By Joy Portella, President, Minerva Strategies —
It’s almost Mother’s Day, and Minerva wants to give a shout-out to all of the hard-working moms who manage to raise kids, hold down jobs, keep home base running, and not totally lose their minds in the process. You’re our heroes!
We’d also like to tell you about a new book project we’re excited about. Minerva is not in the business of promoting books, but once in a blue moon, we get approached to work on a project we think is special – a real game-changer for people who need to have their stories told – and we feel compelled to get involved. This is that kind of book.
The book is called The First 1,000 Days: A Crucial Time for Mothers and Children—And the World, and it’s written by former Wall Street Journal reporter and Chicago Council on Global Affairs Fellow Roger Thurow. The book takes a fresh, in-depth look at the importance of good nutrition for mom and baby from the beginning of a mother’s pregnancy to the second birthday of her child, and examines how nutrition can and should fit into a global health agenda.
The First 1,000 Days tells the stories of moms and their children in four diverse places – India, Uganda, Guatemala and the south side of Chicago. From not knowing what’s healthy, to simply not having enough food, the stories and topics in this book promise to be very influential in understanding worldwide hunger – and its impact. The inclusion of stories from Chicago is particularly important for people to realize that malnutrition and “food deserts” don’t just exist in the developing world. Moms in the U.S. also face these challenges.
For a quick video taste of the book, watch this.
Roger’s first two books on related subjects – ENOUGH and The Last Hunger Season – had a tremendous impact on national and global debates about hunger and food and agriculture policies. We hope that The First 1,000 Days will cause a similar stir. If you’re a mom or have one (hello, that’s everybody), you should check out this very important book. It also makes a great and thoughtful Mother’s Day gift!
