Review of A Dream For Peace

[Sharill Rasowo]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Dr. Ghoulem Berrah's book, A Dream for Peace, chronicles his life from boyhood to becoming a scientist and then a distinguished diplomat. The author grew up in the midst of political upheaval. We learn about the history of Algeria's and other African countries' battle for independence as he recounts his life. We watch the author fight colonization, racism, and injustices that result from the oppression of people. He accomplished a lot in his life. He participated in the Algerian independence movement, became a permanent member of the New York Academy of Sciences and a professor at Yale School of Medicine, and served as a special advisor to Félix Houphout-Boigny, Côte d'Ivoire's first president.

Throughout the book, I admired the selflessness of the author. He campaigned relentlessly for Algeria's independence, mediated peace between countries in conflict, such as Israel and Palestine, and promoted religious tolerance. I admired him for marrying a Christian despite tremendous opposition from his family as he was a Muslim. In not only his personal life but also his political life, his concern for others shone through. From organizing student protests to brokering peace at the highest political level, he held firm in his beliefs.

I was happy to discover that the stories in the book appeared to be true. The fact that this account was cobbled together from records obtained by his wife demonstrates this. I really liked the pictures that were scattered throughout the book. This gave me a visual depiction of the characters in the story, which made it more real to me. The book's language is very straightforward, making it an easy read. Because it was such a long book, this was critical to my enjoyment.

There wasn't a single thing about the book that I didn't enjoy. Despite its length, reading about Africa's struggle for independence through the eyes of someone who was there at the time was fascinating. Geopolitical topics like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were brought to life and became more than just a footnote in history books. Throughout the book, the author's perseverance and compassion shined through, making him a fascinating figure.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it gave a wonderful peek into living in Africa in the twentieth century. I didn't locate a single typo or error, thus it appeared to be exceptionally well-edited. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in African history as well as issues such as colonialism.

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A Dream For Peace
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[rose203]

The modern world needs more selfless men like Dr. Ghoulem Berrah. Great review.

[Hakeem nuel]

The life journey of Ghoulem Berrah is an inspiring one. I enjoyed reading the book.

[Elvischukwu]

Dr. Berrah Ghoulem's characters are vividly portrayed, their journeys reminding us of the human capacity for growth and reconciliation."