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Cover of Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunnHalf the Sky
Modern · Nonfiction

Half the Sky

by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
2008 · 294 pages · Nonfiction
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 7 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn take readers through Africa and Asia to meet women fighting the oppression of women and girls, the most pervasive human rights violation of our time, from a Cambodian teenager sold into sex slavery to an Ethiopian woman injured in childbirth, and show how change can happen.

Why it's worth reading

It spent 29 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's a passionate, hopeful call to action.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

It includes difficult stories of violence and exploitation, and practical ways to help.

By the numbers

69.6Must-Read Score
  • Readers68 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller37 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
29 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2009

How we rank

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Quick answers

Is Half the Sky worth reading?

Yes. It spent 29 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #1,346 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.6 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Half the Sky about?

Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn take readers through Africa and Asia to meet women fighting the oppression of women and girls, the most pervasive human rights violation of our time, from a Cambodian teenager sold into sex slavery to an Ethiopian woman injured in childbirth, and show how change can happen.

How long does it take to read Half the Sky?

About 7 hours (294 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Half the Sky?

If you liked it, try I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini or The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates.