Solving Problems that Matter (and Getting Paid for It)
STEM Careers in Social Innovation and Global Sustainable Development
Released Oct 2, 2015 | 8.5″ x 11″ x 396 pgs | ISBN: 978-1514838006
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Book Summary
Do you want to harness the power of science, technology, and innovation to change the world? Do you want to channel your passion and education to pursue a life-long career improving the human condition?
Regardless of where you are in your career today, what should be your next step?
Sign up for Peace Corps? Pursue graduate school? Take on a corporate job?
Join a nonprofit? Launch your own social enterprise?
Should you focus on energy, health or food security?
Should you stay in New York or move to Nairobi?
The number of choices is daunting!
Solving Problems That Matter (and Getting Paid for It) stitches together a mosaic of perspectives, experiences, and actionable insights to illuminate the smorgasbord of career pathways in social innovation and global sustainable development.
54 expert briefs penned by leaders from USAID, Peace Corps, MIT, Engineers Without Borders, FHI 360, and other organizations offer practical insights into a myriad of topics such as:
- How do different kinds of organizations work?
- How do you find your first impact-focused job?
- What are the pros and cons of PhD, MBA, MPH and MPA degrees?
- How do salaries and benefits work when placed in a developing country?
100 STEM innovators from the World Bank, UNICEF, Gates Foundation, Google, and dozens of social ventures, government agencies, nonprofits, academia, and corporations share their career profiles with you. Turn to any page to read an enlightening and inspiring inside story of a social innovator’s role and responsibilities, career trajectory, and lessons learned along the way.
Read Solving Problems That Matter (and Getting Paid for It) to let 165 of today’s most inspiring game-changers help you find your passion, make informed career decisions, and propel you into the exciting world of social innovation and global sustainable development.
The Kochia Chronicles
Systemic Challenges and the Foundations of Social Innovation
Released Oct 2, 2015 | 8.5″ x 11″ x 396 pgs | ISBN: 978-1514838006
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Book Synopsis:
Kochia, a sleepy community on the shores of Lake Victoria in Western Kenya, is caught in the turmoil among traditional ways of life, excitement brought about by development projects and the throes of relentless globalization. Cellphones are spreading HIV and funerals are killing people. Cows are drowning in enormous holes dug by white people. Girls are dropping out of school and children are being rented to orphanages. Crusades and miracle services are blurring the lines between religion and crime. Along with the rapidly declining fish population in the lake, the time to ‘teach people how to fish’ has passed. It is time for direct and decisive action. Obongo, Okello, Sister Phoebe and friends unravel the complexities of community challenges and design practical solutions to address them. From cardboard coffins to toothbrush currencies and professional praising services, the solutions are simple, frugal and ingenious. The Kochia Chronicles take readers headlong into the lives and adventures of people in this quintessential African village as they usher in an era of design, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Kochia Chronicles owe their genesis to the author’s experiences in conducting research and advancing technology-based social ventures in East Africa over the past decade. They draw heavily from the vast literature on development studies and the work of several innovators and entrepreneurs. The stories weave a compelling web of concepts, approaches, facts, statistics, norms, musings, emotions…and full-page illustrations to help readers empathize with the people, their context, and their choices. The Kochia Chronicles are fictitious narratives that bring to life the paradoxical simplicity and complexity of development challenges with the objective of informing and inspiring innovation that leads to the self-determined improvement of lives and livelihoods.
Read summaries of the stories here.
Mobile Computing, Applications, and Services
Fourth International Conference, MobiCASE 2012, Seattle, WA, USA, October 2012. Revised Selected Papers
Released Feb 9, 2013 | 6.1″ x 9.2″ x 440 pgs | ISBN: 978-3642366338
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Book Summary: