Review of A Dream For Peace

[The Dodo Writer]

[Following is a volunteer review of "A Dream For Peace" by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Dr. Ghoulem Berrah is a man of remarkable strength and resolve. He joined the fight to set Algeria free from France (its colonizers). He traveled the world forty times and engaged in diplomatic discussions about peace with several nations. Israel and Palestine got to benefit from his expert dialogue skills. Dr. Ghoulem Berrah was not born a diplomat. As a fortunate young man, he got the opportunity to leave Algeria to study in Bordeaux, France. He saw what it was like to exist in a society free of a colonizer's influence. As time passed, his burning desire to see his home country free burned hotter by the day. The racism he saw around him fueled his anger, and soon enough, Dr. Ghoulem Berrah joined a group of Algerian activists ready to lay down their lives to see their home country gain its independence from France. Dr. Ghoulem Berrah also narrated how that awoke his desire to see a peaceful world, which inspired him to travel the world to try to make peace where he could.

I enjoyed reading A Dream For Peace because it made me ponder why we fight. Many people fight for freedom, but others fight for a cause they know nothing about. Dr. Ghoulem Berrah showed me the importance of having a clear reason for our fight, as that would dictate how that fight is fought. In the book, Dr. Ghoulem Berrah narrates how he wielded arms and made groups like the ICIPP and the PLO agree to engage in dialogue for the first time ever after they had been at loggerheads for so long. I saw that dialogue is as powerful as a gun or a sword if used correctly. This lesson struck me like an arrow to the heart. It was my biggest takeaway from this book and what I loved most.

A Dream For Peace was structured in a clean, presentable way. The paragraphs were not too long, and the language was easily comprehended. I had to mention this because, over the years, I have come to understand that the content of a book is not the only thing that will earn it a perfect rating. How any book is presented contributes greatly to whether its readers will enjoy reading it.

I also liked Dr. Ghoulem Berrah's stories about his life. As the name suggests, this book is about peace and how that dream was realized in many ways. However, that was not all it was about. It was also about how Dr. Ghoulem Berrah lived. I enjoyed the stories he told about his childhood, his friends, and his little village. I was also glad he included stories about his love life. One such story that made me smile is about his meeting with Titi, a maiden he fell in love with when he visited Switzerland. He described his feelings for her in great detail and did not shy away from mentioning how shy he was when he sat down to talk to her. I admire his honesty. I am glad to say that I did not dislike anything about this book at all.

This book was edited flawlessly. I could not believe it when I realized there was no error in it. Sure, I did not read the book twice because of its length, but a quick run-through solidified my conviction that it was edited in an excellent way. I have nothing negative to say about it. Since that is the case, I must give it a rating of 5 out of 5 stars.

A Dream For Peace is perfect for lovers of autobiographies, in which the authors recount how they fought and advocated for peace in the different ways they could. Dialogue is a powerful tool. It can be as effective as weapons when it comes to creating peace treaties. The world needs more people who understand this fact. I recommend this book to you if it is your wish to understand the importance of peace and how it can be achieved.

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A Dream For Peace
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[Julie Marie Basil]

This is a very well written review. You do a great job of giving an overview of this autobiography and providing examples of the things that you enjoyed most about it. After reading your review, I am interested in reading this book too as I am also a fan of reading biographical novels.