Rachel's mom got me this book for Christmas because, well, I'm thinking of leaving my software job to try to change the world. It's an inspiring story even if it's not a particularly inspiring book. John Wood is a much better philanthropist than he is a writer. (He commits the cardinal sin of memoirs: recounting past conversations without using contractions. People do not talk like that! I have read too many books that think that is the way to sound writerly!) Takeaway: Room for Read is a great organization, and having been a successful sales executive at Microsoft makes it relatively easy to start a non-profit.