Book List

Below, please find a list of books that might help volunteers begin to think about their role in the world and in the areas where they are volunteering. The views contained in these books should not be interpreted as the views of the Omprakash Foundation. They are merely food for thought. Please contact us with suggestions to help us expand this list! 

General

Chua, Amy. World on Fire.
This book by a Yale law professor offers a particular interpretation of how democratization and economic liberalization can manifest themselves in developing countries.

Easterly, William. The White Man’s Burden.
This book by a New York University professor offers an alternative bottom-up approach to ending poverty and discusses the problems with the West’s current approach to aiding developing nations.
Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
This book by a noted Brazilian educational reformer outlines a philosophy of educational reform for oppressed people of the world. 

Kidder, Tracy. Mountains beyond Mountains.
Kidder tells the story of Paul Farmer, an American doctor whose work in Haiti, Russia, and beyond exemplifies what it means to approach social reform with a “preferential option for the poor.”

Sachs, Jeffrey. The End of Poverty.
This book by a renown American economist discusses the possibilities of ending extreme poverty by 2025.

Said, Edward. Orientalism.
This landmark text discusses how certain Western perceptions of global “Others” have shaped the past several centuries of geopolitical history.

Stiglitz, Joseph. Globalization and its Discontents.
In this book, one of Bill Clinton´s former economic advisors outlines his understanding of the pros and cons of contemporary global economics.

India

Matthiessen, Peter. The Snow Leopard.
This account of a trek in Nepal in 1973 is a fantastic introduction to some of the Buddhist traditions that volunteers might encounter in northern India, Nepal, and Tibet.

Mehta, Suketu. Maximum City.
Mehta gives a colorful and very readable account of life in contemporary Mumbai (Bombay).

Narayan, R.K. The Guide.
This classic story by one of India´s most famous novelists sheds light on some of the ways that the country´s religious traditions manifest themselves in the modern context.

Norberg-Hodge, Helena. Ancient Futures.
This recent book is a must-read for anyone traveling to Ladakh. The author, who directs an NGO operating in the area, offers her strong views on how globalization, modernity, and “development” have affected the Ladakhi people.

Rushdie, Salman. Midnight´s Children.
In this highly-acclaimed novel, the life of Salman Rushdie´s protagonist mirrors India´s social and political history since its independence in 1947.

Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small Things.
This novel provides a revealing description of caste, class, gender, and religious dynamics in contemporary India.

Roy, Arundhati. Power Politics.
Roy, Arundhati. The Cost of Living.
These two collections of very readable non-fiction essays by Arundhati Roy contain the author´s strong views on contemporary social and political issues in India.

Pakistan

Mortenson, Greg, and David Relin. Three Cups of Tea.
This book describes Greg Mortenson´s efforts to build schools throughout rural Pakistan through his work with the Central Asia Foundation (www.ikat.org).