What are you reading?
Summer is around the corner, and that means summer reading is around the corner as well. We asked the Heads of each Aga Khan Academy what they are reading and why they love it.
Michael Spencer, Aga Khan Academy Maputo
“Letters to a Young Muslim by Omar Saif Ghobash: This book was, for me, a useful primer on the Islamic faith. It is a series of letters from a father to his children about the realities and perceptions of Islam in the world today. The author, a former diplomat, bravely asserts the need for young people to contextualise their faith in a way which is appropriate to their lives today, rather than blindly and uncritically following edicts which may no longer be relevant. It is thought provoking, well written and filled with humanity and compassion. As a non-Muslim, I found this a compelling book from a man of faith.”
Geoffrey Fisher, Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad
“The first is Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn by John Hattie and Gregory Yates. Almost the bible of learning and the results of a huge body of work, it is fascinating, informative and key to current educational thinking. The second, I have just finished, is Without Fail by Lee Child. I like the sense of the anti-hero that Lee Child captures. It interests me that an English man can write such an American series of books.”
Raymond Zinsli, Aga Khan Academy Mombasa
“I believe it is important to read both fiction and non-fiction and so always keep at least two books ‘on the go’. The last fiction title I finished was Jeffrey Deaver’s The Burial Hour. Forensics is a fascinating area and I love the use of science and deduction to bring justice to the world, as do many other lovers of the genre which is exemplified by many great authors including Patricia Cornwell and Michael Connelly as well as Deaver. In the non-fiction area, I have just completed Martin Meredith’s Fortunes of Africa. Along with his other titles recently read (The Fate of Africa and Born in Africa), this book provides detailed and interesting perspectives on the history of this fabulous continent.”