After the initial euphoria surrounding Nandan Nilekani?s foreword, when you browse through the first few pages of The Beautiful Tree by James Tooley, you might be thinking that it is just another addition to the long list of books by westerners or expats where the best method of third-world bashing has been employed by the author to gain publicity for her or his work. It is not. It?s a wonderful book by a thorough professional who knows and loves his trade. Seldom will you come across a more interesting research book. Through captivating ways of introduction?be it the detailed descriptions of the slums in India or Nigeria or the inaccessibility of remote villages of China?the author is able to catch and retain the imagination of the reader for the seemingly less interesting pieces, where he drives home his point.
The first half of the book describes what the author and his team have done across the continents over the years. You are taken through the bylanes of Hyderabad, the slums of Lagos, the open sewers of Accra and the mountainous regions of China?s Gansu province. And all the while, it?s a roller coaster ride bordering on a thriller movie. Every section details how the poorest across the world are doing whatever possible so that their children can aspire for the next level. And it?s not only the children that the author talks about. The book reaffirms the theory that profit in the business of education doesn?t always imply exploitation; that a win-win solution can exist in an educational programme worth two dollars a month. In a subtle way, the book comes down hard both on apathetic governments and manipulative NGOs.
If the first half is all about adventure, the second half is an analyst?s delight. There is a section dedicated to the author?s theories derived from his findings. That is followed up by another section substantiating the theories with data. Even though they rarely do, histograms in this case carry the book forward. Towards the end, Tooley tries to find the root cause behind the present state of affairs of government-funded education across the world. And, he ends up criticising the colonial era?s influence on the education systems of ancient civilisations. The book rips apart the notion that the poor care the least about education. It?s a testimony to the undying human spirit that subconsciously wants to be better every day.
The reviewer is a software professional