Enough: Why the World's Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty

by Roger Thurow, Scott Kilman

For more than thirty years, humankind has known how to grow enough food to end chronic hunger worldwide. Yet in Africa, more than 9 million people every year die of hunger, malnutrition, and related diseases every year -- most of them children. In this powerful investigative narrative, Wall Street Journal reporters Kilman & Thurow show exactly how, in the past few decades, Western policies conspired to keep Africa hungry and unable to feed itself. Enough is essential reading on a humanitarian issue of utmost urgency.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Economics, Africa, Food, History, Environment

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jaclyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

written by journalists, more narratives than historical and factual information using scholarly sources
not much extensive focus on Western policies in history that have rendered poor countries poor and the structural factors underlying poverty
when they do mention policy, talks a little too much about agricultural/farm policy and food aid, overlooking or only mentioning briefly social factors, government, war, corruption--all the other things that influence starvation rather than simply the physical acquisition of food
promotes the image that Westerners should sit in their skyscrapers and make decisions for those in developing countries and provide food for them instead of focusing on development initiatives that make aid more sustainable and how to empower poor people at a grassroots level; too much focus on large aid organizations, private donors, and not enough on what happens when the money gets there, what works on the ground and what doesn't, specifically where aid needs to be allocated
simplifies "Africa" to mean the only continent in the world that suffers from severe starvation--this large mass continent that requires Western attention and sympathy; doesn't rightfully put Africans in a place where they have the power to help themselves out; white man's burden (compare to William Easterly's stand).
resorts to the simple mentality that "we can do something" if we increase aid; only spends a few pages in the end making generalized comments about what could be done; cliched ideas of aid to the poor

[SusanCope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing book provides an urgent understanding of the WorldBank and the World Food Program. It explains how it is important to help African nations irrigate their lands and use genetically superior seeds.

When people talk about helping Americans (US) first, they fail to acknowledge the need to help the poorest of our brethren in Africa, millions of whom are starving to death. Our country has been blessed with peace at home and with natual resources, water, and good climate. African nations need western technology to help tame rivers and harsh weather to facilitate irrigation to grow food to feet their poorest citizens.

This book is a history of the actions of the few to solve this problem. The Rockerfeller Foundation, Warren Buffet, Bono, and Bill Gates are a few of the heros. Yum (owns Kentucky Fried Chicken, TacoBell, Pizza Hut and other restaurants) is a big donor.

America's food aid progam began with good intentions in WWI, when future president Herbert Hoover led private efforts to feed and clothe millions of war victims in Europe." . But when federal money got involved, so did politics, including the beginning of the farm subsidy programs, run by the federal government. These subsidies actually depressed the prices for food products in suffering 3rd world nations.

I highly recommend this book.

[Jenn Hailley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an extremely informative and startling look at the reasons for starvation around the world,and different people and organizations' efforts to eradicate it. Unfortunately I was pretty ignorant on this topic, never having heard of Borlaug, the Green Revolution, the ridiculous farm subsidies that westernized rich countries (most especially the USA) give to well-to-do farmers, etc. I really think this book is good reading for anyone who is interested in why there are so many people starving in a world where other's are sickly rich and selfish. Its a complicated polictical problem, but its gives me hope to know there are so many doing so much to help. How I had never heard of Borlaug, who in this book's description is an unimaginable hero, I don't know. PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!!

[Chip Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought and read this book because I wanted to know. Specifically, I wanted to know what hell was the matter with Africa? What is the deal with this entire continent that I have been hearing about my whole life and that cannot seem to get on its feet even after so many years of attention and aid from the rest of the world? Why are there still millions of starving people in this land of potential plenty??

