Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, Borzoi Books, 2009. Husband-and-wife journalists make a case for women’s economic empowerment as a necessity for countries to escape poverty.

Terrify No More: Young Girls Held Captive and the Daring Undercover Operation to Win Their Freedom by Gary A. Haugen and Gregg Hunter, Thomas Nelson, 2005. This is the true story of the International Justice Mission’s infiltration of Cambodian brothels to rescue the women and girls that had fallen victim to human trafficking.

Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, Penguin Books, 2006. The founder of the Central Asia Institute tells the story of building dozens of schools in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan, and discusses the role of education in fighting Islamic extremism in the region.

Warrior Princess: Fighting for Life with Courage and Hope by Princess Kasune Zulu, InterVarsity Press, 2009. The true story of a Zambian woman whose parents were ripped from her by AIDS, Zulu speaks out about her HIV-positive status and the need for a change in Africa.