The Beautiful Tree cover art

The Beautiful Tree

A Personal Journey into How the World's Poorest People Are Educating Themsleves

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The Beautiful Tree

By: James Tooley
Narrated by: James Foster
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About this listen

Everyone from Bono to the United Nations is looking for a miracle to bring schooling within reach of the poorest children on Earth. James Tooley found one hiding in plain sight. While researching private schools in India for the World Bank, and worried he was doing little to help the poor, Tooley wandered into the slums of Hyderabad's Old City. Shocked to find it overflowing with tiny, parent-funded schools filled with energized students, he set out to discover if schools like these could help achieve universal education.

Named after Mahatma Gandhi's phrase for the schools of pre-colonial India, The Beautiful Tree recounts Tooley's journey from the largest shanty town in Africa to the hinterlands of Gansu, China. It introduces listeners to the families and teachers who taught him that the poor are not waiting for educational handouts. They are building their own schools and educating themselves.

©2013 James Tooley (P)2014 Cato Institute Education Politics & Government Poverty & Homelessness Social Sciences Special Education & Disabilities United States World
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This type of book I would not normally choose to read, I lazily downloaded a book about trees but found it was about education and its politics.

I found it a uplifting and eye opening book, especially the injustices in undeveloped countries education systems.

Most people would get a lot out of this book.

I read this book thinking it was about trees!

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