This book partially succeeded in answering my questions, but principally attacks these problems from a single primary perspective. The authors come off as suggesting that African agriculture is the 'be all, end all' for helping Africa. While increasing agricultural output may be the best way to solve these problems, and undoubtedly could be a strong vehicle for driving African economies out of poverty, the failures of agriculture in the past are certainly not the only reason Africa seems stuck in a rut. In fact, even more than drought and undeveloped markets or infrastructure, I think good arguments can be made that Africa's worst problems stem from politics. Whether its being caught in a tug of war between Communism and Capitalism, life under Apartheid rule in South Africa, wanton confiscation and redistribution of land in Zimbabwe, murder and rampage by Janjaweed in Darfur and Sudan, or simple mismanagement and corruption by any number of African dictators/rulers, civil strife seems to have led the way down the toilet bowl for most of Africa.

That being said, this is an excellent book about the past and present of African agriculture, and the hope that agriculture presents for the future of Africa's people. Well-researched and an engaging read, ENOUGH educates and inspires. Obviously, with such a huge topic as agriculture and focusing on such an enormous area, the book cannot cover every angle, but the authors do an admirable job of making the topic understandable. Providing many individual examples that reflect the general situation, the reader will come away feeling well-grounded and informed about the issue.

The first half of the book paints a very bleak picture, listing the horrifying facts about hunger and malnutrition in Africa, and discussing the many failed efforts of the past to combat these problems. Introducing Norman Borlaug (the father of the Green Revolution) and his successful efforts to improve agriculture in poor countries such as Mexico, Pakistan, and India through plant breeding, the book discusses the pitfalls and roadblocks that similar programs have had in Africa. It goes on to discuss whole arrays of both isolated and widespread problems that inhibit poor farmers from getting ahead. From water wars to undeveloped markets to poor farming practices to lack of education and the fear of trying untested methods when your life depends on yields, the obstacles facing African agriculture are indeed daunting. Half way through this book you almost start to feel like 'What's the use?'.

But then you get to the second half of the book (after some nice and informative black and white photos) and the tone takes a dramatic swing. Now you start to get the more recent stories of success, as public and private charities finally figure out good strategies for introducing sustainable and self-reinforcing agricultural development projects into Africa. Where government programs had generally failed, Christian charities and corporate-sponsored relief agencies seem to be making progress. Education and infrastructure development yield solid and visible results quickly, and you really get the feel of hope for the future (in stark contrast to the first half of the book). Western-style markets are beginning to take shape, where a farmer can get price guarantees before planting, and worldwide prices can be gauged and taken advantage of. Micro-loan banks begin making small loans available to poor individual farmers, suddenly making more modern equipment and higher quality seeds obtainable. As you start coming to the end of the book, you'll feel a lot more positive about the future, seeing the potential for massive and sustainable growth for some of the worlds poorest areas.

The authors do have a pet issue, and it comes forth in this book constantly. They relentlessly point out that sending American food aid to Africa doesn't only have the desired effect of saving people from starvation, but actually can negatively effect its intended beneficiaries. They argue that American subsidies to farmers and the US government's generosity with food aid actually hampers the development of food markets in Africa, as African farmers cannot compete with free, and as African people become dependent on world food 'welfare'. The authors claim that simply sending the money spent on food aid, instead of the actual food, would allow relief agencies to buy food from neighboring African countries and would be more beneficial to Africa as a whole. All of this may be true, but the fact is that American politician's first concern is getting reelected, not solving world hunger. And, American businessmen's first concern is making money, not solving world hunger. So while it may seem selfish, I don't think we can expect too much to change in regards to American food aid policy in the near future. Hopefully, we can reach the point where African countries become less dependent on American food aid in general, as the continent struggles out of its rut, and joins the rest of the world in 'plenty'.

One disappointing aspect of this book to me was the authors' failure to address the potential benefit that biotechnology could have for African agriculture. Because of Europe's backward and unfounded views on the dangers of genetic modification, most of Africa has been fearful of accepting the technology. This is an awful shame, as genetically transformed crops for insect resistance, drought tolerance, and herbicide tolerance are already available and could produce immense and immediate increase for Africa.

