Review of A Dream For Peace
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Yamini mathur
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Review of A Dream For Peace
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Dream For Peace" by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah.]
A Dream for Peace: An Ambassador’s Memoir, is a visionary and one of the most inspiring narratives of the political dynamics in Africa, during the post-colonial era.
This book is taut, gripping, and very well-written. It takes the reader right in the middle of the past political history, and because I love history so much so, I completed this six-hundred and forty-four pages of the book in a little over two weeks. I was stunned by the revelations of the political conflicts of the past, that are so oblivious to ordinary citizens. The author gives an element of true human nature living in fear, hopes, and setbacks, wishing for a peaceful world to live in.
As a reader, we get a first-hand account of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Dr. Berrah’s meeting with Yasser Arafat, the founder of the Palestine Liberation Organization, with President Jimmy Carter, President Nixon, Colonel Gaddafi, Nelson Mandela, and also Chairman Mao Zedong, in China.
Dr. Berrah’s life, though, started as a humble beginning, changed completely when he joined the Algerian revolution to free his motherland from French colonial rule. He saw himself as a jail inmate, only to take up arms to join the force of the Moroccan Liberation Army. He became a physician with the Moroccan Ministry of health and moved on to becoming a researcher, working on the process of inhibition in DNA synthesis after receiving a master’s from Indiana University. Soon after a short tenure as a professor at Yale School of Medicine, fate took him flying across to Côte d’Ivoire, where he became an advisor to its foreign ministry. He moved on to become a special assistant to President Félix Houphouët-Boigny. On this, Dr. Berrah writes, “I became introspective and began to question my life’s purpose. I had left my country, my family, and my scientific career to come and assist the president, hoping to work with him and make the world a better place”
Books like this are a reason that I’m glad I took to reading. Even though the narration may seem one-sided, this book gives facts with pictures and personal letters written by great leaders. It shows the complexities that we face in life. A single decision that we take, can affect the scores of other people around us.
This memoir proves that to understand our present, we must look into our past. The atrocities of the war, the unnecessary death, and somewhere always, a humanitarian affection of the fellow people. When the nations are at war, the grass always gets trampled and innocent lives destroyed. We never cease to question the senseless wars that have no end in sight. We always feel so helpless.
I’m taking this opportunity to share a couple of quotes from the book. Though there are many that I liked, these few struck deep.
“It would have been easy for the Almighty to create us all in uniform colors and sizes, but instead, he chose to ensure that each person is a reflection of the unique power of his creativity. Unfortunately, there are still many people who waste a lot of time failing to appreciate the uniqueness of each other.”- Dr. Ghoulem Berrah.
“I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal that I hope to live for. But, my lord, if need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”- Nelson Mandela at Rivonia trial.
A professionally edited book. There is nothing at all that I disliked. Instead, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed walking the journey of Dr. Berrah’s life. This book takes us to a much higher level of inspiration. I, therefore, rate the book four out of four stars. This book is for everyone who likes history, politics, or wishes to read a worthwhile memoir. If you need inspiration, this book is for you. If you simply want to know, this book is for you. Reading this book has been an absolute pleasure.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A Dream for Peace: An Ambassador’s Memoir, is a visionary and one of the most inspiring narratives of the political dynamics in Africa, during the post-colonial era.
This book is taut, gripping, and very well-written. It takes the reader right in the middle of the past political history, and because I love history so much so, I completed this six-hundred and forty-four pages of the book in a little over two weeks. I was stunned by the revelations of the political conflicts of the past, that are so oblivious to ordinary citizens. The author gives an element of true human nature living in fear, hopes, and setbacks, wishing for a peaceful world to live in.
As a reader, we get a first-hand account of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Dr. Berrah’s meeting with Yasser Arafat, the founder of the Palestine Liberation Organization, with President Jimmy Carter, President Nixon, Colonel Gaddafi, Nelson Mandela, and also Chairman Mao Zedong, in China.
Dr. Berrah’s life, though, started as a humble beginning, changed completely when he joined the Algerian revolution to free his motherland from French colonial rule. He saw himself as a jail inmate, only to take up arms to join the force of the Moroccan Liberation Army. He became a physician with the Moroccan Ministry of health and moved on to becoming a researcher, working on the process of inhibition in DNA synthesis after receiving a master’s from Indiana University. Soon after a short tenure as a professor at Yale School of Medicine, fate took him flying across to Côte d’Ivoire, where he became an advisor to its foreign ministry. He moved on to become a special assistant to President Félix Houphouët-Boigny. On this, Dr. Berrah writes, “I became introspective and began to question my life’s purpose. I had left my country, my family, and my scientific career to come and assist the president, hoping to work with him and make the world a better place”
Books like this are a reason that I’m glad I took to reading. Even though the narration may seem one-sided, this book gives facts with pictures and personal letters written by great leaders. It shows the complexities that we face in life. A single decision that we take, can affect the scores of other people around us.
This memoir proves that to understand our present, we must look into our past. The atrocities of the war, the unnecessary death, and somewhere always, a humanitarian affection of the fellow people. When the nations are at war, the grass always gets trampled and innocent lives destroyed. We never cease to question the senseless wars that have no end in sight. We always feel so helpless.
I’m taking this opportunity to share a couple of quotes from the book. Though there are many that I liked, these few struck deep.
“It would have been easy for the Almighty to create us all in uniform colors and sizes, but instead, he chose to ensure that each person is a reflection of the unique power of his creativity. Unfortunately, there are still many people who waste a lot of time failing to appreciate the uniqueness of each other.”- Dr. Ghoulem Berrah.
“I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal that I hope to live for. But, my lord, if need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”- Nelson Mandela at Rivonia trial.
A professionally edited book. There is nothing at all that I disliked. Instead, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed walking the journey of Dr. Berrah’s life. This book takes us to a much higher level of inspiration. I, therefore, rate the book four out of four stars. This book is for everyone who likes history, politics, or wishes to read a worthwhile memoir. If you need inspiration, this book is for you. If you simply want to know, this book is for you. Reading this book has been an absolute pleasure.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Maestro Monologue by Rob White
