The First 1,000 Days

Malnutrition is often called a silent emergency, because it can be hard to see the damage it does to children around the world. In The First 1,000 Days, Roger Thurow makes readers sit up and take notice. He takes us to the four corners of the world--from the streets of Chicago to the villages of northern Uganda--to show how the right nutrition helps children not just survive, but thrive.—Melinda Gates, former co-chair, Gates Foundation

“Powerful and important.”—Nicholas Kristof, New York Times

“The stories are eye-opening... Here’s a reason to read the book: It’s actually full of hope.”—Allison Aubrey, NPR correspondent, NPR.org

"[Roger Thurow] gives an intimate look at the struggles many women face...Poverty, lack of training, and prejudice are at the heart of the world's malnutrition problems...Thurow provides just enough grim facts on infant and mother mortality, the scarcity of food, sanitary conditions for birthing, and the general plight of impoverished families to garner sympathy without being melodramatic, and he also shows how women and children thrive under the right conditions. In today's global society, the children of the world need a voice. Thurow has spoken and made the issue clear: children everywhere need better food and water if they are going to grow into healthy adults."—Kirkus Reviews

"A powerful and persuasive account."—Publishers Weekly