23. The Moment of Lift

Melinda Gates. 2019.

This is basically a memoir that tracks Melinda Gates' growth as a philanthropist and from that perspective it is fairly interesting.  Her shift to the left and willingness to tackle more complex problems over time is a fairly predictable reflection of the stereotype of privileged do-gooding.  As she visits places where they fund projects and connects with, particularly women, she sees a reflection of the sexism and misogyny in her own sheltered and mega-wealthy American life.  The book is written before the pandemic, but the insight into this type of giving, done in a thoughtful way that unfolds in a ways that I appreciate, is useful in thinking about how the Gates and Dolly Parton, among many others I am sure, funding the vaccines and in some respects made me rethink whether government could have done some of the projects they are working on, let alone whether it could be done better by government.  There is a lot of power in having the kind of funding that the Gates Foundation has.  It made me wonder think about the giving being done by the right and how that is also influencing communities.  

Ultimately, if you are at the beginning of your journey of recognizing systemic sexism and how that plays out across the world, then I think you might find this book worthwhile.  Similarly, if you are interested in how the mega-rich philanthropists can be moved to support programs that destabilize patriarchy and empower women, then you find also find the book worth your time.  In general, though, I found a lot of her analysis to be trite and basic and her arc of development to be more predictable than compelling. 

​Not recommended. 

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