Take time now to learn about people-centered development, to study about your destination country specifically, and to enhance your language skills. The following books are recommended:
- Getting to the 21st Century by David C. Korten
- Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen
- Despite Good Intentions by Thomas W. Dichter
- The End of Poverty by Jeffrey D. Sachs
- Banker to the Poor by Muhammad Yunus
- Travel guides such as Fodor’s Guide, Lonely Planet or The Rough Guide are also useful books.
Reading about the local culture and customs is also recommended. Your local library should have books on the area where you will be going. The internet is also invaluable.
The following two books are fiction and good for adults and children:
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
