The Moment of Lift

by Melinda French Gates

In her first book, The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World, Melinda French Gates makes a bold claim: when we lift up women, we lift up humanity.

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In her book, Melinda tells the stories of the inspiring people she’s met through her work all over the world, digs into the data, and powerfully illustrates issues that need our attention — from child marriage to gender inequity in the workplace.
President Barack Obama

About the book

After years of travel, humanitarian work, and extensive research, Melinda introduces us to the women she's met along the way. Their stories are brutally honest, gut-wrenching, inspiring and triumphant. They show us how, time and time again, empowered women rise up and bring their families and communities with them.

Melinda also shares her own personal journey to finding her voice and becoming an advocate for women and girls, explaining how the women she has met have called her to action. And at this critical moment, she calls us to action too — urging us to drive progress in our homes, workplaces, and communities.

The Moment of Lift will fill your heart with hope and ignite your sense of urgency.

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Melinda French 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.

The Moment of Lift reveals painful truths about women living in the most vulnerable areas of the world. 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 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
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, MD, Kolokotrones University Professor, Harvard Medical School Co-Founder, 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 Educated
I think it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s about women around the world, it’s about herself. It’s very candidly told. And the stories are terrific.
Warren Buffett
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 forward — continue to empower women. At every level and in all places women are truly the bedrock supporting their communities.
Trevor Noah
No one has waged war on global poverty with the scale, resources or intensity of the Gates. But for most, global inequality can feel like an unchangeable and impersonal reality. This book rehumanizes it and gives whoever reads it a sense of agency. Melinda’s message is inspiring in its simplicity and undressed my own sense of helplessness in tackling the inequalities faced across the world. As a philanthropist historically focused on vaccines, Melinda comes forward to say that investing in women will help tackle poverty and inequality generally and improve outcomes for everyone notably more than any other solution. As women’s groups around the world remain under-funded and while gender equality is yet to become a lived reality in any society, Melinda's book is needed and timely.
Emma Watson

About Moment of Lift Books

Moment of Lift Books, created by Melinda French Gates in partnership with Flatiron Books, publishes original nonfiction by visionaries who are working to unlock a more equal world for women and girls.