Skip to main content
Trade Books For Courses Tradebooks for Courses

The Moment of Lift

How Empowering Women Changes the World

Melinda Gates

Flatiron Books

opens in a new window
opens in a new window The Moment of Lift Download image

ISBN10: 1250257727
ISBN13: 9781250257727

Trade Paperback

304 Pages

$17.99

CA$24.50

Request Desk Copy
Request Exam Copy

TRADE BOOKS FOR COURSES NEWSLETTER

Sign up to receive information about new books, author events, and special offers.

Sign up now

How can we summon a moment of lift for human beingsand especially for women? Because when you lift up women, you lift up humanity.

For the last twenty years, Melinda Gates has been on a mission to find solutions for people with the most urgent needs, wherever they live. Throughout this journey, one thing has become increasingly clear to her: If you want to lift society up, you need to stop keeping women down.

In this moving and compelling book, Melinda shares lessons she’s learned from the inspiring people she’s met during her work and travels around the world. As she writes in the introduction, “That is why I had to write this book—to share the stories of people who have given focus and urgency to my life. I want all of us to see ways we can lift women up where we live.”

Melinda’s unforgettable narrative is backed by startling data as she presents the issues that most need our attention—from child marriage to lack of access to contraceptives to gender inequity in the workplace. And, for the first time, she writes about her personal life and the road to equality in her own marriage. Throughout, she shows how there has never been more opportunity to change the world—and ourselves.

Writing with emotion, candor, and grace, she introduces us to remarkable women and shows the power of connecting with one another.

When we lift others up, they lift us up, too.

Reviews

Praise for The Moment of Lift

The Moment of Lift is an urgent call to courage. It changed how I think about myself, my family, my work, and what’s possible in the world. Melinda weaves together vulnerable, brave storytelling and compelling data to make this one of those rare books that you carry in your heart and mind long after the last page.”—Brené Brown, Ph.D., author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Dare to Lead

“Melinda Gates has spent many years working with women around the world. This book is an urgent manifesto for an equal society where women are valued and recognized in all spheres of life. Most of all, it is a call for unity, inclusion and connection. We need this message more than ever.”—Malala Yousafzai

“This book is a beautiful and concise mission statement on what we need to do to move society forwardcontinue to empower women. At every level and in all places women are truly the bedrock supporting their communities.”—Trevor Noah

“Melinda Gates uplifts and inspires by weaving a narrative of fortitude and hope. She pushes us to challenge the status quo and never settle.”—Mellody Hobson

The Moment of Lift is a book about gender equity and its golden thread is empathy. This book lifts up the voices of women and girls whose experiences have been entirely unlike Melinda’s own. They’ve taught her a great deal, and in this beautifully crafted and artful memoir, Melinda Gates invites the reader to learn from them too.”—Paul Farmer, M.D., co-founder of Partners In Health

"Melinda Gates's book is a lesson in listening. A powerful, poignant, and ultimately humble call to arms."—Tara Westover, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Educated

Reviews from Goodreads

BOOK EXCERPTS

Read an Excerpt

Introduction


When I was little, space launches were a huge deal in my life. I grew up in Dallas, Texas, in a Catholic family with four kids, a stay-at-home mom, and an aerospace engineer dad who worked on the Apollo program.

On...

Listen to an Excerpt from the Audiobook

Download MP3

About the author

Melinda Gates

Melinda French Gates is a philanthropist, businesswoman, and global advocate for women and girls. As the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Melinda sets the direction and priorities of one of the world’s largest philanthropies. In 2015, Melinda founded Pivotal Ventures, a company working to accelerate the pace of social progress in the United States. Melinda is also the author of the bestselling book, The Moment of Lift.

Melinda grew up in Dallas, Texas. She received a bachelor’s degree in computer science and economics and an MBA, both from Duke University. Melinda spent the first decade of her career developing multimedia products at Microsoft before leaving the company to focus on her family and philanthropic work. She has three children — Jenn, Rory, and Phoebe — and lives in Seattle, Washington.

Jason Bell

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation