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1-Page Summary of Leaving Microsoft to Change the World
Overview
Most people take a vacation and come back feeling refreshed. However, John Wood, a former Microsoft executive, came back from Nepal completely changed: his perspective on life had been challenged and he now wanted to change his career.
In this book, Wood tells of how he realized that many children around the world don’t have access to education and decided to leave his job at Microsoft. He then began building schools and libraries in poor communities all over the world.
These points explain how the author got started in his nonprofit organization, Room to Read. He also explains how he was able to continually expand and grow it.
You will also learn about the locked up books in Nepal and why they have to be kept that way. You will also learn how a 17-year old boy made Wood expand his charity to Vietnam, as well as how educating women always benefits the greater community.
Big Idea #1: John Wood’s life changed during a trip to Nepal, where he realized the value and necessity of literacy and children’s education.
John Wood was a top executive at Microsoft. When he took a vacation to Nepal, he realized that education is important and decided to help people get an education.
Wood was hiking in rural Nepal when he decided to check out the schools. He was shocked by what he saw.
Wood met a man named Pasupathi. Pasupathi told Wood that the literacy rate in Nepal was 30% and that he wanted to improve the country’s education system.
Pasupathi took John on a tour of the area. They went to a school, and in one classroom they saw that there were no books. Wood asked why there weren’t any books, and Pasupathi said because the books are so valuable they have to be kept under lock and key. The only other book he found was an Italian edition of Umberto Eco’s work. So Wood decided that he would send some English-language children’s books to help out with the situation. He promised this when they got back from their trip, and later emailed several people about it while also asking for donations towards buying more children’s books. He told them to forward his email if they wanted to help out as well
Wood was surprised by the results of his campaign. He gathered 3,000 books to send back to Nepal.
Big Idea #2: Wood quit his job and left his old life behind so he could devote himself to improving children’s education.
Wood felt a great sense of satisfaction when he sent books to Nepal. He knew his actions had made a difference, and he left Microsoft to work for an education nonprofit. After visiting schools in Nepal, Wood decided that it was important to help them get better schools and libraries. There were plenty of people who wanted jobs at Microsoft but not many people with the resources or desire to fund new schools in Nepal.
When he got back to his office, he told his boss that he was leaving the company in order to pursue a dream of helping people who can’t read.
John’s decision to leave his job at Microsoft and focus on Room to Read was a risky one. He didn’t have any guarantees that he’d be successful, but he knew it would be worth the gamble.
Wood was a manager at Microsoft. He had stock options, health benefits, and other perks. When he decided to leave the company, he moved to San Francisco because it put him close to his old contacts in Seattle who could help fund his project.
Wood’s life was completely different after his experience at the retreat. He and his girlfriend wanted to travel in very different directions, so they broke up.
