Grace at the Table: Ending Hunger in God's World

Rating:
Summary: Informative and Practical Guide to End Hunger
Review: If you are not put off by all the god-talk, this is a wonderful book, filled with important information and clear analysis. Ever wondered how much money it would take to feed, clothe, educate, and provide running water for all the world's people? About 40 million a year, or one-sixth of what America alone spends on National Defense annually. Ever wonder how the national budget breaks down: how much money is spent on international aid, or how the US compares to other industrial countries on these issues? It's in there. Ever wonder what practical steps you can take to alleviate national and global hunger? It's in there, along with many other important facts. My only complaint about this book: The authors of are too Christian and rather biased about the IMF and the World Bank, one of them having worked within the WB for many years. Even with its flaws, though, this book has a very important message. Check it out.

Rating:
Summary: A superb book on the problems and solutions on hunger
Review: The insightful authors, both Lutheran ministers active with Bread for the World, start with a careful overview of the biblical teachings related to hunger and poverty and then examine the state of the hungry in the USA and throughout God's world. There is plenty in the book to celebrate: the percentage of those living in poverty in the USA has dropped in the last forty years, child mortality in developing countries is one half of what it was in 1960, world grain production per acre has doubled in the same time period, the global population's rate of growth is slowing, the proportion of hungry people in developing countries has fallen sharply, and the number of people who die in famines has also decreased in the last few decades. There is still far too much bad news: the percentage of U.S. children living in poverty (one in five) is triple that of other industrialized nations; thousands of children are dying daily in developing nations because of hunger (one child is dying for every breath we take); and less than one percent of our national budget goes for foreign assistance. The book's question and answer format makes for easy reading while its content can be troubling, but also inspiring for people of faith who can make a difference.

Rating:
Summary: A nuts and bolts book on hunger,and what you can do about it
Review: While it can get a bit technical at times, overall, this book is very good at explaining why we should care about poor and hungry people in our country and around the world. It also gives people the tools they need to be citizen advocates on hunger -- going beyond helping at soup kitchens or donating money to good causes. It shows how we can use our power as citizens to affect the root causes of hunger and poverty, and not just put a Band-Aid on the problem. A great book for anyone who cares about this issue, but especially for Christians who understand the teachings of Jesus to mean that we are obligated to care for all of God's children.