Also, the authors mildly discuss the detrimental effects that converting grain into biofuel has had on African hunger. To me, this is a very shortsighted standpoint. The whole point of this book is that the world is capable of producing plenty to feed all of its people. Why then, would we not be able to produce enough to also fuel our cars? Increased demand for agricultural goods should only be beneficial to Africa (especially its farmers) in the long term. By opening up whole new markets for agricultural goods, maybe African farmers will be able to get fair prices for their goods and really make serious strides toward self reliance. A minor complaint really, but while the authors didn't really spend a lot of time on this issue, it was still irksome to me.

The authors close with a call to action. They remind the reader that while much progress is currently being made, there are still millions of starving people that need our help. It is unconscionable to sit back and do nothing as our brothers and sisters, that happened to be born into such terrible circumstances where there is no opportunity, starve. Read this book. Educate yourself. And take whatever kind of action you can to help solve this problem.

[Andrew Razanauskas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been thinking more seriously about hunger since I saw a tweet, of all things. A Twitter user clapped back at a GOP Representative who facetiously advocated for #FoodStampsForAll, explaining how world food production is sufficient to feed the entire planet, but hunger is not profitable to solve. Seeking the how and the why behind his claim, I came across this book. Although its content spans mostly early 2000s to 2009, the message is one of frustration but also optimism.

The text is crucial, nuanced, and very digestible. Thurow and Kilman expose what we are not meant to see: cyclical poverty and starvation in Africa, governments that enable the poverty, and Western legislation which cripples Africa’s ability to feed itself through sinister loopholes. For a work of nonfiction, the authors’ skillful prose will have you cursing the ignorance of government leaders, crying with deflated farmers in Ethiopia, and cheering the philanthropists who fight admirably against global hunger.
Dan Silverstein of the Huffington Post, featured inside the front cover, sums it up best: “Unless you don’t give a damn, this is a must read, and it is a must read now.”

I urge you — give a damn. Read this book. Education is the first layer of armor in the war against hunger.

[Glenn Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll begin with a direct quote from the closing pages of the book, "It is easy to look at the hunger crisis and be overwhelmed. But the vast scope of the hunger problem is equaled by the vast possibility for solution - and the vast opportunities to jump in and help, be it governments, corporations, universities, philanthropists, or concerned individuals." I think that is a perfect overview of this book and it's intent in my mind. It is more inspiration and less application per se. In other words, it provides a great overview of the various challenges, opportunities, and ways that each of us on a personal level can become engaged in the fight against world hunger and poverty. It is not a policy tool or a deep dive into the actual underpinnings behind policy itself. But it is a fanastic primer for anyone looking for an authentic and practical overview of the broader problem. It provides historical analysis, inspiring stories, and basic practical approaches across multiple levels of possible stakeholder enagegement. I walked away at the end of the book feeling both challenged and inspired to become personally involved. And in the final analysis, I think that would be the very outcome the authors were targeting. Great read! Highly recommend it to anyone and everyone!!!

[Paolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot about the Green Revolution and the poor farmers in Africa.

The book also changed my view on political support for American farmers and food aid to Africa.

I also reconsidered the short-term benefits of GMOS when I thought of the farmers in Africa. However, I dislike all the patents and ownership companies place on GMOS that hurt small farmers. I also dislike how GMOS are unnatural and relatively new. They could have long-term detriments to the environment that we can't forsee. Farmers on the Great Plains didn't see that their tilling would lead to soil erosion and the Dust Bowl. Putting fish genes in a tomato plant might do something we don't expect as well.
Well, I'll have to do more research, that's just my current position.

[Jared Donis · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a fair treatment of the issue by the reporters/ authors. As an Ethiopian myself, I sympathize with the peoples' stories. I read this book in the midst of yet another massive threat of hunger/ starvation confronting more than 12 million of my fellow citizens. It's heart breaking.

