The Moment of Lift

 Book 70 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from July 5 - 15

The Moment of Lift

by Melinda Gates

published 2019

4 stars

The book was engaging and well-written.  The author did a great job of centering the people on the ground directly working or benefitting from the programs so for this type of book, it felt light on any "savior" complexes.  The author quoted Vishwajeet Kumar and it hit me: "Their cup is not empty; you can't just pour your ideas into it. Their cup is already full, so you have to understand what is in their cup."  The people the programs are for are not blank slates just waiting for someone to tell them what to do. 

When I say 'this type of book', I mean books that usually only find friendly audiences (on both sides of any spectrum).  Most people picking up this book already care about these issues so they don't need to be convinced and anyone who might benefit from learning something isn't picking up this book.  But what made this book different is all the examples and really stressing small things that can create bigger ripples.  

Something I noted about myself as I read...I found myself less interested reading the chapters about the U.S. than other countries.  When I thought about why (I have a psych degree, analyzing is my favorite hobby), I realized seeing things firsthand makes me much more cynical and less hopeful about the changes the author would like to see.  To quote the author, "we're quick to criticize gender injustice when we see it around the world. We also need to see it where most of us feel it and can do something about it - in the places where we work."

It was a little weird to read about her marriage and partnership knowing they later divorced.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 70th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- A book I purchased in 2026 (my goal is to read any books I buy within 6 months of purchasing them)