This Child Will Be Great by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

I look forward to seeing what she can accomplish in the next 6 years. a lack of schools and basic services and a criminal class of child soldiers. Ellen is dealing with an economy ruined by 16 years of civil war, an illiteracy rate of 80%. Obama is dealing with 8 years of failed economic policies and a world that lost respect for us. I loved her description of the government as the kleptocracy regime. Her description of the colonial class and the discrepancy between the new settlers and the natives was a revelation to me. We have all heard about slaves returning to Africa and always assumed things worked out just fine. I learned so much about the history of Liberia. She became the first woman president in Africa through sheer determination, great intelligence and a belief that she was needed to help her country. Truth is often so much better than fiction. I first saw Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on the Jon Stewart show and knew I had to read her book. By sharing her story, Sirleaf encourages women everywhere to pursue leadership roles at the highest levels of power, and gives us all hope that, with perseverance, we can change the world. It is also the story of an outspoken political and social reformer who, despite danger, fought the oppression of dictators and championed change.

This compelling tale of survival reveals Sirleaf's determination to succeed in multiple worlds: from her studies in the United States to her work as an international bank executive to her election campaigning in some of Liberia's most desperate and war-torn villages and neighborhoods. In this stirring memoir, Sirleaf shares the inside story of her rise to power, including her early childhood her experiences with abuse, imprisonment, and exile and her fight for democracy and social justice.

In January 2006, after the Republic of Liberia had been racked by fourteen years of brutal civil conflict, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Africa's 'Iron Lady' was sworn in as president, an event that marked a tremendous turning point in the history of the West African nation.

This Child Will Be Great by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf