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Jacqueline Novogratz

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Jacqueline Novogratz is an American entrepreneur and author. She is the founder and CEO of Acumen, a non-profit global venture capital fund whose goal is to use entrepreneurial approaches to address global poverty.
9 books on the list
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Lab Girl book cover
Lab Girl
Hope Jahren - 2016-04-05
Goodreads Rating
Explore the wonders of plant life with geobiologist Hope Jahren in her riveting autobiography. In Lab Girl, Jahren shares her childhood memories, passion for science and foliage, and the inspiring role of her eccentric lab manager, Bill. An invitation to join her in observing and conserving our environment, this warm and captivating read is a celebration of scientific curiosity and the power of love and work. Winner of multiple awards and acclaimed by The Washington Post, TIME.com, and NPR, Lab Girl is a must-read for science enthusiasts and anyone who wishes to explore the wonder of our natural world.
Jacqueline Novogratz
2021-08-11T09:28:50.000Z
@HopeJahren It is a wonderful book - and you are amazing. Brava! Count me inspired. Hope to meet someday.      source
Tell Me a Riddle, Requa I, and Other Works book cover
Tell Me a Riddle, Requa I, and Other Works
Tillie Olsen - 2013-09-01
Goodreads Rating
Celebrated author Tillie Olsen's writing is as relevant today as it was a century ago. This collection contains some of her best-known works, including several nonfiction pieces, early journalism pieces, and short stories. The four stories that make up "Tell Me a Riddle" are incredibly moving and have become classics. Olsen's stories provide a new standard of representation for women and the poor. The collection includes an introduction by Olsen's granddaughter and a foreword by her daughter, providing a personal and generational context for Olsen's work.
Jacqueline Novogratz
2021-03-10T19:24:00.000Z
When I first started Acumen, I considered giving this newly birthed organization a different name: Immersion. I’d been taken by the Tillie Olsen quote from her remarkable book of short stories Tell me a Riddle, and loved the idea of “the long Baptism into the seas of humankind.”      source
One Hundred Years of Solitude book cover
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Gabriel Garcia Marquez - 2003-06-24 (first published in 1967)
Goodreads Rating
This literary masterpiece by a Nobel Prize winner tells the story of Macondo, the mythical town, through the history of the Buendía family. It is a captivating tale of rise and fall, birth and death, and unforgettable characters. With lyrical magic that strikes the soul, this novel is a must-read for all who seek truth, compassion, and meaning in life.
Jacqueline Novogratz
2021-03-02T21:04:45.000Z
When I first read the book in 1986, I was mesmerized by the writing and fantastical stories. But it took working in Rwanda to understand that Garcia Marquez wrote truths, not just about Colombia but about human society. (2/6)      source
Their Eyes Were Watching God book cover
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Zora Neale Hurston - 2006-05-30 (first published in 1937)
Goodreads Rating
Follow Janie Crawford on her journey of self-discovery, as she navigates through the challenges of being a black woman in the 1930s. Through three marriages and a journey back to her roots, Janie seeks to become her own person and find true identity.
Jacqueline Novogratz
2021-02-13T21:34:35.000Z
Zora Neale Hurston was a leader of the Harlem Renaissance movement and a fighter for the rights of African-Americans. Like so many, I was profoundly impacted by her novel Their Eyes were Watching God, one of the most important books of the 20th century.      source
Composing a Further Life book cover
Composing a Further Life
The Age of Active Wisdom
Mary Catherine Bateson - 2010-09-14
Goodreads Rating
Discover a new life stage called Adulthood II in Composing a Further Life by Mary Catherine Bateson. With longer lifespans and greater resources, old age can be an opportunity to reinvent ourselves and find new meaning. Bateson shares inspiring stories of men and women embracing this "age of active wisdom," from a retired boatyard worker turned silversmith to a famous actress. With Bateson's guidance, retirement is no longer about withdrawal but engagement with life more deeply. Find your way to a fulfilling life in Adulthood II.
Jacqueline Novogratz
2021-01-17T13:06:26.000Z
Mary Catherine Bateson's book Composing a Life deeply impacted me as I was trying to figure out my own life. She died on Jan 14 and her wisdom will be missed. Listen to this wonderful podcast w @kristatippett, recorded just wks before Ms. Bateson died      source
Killers of the Flower Moon book cover
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oil, Money, Murder and the Birth of the FBI
David Grann - 2023-10-10 (first published in 2017)
Goodreads Rating
Discover a real-life murder mystery that unravels perhaps one of the most sinister conspiracies in American history. Learn about the Osage Indian Nation, the richest people per capita in the world during the 1920s, and how their newfound wealth through oil discovery led to the murder of their own people under mysterious circumstances. Follow the case as the newly-created FBI tries to solve the case, despite being notoriously corrupt at the time, and how a former Texas Ranger helps them uncover the truth. This non-fiction thriller showcases the dark side of the Wild West where oilmen like J. P. Getty made their fortunes and where desperadoes such as Al Spencer, “the Phantom Terror” roamed.
Jacqueline Novogratz
2020-02-11T13:22:45.000Z
Reads like a novel while giving a deeper understanding of both the good and the terrible that humans are capable of.      source
A Fine Balance book cover
A Fine Balance
Rohinton Mistry - 1997-01-01 (first published in 1995)
Goodreads Rating
Set during India's State of Emergency in 1975, four strangers from different backgrounds are forced to share a small apartment amid political upheaval. From distrust to friendship and love, this novel captures the heroism and corruption of India with a narrative sweep akin to Charles Dickens. A Fine Balance is a compassionate depiction of the human spirit in an inhumane state.
Jacqueline Novogratz
A Dickensian novel that captures the essence of being poor in urban India in ways extraordinary and deeply human.      source
Recommended by
Alicia Keys
Invisible Man book cover
Invisible Man
Ralph Ellison - 1995-02-01 (first published in 1952)
Goodreads Rating
This groundbreaking novel tells the journey of an unnamed protagonist navigating through the racial divide, shedding light on the effects of bigotry on both victim and perpetrator. With a voice that captures the full range of the American language, the story takes us from the Deep South to Harlem, throwing our own reality into harsh relief. Suspenseful and sardonic, Invisible Man is an audacious and dazzling masterpiece that redefines American literature.
Jacqueline Novogratz
I read it as a 22-year-old, and it made me think deeply about how society doesn’t “see” so many of its members.      source
Things Fall Apart book cover
Things Fall Apart
Chinua Achebe - 1994-10-01 (first published in 1958)
Goodreads Rating
This powerful novel follows the life of Okonowo, a great warrior in West Africa, who refuses to show weakness to anyone - even if it means using his fists. When outsiders threaten his clan's traditions, Okonowo takes violent action. But will his pride lead to his downfall? A thought-provoking tale of strength, tradition, and the consequences of one's actions.
Jacqueline Novogratz
The first book I read by an African author. Achebe is unflinching in his portrayal of the challenges of change, the relationships of colonialism, and power/powerlessness.      source