[John Coupland · Rating 3 out of 5]

How aid and agriculture policies contribute to hunger in Africa. Very focussed on the early 21st century crises and strengthened by interviews with the people involved, especially the hungry people. I liked the history of Borlaug's work and his critics and the discussion of the lack of a green revolution in Africa. Points out a lot of the errors of the past aid policies (aid as a way to deal with surplus, grain markets in Africa, bioethanol, shipping food not money). However its perhaps a little uncritical of the new things being done at the time of writing and too focussed on what was current and exciting.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking and true. Very well written.

[Jayanthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a well-written and very readable book on hunger and agricultural development. It's fast-paced and filled with personal anecdotes and profiles that make the issue much more concrete and approachable (something that can be a bit difficult when you're talking about subsidies and ag research). The first part of the book is a pretty scathing look at how American agricultural subsidies and insistence on food aid hurt developing countries. The main case study used by the authors is Ethiopia, although they do occasionally bring in Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and a handful of other African countries. The second part of the book is slightly more positive and recounts the establishment of a commodities exchange in Ethiopia and other steps taken to build markets and infrastructure - steps that were assumed away or ignored during the 80s and structural adjustment. The authors end with a clear breakdown of recommendations that include large-scale policy changes and smaller-scale projects. However, an anecdote about two housewives in Alabama who influenced their congressman to introduce a bill gives the reader some reassurance that change is possible and even ordinary folk can bring it about.

Now, this book is far from perfect and is (admittedly) narrowly focused on Africa and how the Green Revolution failed it. There isn't much discussion of Asia and problems such as fertilizer overuse, focus on cash crops, dependence on hybrid seeds that must be bought each year, and India's highly publicized malnutrition rates despite the supposed success of the Green Revolution in India. In addition the authors address land reform in a throwaway manner (in describing Mexico when Norman Borlaug was working there), saying that land reform isn't enough. Well obviously it isn't, but it also hasn't happened at all to a satisfactory level in a lot of places. The authors somewhat address the political nature of hunger citing examples like Darfur where crops were destroyed when villages were attacked. One of the authors' recommendations towards the end goes something like "And African politicians shouldn't be corrupt and prevent agricultural development." Well. The sideways approach to discussing the politics of development in Africa throughout the book could have been seen as a way of staying focused on a particular message for an audience in the US. However, the throwaway recommendation at the end indicates the authors don't really want to explore the complexity of politics and how their same analysis of interest groups in the US can be applied to any country. Yes, hunger and famine are not always deliberate tools of war, but the authors paint the global South as a mass of poor governments with no decision-making ability.

Although the book does focus on agricultural development, the claim that its recommendations are the way to end hunger ignores a growing demographic: the urban poor. Urban growth and urbanization in African countries and around the world mean that attention must be paid to how they tie into food production and pricing. I of course, strongly agree with the authors that we must pay attention to agriculture, which has been systematically ignored for a long time. However, I really think their analysis could have been strengthened by at least briefly addressing what ag reform will do for those who aren't farmers. Otherwise, it almost seems to play on the stereotype of Africa as a continent of uniformly impoverished smallholders. Another issue to consider is the huge differences between countries in the global South. When talking about ending subsidies and retooling agricultural aid, we do need to address the differences between countries like Argentina and countries like the Central African Republic and how reforming subsidies, aid, etc will affect global agricultural dynamics and how those global changes will in turn affect development in various African countries (and how it will differ among these countries - it's a diverse continent after all).

For all its faults though, I would not judge this book too harshly. It isn't an academic work - and doesn't need to be. The authors are journalists and they write in a way that's engaging and accessible while still being informative and analytical. I started Enough around 6 in the evening and couldn't put it down until I finished it around 2 or 3 in the morning. I would definitely encourage everyone to read it, at least to get some discussion going. Doha failed, but Enough plays on the slight hope that we can change that. It might not be enough to 'solve hunger,' but it's certainly a start.

