Books about remarkable individuals whose lives have moved the needle of humanity closer to the good

by Jonathan T. Jefferson
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5 books
Humanity’s consciousness can be pictured as a pendulum that swings from darkness to light. When least expected, individuals emerge whose lives appear to be created for the sole purpose of moving the whole of mankind’s existence closer to the light. These dynamic figures often hail from humble beginnings with roots that hold their convictions firmly in place. People who were motivated by lofty ideals who planted seeds of equality, fairness, tolerance, peace, and love globally. Here, I share books about five such luminaries.
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I Am Malala

How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition)
Malala Yousafzai, Patricia McCormick, 2014
One's life may be “written in the stars”, but space can be a volatile place. Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai benefited from a uniquely open-minded father, and supportive mother, in a community where girls and women were often treated on par with feral dogs. To further forge the steel that became Malala’s resolve, a historic earthquake ushered in the first wave of Taliban to her village, and catastrophic flooding brought another. The turning point in her life came at the point of a gun. Malala’s perceived short stature and known national voice carried her message of equality and education for all. Gunpowder residue and bullet fragments in her head transformed Malala into a statuesque international megaphone.

Listen to Bob Marley

The Man, the Music, the Revolution
Bob Marley, 2012
One might ask, “Why is a musician on a list of giants who have moved the whole of humanity in a positive direction?” When it comes to Bob Marley, the evidence is clear from his own words, and from the lofty accolades posthumously bestowed upon him. “...Make way for that positive day.” In 1978, the United Nations awarded Bob Marley with the Peace Medal of the Third World. In 1999, Exodus was named Album of the Century by Time magazine, and in 2004, “One Love” was named song of the millennium by BBC. This book chronicles Bob Marley’s life from birth to death, shares his written thoughts and visions, and outlines the ongoing work of his family to continue his legacy.

No Greater Love

Mother Teresa, 2010
Religion notwithstanding, Mother Teresa is one of the greatest examples of piety, self-sacrifice, and service the world has ever known. Although driven by her devout Catholicism, Mother Teresa’s life of action transcended all faiths. No Greater Love begins with the beliefs that she espoused, and this consistently demonstrated how from her pulpit there were projected deeds, not words. It is most common in biographies for the chronology of a person’s life to be woven throughout the text. In this book, the sketch of Mother Teresa’s life is shared in the final chapter. Most telling were her responses to questions asked in A Conversation.

Seminarian

Martin Luther King Jr. Comes of Age
Patrick Parr, David Garrow, 2018
The beginning of the greatness of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. can safely be traced back to his leadership role during the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 's fervent, non-violent, efforts on behalf of everyone’s civil rights led to his assassination in 1968, federal holiday beginning in 1984, and national monument in 2011. These historic events often inadvertently place blinders on the fact that he was once a teenager and young man. As such, this book succeeds at remaining neutral while sharing his youthful frailties, and burgeoning focus.

All Men are Brothers

Life and Thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi as told in His Own Words
Mahatma Ghandi, 2018
Mahatma Gandhi's words have been exquisitely organized and categorized to give the reader the impression that they are in the presence of the man himself, and benefiting from an in depth personal conversation. The virtually untouchable and grandiose status of Gandhi’s nonviolent approach to change is explained through his lens of truth, with truth being the only ‘god’ he worshiped. As such, Gandhi shares his growth from someone who was once loyal to British rule, a solicitor (attorney), not always present husband, father of four, and believer in violence to the resolute practitioner of nonviolence known to the world today. Mahatma Gandhi credits Tolstoy’s book The Kingdom of God is Within You, for solidifying his ideals.