3 out of 4 stars
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The Urban Shepherd by Ben Amor is an autobiographical story of how a young, poor shepherd boy of Tunisia, North Africa, achieved the American dream. It is not your average rags-to-riches story, that would be quite disappointing. This story is so much better because the author’s dream is bigger than simply coming out of poverty and earning a living for himself. His desire is to end world hunger and make the world a better place. He founded the charity Terra-Genesis Inc. based in San Antonio, Texas. Despite many setbacks and difficulties both in his personal and business life, the author has persevered and come out on top. Now he is sharing his story, struggles and all, to encourage others to dream big, work hard, and succeed.
It was interesting to read about the author's life in Tunisia. I had never heard of Tunisia before and was fascinated to learn about it. It was very shocking and sad to hear about the infant mortality rate and how that affected the author's life personally. I can see why he is so passionate about helping the people in Tunisia as well as children and families around the world. His personal story is a heartbreaking, yet realistic picture of what families in poverty have to go through.
Much of the book is designed to be motivational. Throughout the pages there are quotes from famous authors like Napoleon Hill, Dan Miller, and Elizabeth S. Steger. I was not always sure what each quote had to do with what I was reading right then and thought it was a little distracting. Perhaps it would make more sense in a print version where it could be offset differently. However, I can applaud the author for trying to lighten up the heaviness of a biography with some motivational insights.
For me, the book became a little dry and boring about halfway through. I think this is because there is a lot of explanation without much story. I would have loved to hear individual stories about the people who were helped by Terra-Genesis rather than a broad overview of it. Hearing more personal stories would have helped me connect and understand the charity much better. Sometimes there seemed to be too much focus on what was happening from the business end. I can see how it would be helpful for others who are in that same position, but if you are not working in a charity, it may be harder to relate to the business aspect of the book.
Writing an autobiography that spans a long period of time is a difficult task. The author succeeded in keeping it focused and direct. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the author’s life and passion for helping others. I wish there were more people as driven to help others as this man is. Aside from some portions being a little slow, it is a well-written and interesting book. For that reason, I give it a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in starting a charity and would like some motivation or insight into what it looks like.
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The Urban Shepherd...Chasing the American Dream
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