[Juan Pablo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a shame that a book like this had to be written. It's not a doom & gloom book but I think anyone who reads it would be hard pressed to feel good after reading it. It clearly demonstrated how aid from the "first" world to the "third" world was detrimental to the farmers but made pointless by the World Bank & World Trade Organization policies, especially Structural Adjustment. The "first" world was essentially giving with one hand & taking with the other. The book also highlighted the Green Revolution started by Norman Borlaug & his various efforts throughout the years to help. It highlights the devastation in places like Ethiopia, Sudan & even goes into the famine in Ireland & how they were perplexed that no one seemed to learn from their problems. Even with the aid given to countries in Africa, a very simple but overlooked issue was highlighted by someone from the continent who was trying to help: the aid, especially to farmers meant nothing if Africa didn't have a market for it's farmers. The only thing I didn't like about this book was that the author(s), when highlighting Bono's efforts, seemed to put him on a pedestal but fortunately it's brief enough that it can be ignored to stay focused on the overall message in the book, which is that in the "first" world can take away from our glut & surplus to help other countries & still have enough to fill our wants & needs & then some. It's a book that helps one gain a better perspective of people's various positions in the world, how we view our own problems vs the problems of others & the fact that we can do what we want & need & don't have to put others in harms way via starvation. I recommend it to everyone.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book addresses an important issue that does not receive enough attention. If for no other reason, people should read this book in order to understand the worldwide implications of the farm subsidies in the US (and Europe too, for that matter). The authors claim (and the point stands whether or not one agrees with the specific numbers) that the hunger-related aid from the US to Africa is almost completely offset by the amount that US farm subsidies take from African farmers; the subsidies cause US food production to increase, which lowers the worldwide price, which causes African farmers to reduce production because they can no longer compete. Even though African farmers produce food more cost-effectively, American farmers push them out of the market. In reality, much of the "humanitarian aid" sent to other countries ends up in the pockets of US farmers due to these market distortions. Another interesting/tragic fact is that the US limits its hunger-related aid to US crops. Even if food is available in Africa for purchase during a humanitarian crisis, the US insists on shipping home-grown food (and incurring the higher costs and travel delays) to ensure a market for American farmers. These are just a couple of the facts in this book that make one cringe. With information, though, people can act to put an end to some of the policies that ensure poverty on the other side of the world. This book also cites a number of organizations that help to solve this ongoing tragedy.

[Sarah left GR · Rating 5 out of 5]

One-sentence review: Well-researched, good balance between statistics and stories, humbling, and inspiring.

I took forever to finish this, because I'm the kind of reader who can only take so much reality in one sitting. The authors make the case that hunger is the biggest moral issue facing humanity today, and it's hard to disagree.

The bigger argument, and the one that surprised me, is that world hunger is not an unavoidable, insurmountable issue. Yes, droughts happen, wars happen, but famines are preventable. Preventable! This is true in part because many of the contributing factors are things that are within our power to change. We can't make rain, but we can help small farmers build dams and irrigation systems. We can support "smart subsidies" in developing nations, so that farmers have some protection against crop failures and price fluctuations. The choices we make in the first world (biofuels, farm subsidies, the political calculus of food aid, the list goes on) have repercussions throughout the developing world. The actions of individuals -- whether church ladies, politicians, gazillionaire philanthropists, or rock stars -- have made a difference, but there is still so very far to go.

[Melody Schreiber]

Green revolution: "The record harvests brought only more misery to the farmers, as the surpluses led to price collapses. Beyond the harvest gains, certain vital aspects of the Green Revolution never made it to Africa. There has been no investment in rural infrastructure to enable the movement of crops from where they were plentiful to where they were scarce, no development of markets so farmers could get fair prices, no financing to support farmers, no subsidies to cushion them against price drops, no crop insurance to compensate them for weather disasters. The political will to finish the job of ending famine had evaporated in Africa." p. xii

"In the United States, ethanol-fuel makers were devouring about 30 percent of the nation's corn crop by 2009, roughly doubling the amount they used in 2006." p. X?

