The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World
Written by Melinda Gates
Narrated by Melinda Gates
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
**One of AudioFile Magazine's Best Audiobooks of 2019**
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Now with a new afterword!
How can we summon a moment of lift for human beings—and especially for women? Because when you lift up women, you lift up humanity.
For the last twenty years, Melinda Gates has been on a mission to find solutions for people with the most urgent needs, wherever they live. Throughout this journey, one thing has become increasingly clear to her: If you want to lift society up, you need to stop keeping women down.
In this moving and compelling book, Melinda shares lessons she’s learned from the inspiring people she’s met during her work and travels around the world. As she writes in the introduction, “That is why I had to write this book—to share the stories of people who have given focus and urgency to my life. I want all of us to see ways we can lift women up where we live.”
Melinda’s unforgettable narrative is backed by startling data as she presents the issues that most need our attention—from child marriage to lack of access to contraceptives to gender inequity in the workplace. And, for the first time, she writes about her personal life and the road to equality in her own marriage. Throughout, she shows how there has never been more opportunity to change the world—and ourselves.
Writing with emotion, candor, and grace, she introduces us to remarkable women and shows the power of connecting with one another.
When we lift others up, they lift us up, too.
A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books
“The Moment of Lift is an urgent call to courage. It changed how I think about myself, my family, my work, and what’s possible in the world. Melinda weaves together vulnerable, brave storytelling and compelling data to make this one of those rare books that you carry in your heart and mind long after the last page.” — Brené Brown, Ph.D., author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Dare to Lead
“Melinda Gates has spent many years working with women around the world. This book is an urgent manifesto for an equal society where women are valued and recognized in all spheres of life. Most of all, it is a call for unity, inclusion and connection. We need this message more than ever.”— Malala Yousafzai
"Melinda Gates's book is a lesson in listening. A powerful, poignant, and ultimately humble call to arms." — Tara Westover, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller EDUCATED
Editor's Note
What Barack Obama’s reading…
In a Facebook post about what he’d been reading in 2019, Barack Obama wrote, “Melinda [Gates] tells the stories of the inspiring people she’s met through her work all over the world, digs into the data, and powerfully illustrates issues that need our attention — from child marriage to gender inequity in the workplace. I’ve called Melinda an impatient optimist and that’s what she delivers here — the urgency to tackle these problems and the unwavering belief that solving them is indeed possible.”
Melinda Gates
Melinda Gates is a philanthropist, businesswoman, and global advocate for women and girls. As the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Melinda sets the direction and priorities of the world’s largest philanthropy. She is also the founder of Pivotal Ventures, an investment and incubation company working to drive social progress for women and families in the United States. Melinda grew up in Dallas, Texas. She received a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Duke University and an M.B.A. from Duke’s Fuqua School. Melinda spent the first decade of her career developing multimedia products at Microsoft before leaving the company to focus on her family and philanthropic work. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband, Bill. They have three children, Jenn, Rory, and Phoebe.
