Review of A Dream For Peace
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Hannalie Korf
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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 by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah is not a quick read, nor is it an easy read, but it is an enjoyable read and very interesting. It chronologically narrates the life and career of His Excellency Dr. Ghoulem Berrah, who was born in Algeria into a humble family with strong and proud values. After his father passed away, his mother took over his schooling with strict discipline. Algeria was then a French colony, and Algerians were treated as second-class citizens. Being very talented and having strict disciplinary habits made Berrah very successful as a student. It was his dream to free Algeria of colonialism. As a leading student activist, he was imprisoned for his political activism. He studied medicine in France and became an advocate to empower himself with knowledge of the law. His medical research on DNA brought him to America, where he moved his attention from science to politics. He met with world leaders and was involved in peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine. Having stayed some time in America, he went to the Ivory Coast, where we worked closely with the president of the Ivory Coast, Houphouët-Boigny. He was involved in the building of the Riviera Mosque. After the completion of the mosque, Barrach became a kind of peacemaker cum problem solver amongst the people of the Ivory Coast. After that, his life took a turn to become spiritual, and the book focuses on religion, narrating some actions of the Muslim and Christian faiths in detail.
A Dream for Peace is filled with detailed descriptions of political interactions, events, and conversations between world leaders, which gives the reader an insight into historical events and the motivations of leaders, narrated in a captivating way.
Although it is a detailed and long book to read, it is educational for those interested in world history. I enjoyed reading about the politics behind the historical events that I can still recall. The detailed description of places makes the reader feel present in the situation. What I found inspiring was how Berrah valued personal interaction with his family and friends. He always reflected on the core values of his upbringing, and the opinion of his family was important to him. His love for his country and how he always wanted to help improve living conditions was a driver behind his success. His religion was central to him, but he also respected other religions. The book is well-edited, and I found only three typos.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. When you see a book of 632 pages, you know you are in for a long read, and when it is a biography of a diplomat, you must be prepared to go behind the scenes. One might feel that some of the descriptions were too detailed, but I did not find them distracting or disturbing.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it was a very satisfying read which opened a world of insight into the thoughts and actions of world leaders. Reading it felt like listening to a member of my family telling his life story.
I recommend A Dream for Peace by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah to all people who are interested in politics, especially African politics and the problems experienced in the middle east in the early 1970s. Berrah describes each event and conversation in detail. The reader gets an insight into the complicated negotiations that occurred and the emotions of the politicians involved. It makes you feel like a witness to history. The value of Berrah as a diplomatic intercessor and peacemaker in the dialogue between leaders comes to the foreground. It is so different to read all the relevant information behind the actions of a struggle than to hear what the media want you to know. I was highly impressed by Berrah's intelligence and the quick way he could adapt to new challenges. Reading this book is time well spent.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A Dream for Peace by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah is not a quick read, nor is it an easy read, but it is an enjoyable read and very interesting. It chronologically narrates the life and career of His Excellency Dr. Ghoulem Berrah, who was born in Algeria into a humble family with strong and proud values. After his father passed away, his mother took over his schooling with strict discipline. Algeria was then a French colony, and Algerians were treated as second-class citizens. Being very talented and having strict disciplinary habits made Berrah very successful as a student. It was his dream to free Algeria of colonialism. As a leading student activist, he was imprisoned for his political activism. He studied medicine in France and became an advocate to empower himself with knowledge of the law. His medical research on DNA brought him to America, where he moved his attention from science to politics. He met with world leaders and was involved in peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine. Having stayed some time in America, he went to the Ivory Coast, where we worked closely with the president of the Ivory Coast, Houphouët-Boigny. He was involved in the building of the Riviera Mosque. After the completion of the mosque, Barrach became a kind of peacemaker cum problem solver amongst the people of the Ivory Coast. After that, his life took a turn to become spiritual, and the book focuses on religion, narrating some actions of the Muslim and Christian faiths in detail.
A Dream for Peace is filled with detailed descriptions of political interactions, events, and conversations between world leaders, which gives the reader an insight into historical events and the motivations of leaders, narrated in a captivating way.
Although it is a detailed and long book to read, it is educational for those interested in world history. I enjoyed reading about the politics behind the historical events that I can still recall. The detailed description of places makes the reader feel present in the situation. What I found inspiring was how Berrah valued personal interaction with his family and friends. He always reflected on the core values of his upbringing, and the opinion of his family was important to him. His love for his country and how he always wanted to help improve living conditions was a driver behind his success. His religion was central to him, but he also respected other religions. The book is well-edited, and I found only three typos.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. When you see a book of 632 pages, you know you are in for a long read, and when it is a biography of a diplomat, you must be prepared to go behind the scenes. One might feel that some of the descriptions were too detailed, but I did not find them distracting or disturbing.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it was a very satisfying read which opened a world of insight into the thoughts and actions of world leaders. Reading it felt like listening to a member of my family telling his life story.
I recommend A Dream for Peace by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah to all people who are interested in politics, especially African politics and the problems experienced in the middle east in the early 1970s. Berrah describes each event and conversation in detail. The reader gets an insight into the complicated negotiations that occurred and the emotions of the politicians involved. It makes you feel like a witness to history. The value of Berrah as a diplomatic intercessor and peacemaker in the dialogue between leaders comes to the foreground. It is so different to read all the relevant information behind the actions of a struggle than to hear what the media want you to know. I was highly impressed by Berrah's intelligence and the quick way he could adapt to new challenges. Reading this book is time well spent.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Secrets of the Kashmir Valley by Farhana Qazi
