Leaving Microsoft to Change the World summary

Wood felt a deep satisfaction when he sent the books to Nepal – a greater satisfaction than he'd ever felt working at Microsoft. He knew his actions had had a profound impact, so he eventually decided to leave his company and fully devote himself to education.

After a second trip to Nepal, Wood decided to pursue a nonprofit career in funding schools and libraries. There was certainly a lot of work to do, as there were so many Nepalese schools in bad condition. Wood knew there were plenty of people who wanted to work for Microsoft, but few people who had the resources to help schools in Nepal.

What determines whether nonprofits and charities are successful or not? Well, money, of course!

Nonprofits need people who can aggressively secure investments. They need team members who won't take “no” for an answer.

Wood first became interested in Vietnam back when he worked for Microsoft, after meeting a 17-year-old named Vu on a business trip.

Vu worked the night shift at the hotel where Wood was staying and wanted to practice his English. He also had a book with him: Learning Microsoft Excel.

When Wood left his life as a successful businessman, he didn't leave everything from Microsoft behind. In fact, the skills he learned at Microsoft proved immensely valuable in his new life.

Wood learned four important lessons from Microsoft that helped him with Room to Read.

How can you expand an organization into new parts of the world without losing sight of its original purpose and character? That was the challenge Wood faced as Room to Read grew. And even if you're filthy rich, it doesn't help to just throw money at such a problem.

Wood realized he had to create a local network of donors and other key players before he could expand his organization. So he held fundraisers to bring in new people, like volunteers and employees. The fundraisers also helped introduce the organization to new donors and investors.

Did you know that two-thirds of the world's illiterates are women? That's why Wood made it a priority to create a new program specifically for them.

Room to Grow is a scholarship program solely for girls.

Near the fifth anniversary of Room to Read, Wood took a week-long holiday. Though he'd planned to relax, he got a disturbing phone call while he was away: a devastating tsunami had just hit Asia. So Wood got back to work trying to figure out ways to rebuild schools and libraries in the affected areas.

Wood knew he could turn the 2005 tsunami tragedy into an opportunity to rebuild. Fortunately, he was able to secure an interview on CNN mere days after it occurred, which afforded Room to Read the opportunity to help in the tsunami's immediate aftermath.