by Wes Moore
First published 2015
Wes Moore examines his path from a troubled childhood in the Bronx and Baltimore through pivotal roles as a combat officer in Afghanistan, White House fellow, and Wall Street banker during the financial crisis. Moore argues that meaningful work emerges at the intersection of personal talents and world needs. He draws lessons from encounters with an Afghan translator who showed him courage, students in post-Katrina Mississippi who demonstrated resilience, and his grandfather who modeled service. The book profiles other change-makers including KIND founder Daniel Lubetzky and Peace Corps leader Esther Benjamin, a Sri Lankan immigrant. Through personal stories and broader examples, Moore contends that lasting purpose comes through serving others rather than pursuing conventional success. The book offers readers a framework for discovering their own path to meaningful work in an uncertain world.
Genres: business, american, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, personal-development, academic
Vibes: inspirational, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, personal-journey
Setting: Bronx, Baltimore, Afghanistan, Mississippi, Sri Lanka
Period: Afghanistan War, Financial Crisis
272 pages · Hardcover · Spiegel & Grau