Let my people go surfing (the education of a reluctant business man)- Yvon Chouinard

I’m sold. Where do I sign? In this book, the founder and owner of Patagonia Inc., details the history of the company and it’s philosophies (from production to human resources). He is fiercely passionate about environmental activism to the point that it seems to have shaped his religious and political views, and he shares it all in the book.

An active outdoorsman, Chouinard founded Patagonia accidentally when he started developing climbing gear for his own personal use before it even existed anywhere else. As climber friends started requesting his gear the demand mandated a more formal operation which evolved into the Patagonia you know today (well….for climbing equipment it‘s Black Diamond Ltd.).

I happened across this book after a segment on NPR about the corporate culture at Patagonia piqued my interest in working for the company. After reading it I am more determined than ever to land a job there. Contacts anyone?

Marching Powder- Rusty Young and Thomas McFadden

An amazing true story of a British drug trafficker arrested in Bolivia. He was assigned to San Pedro prison in La Paz where inmates lead nearly normal lives. Wives and children are allowed to stay the night with their husbands/fathers and leave the prison at will. Inmates are required to buy their own prison cells which more resemble apartments.

San Pedro prison is also where some of the best cocaine is manufactured. The narrator, Thomas, describes it all in detail. He also talks about how he fell into becoming a tour guide for the prison which was listed in Lonely Planet as a place to see. It was an absolutely fascinating book and a quick read. Definitely something I wasn’t ashamed to be caught reading at the airport.

Whiteman- Tony D’Souza

Another out of Africa book and typical Peace Corps read. This book is a fictional story about an NGO worker in Cote d’Ivore during tribal conflict. Most of the story the narrator recounts his village life and the goings-on there. Like many of the other books I read I felt as though I was reading about my life here….only this was written from a guy’s perspective and their lives are a little more….how would I describe it? “Colorful” than the lives of us gals. In any case it was a decent story and a I’d recommend it to guys and girls alike.