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Published in USA
Jan 2021
304 pages
Genre: Advice
Publication Information
How can we summon a moment of lift for human beings―and especially for women? Because when you lift up women, you lift up humanity.
For the last twenty years, Melinda Gates has been on a mission to find solutions for people with the most urgent needs, wherever they live. Throughout this journey, one thing has become increasingly clear to her: If you want to lift society up, you need to stop keeping women down.
In this moving and compelling book, Melinda shares lessons she's learned from the inspiring people she's met during her work and travels around the world. As she writes in the introduction, "That is why I had to write this book―to share the stories of people who have given focus and urgency to my life. I want all of us to see ways we can lift women up where we live."
Melinda's unforgettable narrative is backed by startling data as she presents the issues that most need our attention―from child marriage to lack of access to contraceptives to gender inequity in the workplace. And, for the first time, she writes about her personal life and the road to equality in her own marriage. Throughout, she shows how there has never been more opportunity to change the world―and ourselves.
Writing with emotion, candor, and grace, she introduces us to remarkable women and shows the power of connecting with one another.
When we lift others up, they lift us up, too.
You can see the full discussion here. This discussion will contain spoilers!
Some of the recent comments posted about The Moment of Lift:
"To be known without being loved is terrifying. To be loved without being known has no power to change us. But to be known and deeply loved transforms us." Where do you see yourself on this spectrum?
Gates's friend Killian Noe, founder of Recovery Café, explains this principle behind her work: "To be known without being loved is terrifying. To be loved without being known has no power to change us. But to be known and deeply loved transforms us."... - davinamw
After finishing the book, has your understanding of what it means to empower women changed, in terms of concept and execution?
Yes, my understanding of empowerment has changed. I thought of it as somehow "fixing" whatever the issue was, but it's not something I can "bestow" upon another person. I now understand that I myself cannot empower you. I can only give you the ... - jeannew
Can you recall a time where you acted on instinct despite obstacles, or witnessed another woman "breaking the rules." What helped you or her overcome the fear of power, and how did people react?
Consider the examples of women acting on instinct in spite of hierarchical or bureaucratic obstacles—such as Mama Rosa, who was able to instruct Hans to stop the vaccine car after a mother and baby died in childbirth; and Ruchi, who saved a baby by ... - davinamw
Can you think of a barrier that women face in your community that keeps women or their children from education, income, or economic opportunities?
Yes, education, education, education. We lack sufficient funding for our public schools. - debra
Did you have a teacher who helped change your self-image? How did he or she do it? What effect did it have on you?
Mrs. Spurlock, my high school English teacher, helped me by loaning me books to read and then discussing them with me. In college, another favorite English professor encouraged me to think more broadly and he encouraged me to attend graduate school. ... - djcminor
"Part memoir, part call to action, Gates's compassionate narrative underscores her determination to leave a positive mark on this world. She inspires and emboldens in this eloquently argued work." - Publishers Weekly
"What distinguishes this book from so many other depictions of women's struggles around the globe is the author's ability to connect Meena and Selam with women in white-collar workplaces in the U.S....Affecting and inspiring." - Kirkus Reviews
"The Moment of Lift is an urgent call to courage. It changed how I think about myself, my family, my work, and what's possible in the world. Melinda weaves together vulnerable, brave storytelling and compelling data to make this one of those rare books that you carry in your heart and mind long after the last page." - Brené Brown, Ph.D., author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Dare to Lead
"Melinda Gates has spent many years working with women around the world. This book is an urgent manifesto for an equal society where women are valued and recognized in all spheres of life. Most of all, it is a call for unity, inclusion and connection. We need this message more than ever." - Malala Yousafzai
"This book is a beautiful and concise mission statement on what we need to do to move society forward--continue to empower women. At every level and in all places women are truly the bedrock supporting their communities." - Trevor Noah
"Melinda Gates uplifts and inspires by weaving a narrative of fortitude and hope. She pushes us to challenge the status quo and never settle." - Mellody Hobson
"The Moment of Lift is a book about gender equity and its golden thread is empathy. This book lifts up the voices of women and girls whose experiences have been entirely unlike Melinda's own. They've taught her a great deal, and in this beautifully crafted and artful memoir, Melinda Gates invites the reader to learn from them too." - Paul Farmer, M.D., co-founder of Partners In Health
"Melinda Gates's book is a lesson in listening. A powerful, poignant, and ultimately humble call to arms." - Tara Westover, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Educated
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest private foundation in the world, Melinda Gates has dedicated her life to achieving transformational improvements in the health and prosperity of families, communities, and societies. Core to her work is empowering women and girls to help them realize their full potential. In 2015, Melinda created Pivotal Ventures, an investment and incubation company that enables her to bring together other new and emerging strands of her advocacy and philanthropic work focused in the US. Melinda received a bachelor's degree from Duke and an MBA from Duke's Fuqua School. After joining Microsoft Corp. in 1987, she helped develop many of the company's multimedia products. In 1996, Melinda left Microsoft to focus on her philanthropic work and family.
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