Kristof & WuDunn

Have you ever read Nicholas Kristof's columns in the New York Times? If you have, then you might know what I'm going to write. If you have not, then you owe it to yourself to read his work.

Often, I wander over to NYTimes.com to catch up on world news. I see the title of Mr. Kristof's column listed on the main landing page, and I pause. Do I want to read it? Right now, in the middle of my beautiful life? Because I know it's going to remind me that precious few people live as privileged and free as I do. Mr. Kristof, you see, has a habit of using his soapbox to draw attention to the most disadvantaged people on earth.

I admire that about him. Turns out, so do others.

In 1990, Mr. Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn earned a Pulitzer Prize in journalism for their coverage of China's Tiananmen massacre. And in 2006, Mr. Kristof won another Pulitzer Prize for what the judges called "his graphic, deeply reported columns that, at personal risk, focused attention on genocide in Darfur and that gave voice to the voiceless in other parts of the world."

The judges hit the nail on the head when they described his writing as "deeply reported columns." That's exactly how I would describe the feeling of reading a Kristof column, and it's exactly why I so often pause, before clicking. But Mr. Kristof has a special talent, and that is, though he writes of horrific injustice, he always writes with a palpable hope for a better day.

Today I learned that Kristof & WoDunn published a book last year that advocates for international women’s rights, education, and empowerment. The title is *so Kristof*: Half the Sky: Oppression and Opportunity for Women Worldwide. Injustice and Hope, all in one title. I can't wait to read it.