The essential difference between Bangladesh and Canada is this: In Canada, you can kiss in the street, but you can't piss. In Bangladesh, you can piss in the street, but you can't kiss.
- Riton, Translator Extraordinaire
Any book by Muhamad Yunus – Sadly, I haven’t read anything by him yet, but “Creating a World Without Poverty” is already on my Kindle and ready to be my airplane read during the 24 hour+ journey. I saw Yunus speak about a year and a half ago and all I can say is that I love this man. This Nobel Peace prize winner is credited with the invention of micro-loans, a movement which has revolutionized how many of us think about charitable giving and is revolutionizing how paternalistic societies think about women. And he’s from Chittagong, which is where our group will be spending most of our time!
A Golden Age, by Tahmima Anam – A fantastic historical-fiction story about a widow and her children’s experiences during Bangladesh’s war of independence from Pakistan. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone eager to learn more about the struggles that have brought the small country to where it is today.
Songs at the River’s Edge, by Katy Gardner – The firsthand account of a British anthropology student who spent 18 months living in a rural Bangladeshi village. It’s pretty hard to find, but if you can get a copy, it’s well worth the read. I loved it.
The Lonely Planet’s Guide to Bangladesh – A semi-handy book that will be coming with me on the trip. It hasn’t been that all that useful for my pre-trip planning, but LP’ website has been extremely helpful… especially in leading me to Mahmud, who truly is Bangladesh’s patron saint of backpackers! Thanks Mahmud.
The End of Poverty, by Jeffery Sachs – I have started this book so many times. And I love it. But for some reason, I always seem to get distracted half-way through. Anyways, I’ve included it in this list because, despite it’s yet unfinished state on my bookshelf, I think it’s a wonderful book for anyone who is passionate about extreme poverty issues and solutions. Also, Bangladesh is featured several times (at least in the first half!).
Brick Lane, by Monica Ali – LP listed this as being the #1 book to read before travelling to Bangladesh. It’s not. Slow, boring, and mostly based in London (not Bangladesh), it was good enough that I didn’t quit halfway through and bad enough that I just wanted it to be over. There’s a recent movie out too… wasn’t a fan of that either.
Shame, by Tasalima Nasarina – Another one that I haven’t read yet, this novel is about the persecution of Bangladeshi Hindus that took place in the 1990’s. The reviews are mixed and I’m not sure that the book really appeals to me, except for its controversy. The book earned the author a fatwa against her. Both book and author are rumoured to be banned in Bangladesh. Needless to say, I will not be bringing this along with me as travel reading.
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