"There would be no subsidies, no rural financing, no price supports, no crop insurance--benefits available, in varying degrees, to farmers almost everywhere else in the world. In those blessed areas, especially in the United States, a crop fails and the government writes a check. In Africa, a crop fails and people die." p. 40

Drying aquifers
Crop insurance
Micro nutrients: vitamin A, iron, zinc

LAOS

[Bob Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has an important point to make: basically, the world produces enough food to feed Africa, and Africa could produce enough food to feed itself, but the structures that we have to deal with food don’t work quite right. Farmers there have a problem with the regular boom/bust cycle that comes from not having access to advanced markets and storage: a good harvest is associated with other farmers having good harvests, which drives down the prices you get for your grain, which makes you unable to afford as much seed or fertilizer, etc, which makes you plant much less for next year, which makes you very vulnerable to a return to the mean in growing conditions. The book does a good job of making the argument that better crop yields alone, or famine relief alone, are not enough, and in fact benefit the rich west more than they benefit the Africans they are intended to help. What Africa needs is infrastructure, good government, and the ability to take actions (such as farm subsidies) that have worked for other countries while still getting assistance from the west. Too often we are stuck in the mindset of looking after our own long-term goals while looking just at others’ short-term needs, and this book gives an antidote to that ailment.

[Caro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book and I learned a lot from it. It felt like more of a collection of articles rather than a cohesive book, though. The authors talked about how important it is to increase crop yields, then in the next chapter how increased crop yields would lead to crisis without the markets to support them. In one chapter they talked about how crop subsidies in the West are hurting farmers around the world, then about how those farmers desperately need subsidies themselves. These things can be logically put together, but the authors presented them without making the necessary connections or explaining how the policies didn't contradict themselves. That being said, the book is a good read. The first half explains the history of world hunger and attempts to address it in the 20th and 21st centuries, and why we haven't succeeded. The second half is mostly inspirational stories of how people have made differences in the hunger problem in Africa.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an important read for anyone who cares about why people still starve in a world as rich as ours. The authors do a fantastic job of connecting what happens in an Ethiopian famine with what happens on American farmland, and how the decisions of African governments are deeply influenced by the decisions of Western legislatures and global economic bodies. Without falling into ideological bias, the authors both critique and commend politicians and NGO leaders of several different ideological bents - whether they're World Bank policy makers, American Congressmen, or Bill Gates, Norman Borlaug, and Bono. My only complaint is that there were a few minor contradictions across the chapters as different topics were covered - I could see how those contradictions could be explained, but the authors didn't bother to, which I think might mislead some people who are perceptive enough to see the issues but not quite analytical enough to see how they resolve.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well-written and thorough introduction to the political factors that have contributed to food security problems in Africa and to some solutions that have been tried there (both successes and failures). The authors include personal stories as well as statistics, which makes the book very readable, and practical suggestions for changes we can support keep it from being overwhelming.

I was disappointed, however, that a book supposedly about worldwide hunger focused only on Africa. The percentage of the population who are hungry is higher there, but the number of hungry people is higher in Asia - so it's disturbing that Asia is presented as a success story for the Green Revolution without further examination of hunger there, especially in a book that does point out how many of Africa's famines stem from factors other than underproduction.

[Mariko Nakamura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a readable book that allows the reader to view the issue of hunger on many different scales with the many different players. It gives a historical context and humanizes the players. I enjoyed reading it and will use it as a jumping off point. I learned a lot from this book!

There are some issues that I have with this book.
1. The last chapter offers major points that need to be addressed. Some of these points were not addressed within the book itself, which is a little frustrating.
2. It's mostly anecdotes, which is fine because history and problems are built of people's experiences and makes it more readable. But anecdotes aren't something you should use to answer questions of "Why?" and "How?"
3. I can't get over the horn tooting of the philanthropic endeavors by the western church groups.

[Elfl0ck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite kinds of books: and important contemporary issue described with concrete examples, a nice narrative sense, and accessible language. And thankfully, the authors spends as much time on potential solutions as on descriptions of the problems.

Thurow and Kilman touch on many different aspects of hunger, including local policy, international policy, and ecological issues, and always uses a historical example as the starting point rather than drowning in pure theory. My only criticism is that the book feels a little episodic. If I remember correctly, a lot of the content was based on Thurow's and Kilman's work as journalists, and in stringing together all of their findings, they occasionally repeat themselves.

[Rhett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned more about geo-politics and agriculture than I had ever thought that I'd care to know. My first assumption about this book is that it would be railing on greedy Americans, and in all honesty it sort of did, but it did so in a way that was fair and convincing. It was a far more interesting book than I had thought it would be and the book told many great stories of people who were either helping, being helped or needing help and how geo-politics are impacting the ability to assist starving nations. It also exposed the organic fad that we are currently experiencing. I highly recommend this book, it almost made me want to become a bio-engineer and work in agriculture.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was given this to read for work. It is really good. Written by two WSJ journalists..so very well written, based on stories they did over years...some of the stuff I knew, but also learned/verified a lot about global agricultural markets and why things are so crazy.
Also, it is written so that the stories are told about actual people, makes it really..gut-wrenching. I cried at one point.
Since I am now going to be working on agriculture and food security issues in this new job..this was a good inspiration. :)
Everyone should probably read this. Yup.

[Saritha]

Not quite the weekend read I was expecting, but am intrigued and disturbed by the politics of hunger as described in this book.

All the world's advancements seem useless when there are parts of the world, esp Africa, where the basic human need for food and water are not fulfilled. The biggest irony - as has been described many times before - is that of starving farmers. This, when, according to the book, Africa has almost twice as much arable land than the European Union!

And all this, just in the preface! yet to go through the rest of the book.

A must-read for all of us.

[Steve]

I am the first person to check this book out at the UI Main Library. It even came with the cover flap. I have decide to collect these since at checkout they were going to just throw it away. Maybe this is part of the problem we have in being a part of the solution to hunger. We throw away enough food to feed how many starving poor in Africa? We have grown up in America with a throw-away mentality.

[Adam Shields · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short review: Walks through the agricultural revolution that occurred in Asia and the Americas but did not really reach Africa. There is lot of info about why Africa continues to have problems in spite of the international Aid and attention. A very good and well documented book, although it can be a little dry in places.

My full review is at http://bookwi.se/enough-why-the-world...

[Molly Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed this book. It is a non-fiction book that reads like a fiction book: it has a protagonist, antagonist(s), and a plot line. It illustrates the complexity of food insecurity in Africa, and offers explanations as to why the Green Revolution never took root there. It is easily accessible to those with no prior education on food security issues, and is an eye-opening read. It deserves a much wider audience than it likely attracts.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I happened upon this book at my library & I'm very glad I did. It was a very well-written, informative introduction to the realities of hunger and food security issues. Eye opening!! The style of writing really kept me going through some difficult material--realizing that all we do is just a drop in the bucket of what really needs to be done. I can't wait to share it with others.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Periodically I need reminders of just how much I really enjoy in the form of material security. This book is also a good lesson on the complexity of international affairs and why globalization doesn't always work out so well (subsidies for rich country farmers but none for African farmers has made a very unfair playing field).

[Fred Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Thurow is coming to IonE/Mpls in Sept. to speak (Sept 15, check the IonE website) but in any case, food production is also the topic for the Acara Challenge coming up. Very good book, very readable. Like many types of aid, giving crops to the starving in Africa undercut the local food producers and prevents the local agricultural economy from becoming sustainable."