Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

This is an amazing, important book. It is very disturbing. The main premise seems to be that the situation for women in many places in the world is unimaginably dire. To their credit, the authors face the inescapable evidence that many (but not nearly all) of these places are Islamic cultures.

Though I give credit for this, my own biased view is that in an effort to "balance," the authors understate the role Christianity has had in helping women. They give way too much credit to government.

In fairness, the efforts of Christian missionaries in Africa and other places have been small and spotty, but efforts for fistula repair and equal medical care for women did not begin with the people cited in the book. Their efforts seem finally to be having a broad effect, which I applaud, but emphasis on maternal and child health in developing countries has been going on, however feebly, for decades.

I do, however, hope this book is read by millions of people. The suffering they describe must stop. People of faith must work with others to help women.

Of course I am completely mystified how a book like this cannot make abortion one of its main concerns. It is only preferential abortion of female fetuses (babies) that is of concern in this book. In fact, those of us who oppose abortion and its support are lumped with those who don't want girls to go to school and those who support genital cutting as those holding back efforts to help women.

I think everyone should read this book and when finished should ask themselves the question, "We know these treatments of women and girls are evil and wrong, but what is the basis of this knowledge and how can we be sure?"