Customer Reviews

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I had this book on backorder and raced through it as soon as it arrived. In a busy world preoccupied with success and materialistic pursuits, this was a breath of fresh air. A well written account of one man's journey from corporate America to making a real change in children's lives. This is a must read for all - it reminds us that we can all make a difference if we choose to do so. Also loved the inside peek at Microsoft and those who are at the helm. John Wood is funny, honest and a great storyteller. A great gift for young adults heading off to college or those starting on their own career path!

If you're one of those people who always has a book in your bag, who snatches moments to read just one more page on the morning commute, and who really can't imagine growing up without a library close at hand ... this book is for you.

John Wood did what most people only dream of- he left a lucrative position in one of the world's top companies to form a non-profit organization whose purpose it is to bring books, computers and a chance at education to children throught South and Southeast Asia.

And then he wrote a book about it. In it, he says that non-profit companies should work, in practical matters, very much like for-profit companies. They should be organized, passionate and focused. Wood takes some time to give readers pointers as to how to achieve this.

The success of the idea for the Room to Read organization has been amazing. I hope the success of the book matches that.

I only have one quibble with this book and that is that at some points, Wood seems almost whiny. There are at least a handful of times in which he is close to tears, and a few more in which he does some real soul-searching. Luckily for us readers, Wood writes more about these instances in his journal than in his book.

The book is passionate, upbeat and interesting- it really will make you want to do your part to make the world a better place.

It is a rare find to have top-tier business skills, a fierce compassion for people and a successful track-record of reaching for the stars, and pulling them in; John Wood is such a find, and his book, "Leaving Microsoft to Change the World" gives us the opportunity to find it as well.

John's heroic odyssey is so captivating and honest, that it's enjoyment factor almost masks the plethora of lessons and insights coming through page after page. This is a must read for anyone wanting to up-the-ante on their own expectations for life, leadership or impact in the world.

Not only does John's story inspire the heart to aim higher, it pinpoints the rigor and awareness required to get there. It is impossible to read this book and see your own potential in the same way ever again. John Wood has us believe there's more -- lots more -- and he provides the hope, example and means, to pursue it!

This is a fantastic book - for people in the business or the non-profit world who want to be inspired by a single individual's ability to produce amazing results. Its an unapologetic look at what it takes - personally and professionally - to accomplish the most daunting of goals. John and Erin's model clearly works and will continue to scale and change the lives of generations and generations of families around the world. Literacy is one of the most powerful tools in any country.

This is a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered, "how can I make a difference?" I suggested this for book club and everyone loved it ... I also gave this book to a number of friends at Christmas and received rave reviews back.

[...]

John Wood has an epiphany while trekking through Nepal. He was a highly compensated leader at Microsoft and yet when confronted with a simple request from a poor Nepal educator - "Next time you come maybe you can bring some books" - little did John know that this would change his life, and the life of countless others.

This is a truly inspiring story of someone who realized that there is more to life than the endless meetings and business strategy, and chose to leave that world behind to focus on making a difference to the education and literacy of countless children in Nepal.

The book is well written, engaging, funny, touching and at times depressing. I have been employed at Microsoft for a while and found it sad that John felt he could not have this kind of impact from within the company. There are so many great things the company is doing to help bring literacy and education to the world through technology, and it's a sad testament to those he worked with that someone as courageous and obviously talented as John couldn't have been used by the company with its resources to make this kind of impact from within. There are some hilarious bits in here about Microsoft, but overall I was left wondering "what if".

The book is enlightening in more ways than just the wasted potential of major multi-national companies; it also addresses some of the short sightedness of many charitable organizations he sought to partner with. Most importantly though it sends the message that one person really can make a difference. I was reminded of the wisdom of gaining wealth but losing your soul. John found the courage to find his, despite what he had to leave behind.

Overall, I recommend this book highly. It is well written, enjoyable, and inspiring. If John can make a difference, then so can we.

A well written, touching, and inspirational book; a call to action for all the people out there who may feel powerless in a cynical world. John Wood's book shows us through his work and example that we can make a difference - all we need to do is stop talking about making a change and a difference and to start doing it! Easier said than done...but no one said change is easy - and I think that is what people need to understand: only with hard work and passion will change come about. He has obviously done a lot of hard work and a lot of good in this world. I think anyone who reads this book will be inspired to try to follow his loving and passionate lead and do the same.

Thanks for inspiring me and for helping educate the children of the earth - you have literally made the world a better place!

Sincerely,

Lance Trumbull

Executive Director

The Everest Peace Project

This book turned out to be more biographical about the author's journey than it was about practical advice to accomplish the same results. His writing style is somewhat self-absorbed, but there is an interesting story in there if you are willing and able to read between the lines.

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.

Inspirational, insightful, funny. Answers the age old question, "But I'm just one person; can I really make a difference?"

I was initially reluctant to purchase the book after a friend of mine who attended business school recommended it. This was because the friend relayed to me the fact that the author's personal idol was Steve Ballmer (of Microsoft). Steve Ballmer? Isn't Ballmer known for his insensitive, brute-force methods? Nevertheless, I ended up picking up the book upon reading a chapter at the bookstore. The life the author had ahead of him at that moment sounded too appealing for me to drop the book...To be specific, the "leaving his ordinary life" part was too much exciting for me to give the book up just then. (Disclosure: I personally work in the high-tech industry -- though never held as high profile as the author had -- and have considered in the past quitting my job to take up charity work.)

And now I am glad that I picked up the book. The author's passion for charity and education won my heart many times over. Moreover he proved by example that as long as you put your heart in it there are ways to help others in a not-insignificant way, and that successful careers need not be confined to working for corporates in the traditional sense.

Getting back to the Steve Ballmer aspect. The author writes his book from the business perspective. For instance the book packs, just like business texts do, many "side boxes," where desirable business practices/lessons, or other factoids the author wishes to emphasize are enclosed. At times I felt the author's constant business inclination irritating. However the irritations are minor, and I am more than willing to put up with them insofar as they are put to use for a good cause such as the author's.

In case you wish to check out the author's business before purchasing the book, try accessing RoomToRead dot org.