Howard G Buffett

As interesting as this book may be, knowing who wrote it was equally interesting to me. Howard Buffett, son of investor guru Warren Buffett (one of the richest men in the world), is head of a billion dollar foundation working to end hunger, a farmer, and may well be the richest policeman in the Country. He recently served as sheriff in Macon County, Illinois, having trained in police work and worked as under-sheriff as well. His experience on his foundation's ranch along the Southern Border, as well as his interest in law enforcement gives him unique experience and insights into problems on the U.S. / Mexican border.

Buffett details how the drug problem in the United States leads to border smuggling and trafficking.
But he also looks at other problems including the U.S. farm needs for migrant workers, and looking at refugees fleeing violence in their home countries in Central America. He emphasizes the importance of border security, but notes that simply building a bigger border wall by itself is not the solution. He talks about how drug smuggling is carried out by use of tunnels, vehicles, boats, drones, catapult launchers, etc. He provides an informed discussion of all the problems along the border, including the needs of farmers and land owners along the southern border, the needs of the Border Patrol, agricultural needs for laborers, legitimate humanitarian needs of refugees, and the near impossibility of preventing drugs from crossing the border as long as there's a huge demand for drugs in the United States.
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For me, an eye-opening read. Howard G. Buffett, farmer and philanthropist (and yes son of...), uses his considerable knowledge in these two areas to address food insecurity (his term) around the world, including the United States. While I do disagree strongly with his position on genetically modified seeds, Buffett schools us in farming and its difficulties around the world. A success story in one part of the world can not simply be exported to another. He is an advocate of no till farming methods and explains clearly the soil science behind it.
It is his writing on his philanthropic efforts that is the real eye-opener. His considerable efforts to get it right may be his real legacy in this area. He explains why some efforts fail and why. The failures of governments and NGOs are often not for simple reasons. It is a complex world to feed, as even his success stories show.
My big take away is a new way to look at philanthropy efforts to address food insecurity. Throwing money at a project can sometimes be worse than doing nothing. The Map the Meal Gap in the US is quite an interesting project.
My biggest problem with this book is the heavy use of web addresses in the pages of citations.… (más)

In a sweeping new book, farmer, humanitarian, businessman, politician, photographer and risk-taker, Howard G. Buffett, founder and president of the philanthropic organization which bears his name, Howard G. Buffett Foundation, has laid out a determined road-map with an objective of ending hunger and poverty for the world's nearly one billion persistently disadvantaged populaces by 2045. Howard G. Buffett has chalked out a plan to invest more than $3 billion in a gamble to find answers to confront global food and water security issues. Buffett's new book, 40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World, written with his son Howard W. Buffett, is a historic account of their journey to explore new approaches to help the world's most vulnerable people. Howard G. Buffett and Howard W. Buffett share their ideas and thoughts on the current global food security challenges and present opportunities for all to participate in their pursuit to end global hunger.

40 Chances is more than a book. It's a message with five empowering principles we can use every day:
Principle No. 1 - Roots: Seize opportunities that excite you, even if they start out seemingly small.
Principle No. 2 - Bravery: From time to time, you've got to do something you don't necessarily know how to do.
Principle No. 3 - Lessons: Harvest the right lessons and don't fear mistakes; grow from each of your efforts.
Principle No. 4 - Challenges: Sometimes our resources and expertise do not match the needs of a given situation, so we have to be adaptable.
Principle No. 5 - Hope: Make the most of your 40 Chances today, while preparing for the future - know that you're spending your chances wisely.

In life you only have about 40 productive years to make an impact on the world. Discover the message beyond the book. Learn about the 40 Chances mindset. Discover ways to incorporate 40 Chances into your life.

40 Chances gives us all inspiration to transform each of our limited chances into opportunities to change the world. Join Howard in his quest to impact the world positively!… (más)