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The Man Who Fed the World: Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Norman Borlaug and His Battle to End World Hunger

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In Jimmy Carter's introduction to this book he points out the Norman Borlang has the distinction as one of the 100 most influential individuals of the 20th century.

Dr. Borlang was the 1970 recipient of the Nobel Peace Price. This was awarded for his work in saving the lives of more people - hundreds of millions, perhaps over a billion - from starvation than any person in history.

He, as much as any other individual deserves the title, The Father of the Green Revolution. In the late 1960s, most experts said that global famines in which billions would die would soon occur. Biologist Paul R. Ehrlich wrote in his 1968 bestseller The Population Bomb, 'The battle to feed all of humanity is over... In the 1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now.' Ehrlich also said, 'I have yet to meet anyone familiar with the situation who thinks India will be self-sufficient in food by 1971,' and 'India couldn't possibly feed two hundred million more people by 1980.'

Thanks to Dr. Borlaug, Paul Erlich was wrong.

Note that this doesn not mean that the problems are over. The Green Revolution plants take more water, more fertilizer (made from oil) than the older plants. There is an ongoing debate about biotechnology and food supplies. And of course, population growth cannot continue forever. But without Dr. Borlaug there would have been a lot more dying. And besides this just might sound like Paul Erlich.

Dr. Borlaug (now 91) lived a life filled with satisfaction, awards, and the knowledge that he has helped to feed millions.

The Man Who Fed The World an authorized biography by Leon Hesser

Norman Borlaug's life, written by Leon Hesser, is more than magnanimous. It is impressively humble.
Hesser's remarkable, well-written book, is a wonderful story of the simple life of an Iowa farm boy whose extraordinary determination led him on a lifelong journey to feed a starving world. A young Norman Borlaug, scarred by the effects of the Great Depression witnessed, first hand, how food changes peoples lives.

The Man Who Fed The World is an inspiring book of one man's hope, vision, and the intestinal fortitude to relentlessly pursue his goal to relieve human suffering. And for the millions of the world's starving who were unable to personally express their gratitude Norma Borlaug, on October 20, 1970, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

A huge thank you to Leon Hesser for bringing the world this book!


Marsha is a writer, speaker, and author of Emerald's Garden How to grieve, mourn and recover from loss. See [...]

Nice work! This book captures the spirit of a man that passionately seeks ways to help people in other geographies. The author shows how Norman empowered those he wanted to help by giving them new tools to succeed, a far superior approach to charity.

Just by reading the jacket copy, one can glean that Norman Borlaug was an amazing man. In this biographical tome by Borlaug's friend and colleague, we follow Borlaug's life.

We are pulled into the story by an unassuming man toiling in the fields being ambushed by a pickup truck full of reporters and photographers, eager to talk to the latest Nobel Prize recipient, and carried by Hesser's exceptional writing through an uplifting story of how a man who flunked a college entrance exam made huge strides in ending world hunger.

I recommend this book to those interested in the life of Norman Borlaug, those studying world hunger and the efforts to end it, and to those looking to learn how to write an exemplary biography.

Norman Borlaug was a man ahead of his time. This book should inspire other people to do something about world hunger. On a scale of 1-5 this book is a 10. It as a fantabulous book to read.

This is an account of a Man who WORKED in the field to end world hunger.
He did not just talk about it.

Good reading for anyone who cares about alleviating hunger in the world; something we should all care to know more about.

Not the best biography -- drags a little in the second half -- still, basically standard reading re: the Green Revolution -- I was unaware how worried some were that the world couldn't feed itself -- things we take for granted now...

This guy is a world hero, but to read every detail about his live is a little boring.