled among the large cities and prosperous transformation is an entire culture of have nots. This book tells of the have nots in a moving, unedited fashion. A very sad depiction of real life in modern India but one that is filled with hope. I must admit, sometimes it was a tough read, but never boring. It is just that it is such a true and sad state of affairs. It talks a lot of corruption and inefficiences in the system. It talks about the ways people are discriminated against in the "world's largest democracy," but most of all it talks about giving people hope. It talks about what someone is willing to do to give people a credible, sustainable future. It is great to see someone who has worked hard and earned his money now putting that money to work to give hope to others. A truly moving story and well worth the read.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reality check for wannabe activists, February 8, 2006

By	Raghuveer - See all my reviews

This is an important book for anyone who thinks 'educating people' is a magic wand that will somehow wipe away poverty and other evils in the third-world. It is unbelievable how many barriers exist in India even for someone who wants to provide unselfish help. This book is a reality check for those who, by watching some sappy movies, think that things can be changed easily by mouthing platitudes and by making token donations to NGO's.

How readable is the book? It reads very well when the author talks about his personal experiences in detail. His difficulties while he went about setting up his school are a real eye-opener to how things really are. But the chapters become cliched when he starts generalizing; you feels like you have heard similar talk before and probably have.

But George Abraham is sincere and has done what many of us think we should do. For that alone, he deserves a lot of praise and support.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Global Analysis, March 24, 2005

By	William C. Schroth - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

With an understanding of globalization and public policy, the author dissects the problem of rural poverty in India and advances bold new ideas on how to improve the situation. Illustrated by his own extraordinary personal experience in south-central India, the author provides lessons which cross national boundaries for those who want to make a difference in the lives of the world's poorest citizens. The problem is deep-seated and the obstacles to improvement are many, but one finds hope in the book through the improvements one committed man has made in the lives of a small portion of India's rural poor.