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Reviews for The Moment of Lift
318 ratings29 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Me encantaron todas las anécdotas e historias que se compartieron a lo largo del libro, me hizo reflexionar mucho. Muy buen libro para todas las mujeres y corazones altruistas del mundo.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Men, women and everyone with a different identity would benefit greatly from reading the stories Melinda has gathered from her philanthropic work. They are a deep reminder that all people deserve love and compassion, especially marginalized groups on the edges of society. We are not better than them, our circumstances were just better. Thank you Melinda for writing this book!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Eye opening and empowering narrative about women across the world.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Melinda Gates speaks on finding your voice, and oh, what a voice she has found of her own! She is bright and compassionate. Her one message she reiterates over and over again is to gather in those who are on the margins. She has found women to be the core of the solution around the globe and has focused on helping women who then help all of society. She has story after story from people all over the world to illustrate her points. This book contains some powerful thinking, and I will definitely be pondering and acting on her ideas for years to come. I did not agree with everything she said, but appreciated that she did not ask me to. I did agree with and cheer on her fundamental message to lift others with love.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Authentic from the heart!, do yourself a favor listen rather then read!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Awesome Book. Melinda is great at connecting her life with other women in her book
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Nice to hear it read by the author herself. If you have yet to be convinced of the reality that women worldwide are born into disadvantage by recent history’s patriarchal system.. prepare to have your mind opened.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I really enjoyed this book, it shows you that Melinda Gates has a voice of her own. It is a good book for woman wanting to find her path or her calling. Inspiring
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Her candid thoughts and insights should be heard by women all of over the world. She freely admits she has been fortunate to have opportunities not always available to women in the world- but instead of keeping these opportunities to herself she is choosing to create new opportunities for women all over the world.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Worth every second — I highly recommend
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5So stimulating and important! I sincerely appreciated her candor when talking about quitting her job to have children. She is such a vital asset to Bill and I'm grateful she stepped out to reveal her strength and presence amidst all of his success. Her stories from her trips and all the foundation does are both frightening and motivating. Would love to work for an organization like hers.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5To women looking for some motivation to get us thru the toughest of times, stigma and gender bias.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The work that Melinda is doing is incredible, so many great lesson though out the book.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A wonderful read about learning, empowerment and equality lifting society
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Excellent book. She talks about feminine empowerment in a realistic way and about her experience in the Gates Foundation.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book is inspirational, insightful and eye opening! It makes you reflect on the reality of our gender but at the same time encourage you to do something about it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a pretty fantastic book. If you're interested in feminism and fighting poverty and inequality, I highly recommend giving it a listen.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amazing book. Well written and well narrated. This book beautifully chronicles the struggles of women, both in the private and public, and how helping them to overcome those challenges is in everyone's interest. This is a book for feminists and would be feminists. Read this book if you want to understand why feminism is important. Read this book if you are a man that wants to become an ally. Read this book if you want to built a successful business or family, if you want to be a better parent or partner to your spouse. Read this book because it matters.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Inspiring book on global issues that are challenging. Made me wonder how we’ve globally evolved to the point at which we’re so suppressive of women in every culture. That equality and connection can create a better world is the point of the book and the author has expressed it so well.
The injustices brought tears more than once. The messages in this book ought to be communicated in whatever media it takes to reach people of the world. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5One of the most important books every literate person needs to read.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5So many inspiring stories woven into one very inspiring book with a great feminist message. Amazing.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5At the end, connecting with others, love, is the end goal. I grew up in a developing, poor country but I have not witnessed the extreme cases Melinda narrated in this book. I have deep respect for their foundation which trying to solve the hardest social problems of this world. They are not just giving money and donating stuff but addressing the root causes. They are the modern heroes the world needs.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5“The goal is to be connected, belong and be loved, and love is what’s lift us up.”
Melinda Gates shared her experiences of extremely powerful stories of each woman she met and how she got connected and help them boost their confidence and courage to fight for their rights and to show how to treat a woman.
That women empowerment really change the culture, beliefs and the life of each woman she met, being a philanthropist like Melinda has a great responsibility because she’s the voice of a woman who will never heard from the other world of this society and she did a great job of writing this book to enlighten all the readers and give importance to all the woman in their life. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Absolutely stunning, a must (read) listen for everyone. Frames the problem beautifully.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Every women should read this. We shld help one another because we understand the difficulty of being a woman. Although there are so many women’s issue that I’ve only known by reading the book. I will do my best too for other women in my circle to empower and support them too.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It touched my heart in a very profound way and I can relate to Melinda’s experiences on many levels. I wish I can meet her. I have never wanted to meet a famous person but Melinda is a real person who happened to be famous. God bless her and her amazing work
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The telling of a story, of how so many lives can be changed only if one person is persistent enough, consistent enough and determined enough. What an emotional audiobook to listen to. I am moved to act in the same way Melinda did, hopefully in spite of my small capacity.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Melinda Gates wrote an impressive story about women empowerment
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Humbling and truthful book about living a moral life