Abraham M. George is the author of the new memoir Mountains to Cross: Finding Life's Purpose in Service. He is a philanthropist and entrepreneur, and his projects include the Shanti Bhavan residential school in India.
Q: What inspired you to write Mountains to Cross?
A: The children of Shanti Bhavan often ask me to narrate my life story, and I thought a memoir would be the best way to tell them. Further, I felt reading about my experiences would help those who wish to enter the social service arena. Lastly, I want to convey the importance of acting on compassion.
Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: Mountains symbolize the obstacles and the challenges we face in life. Having served the military in the Himalayas, this embodies my own life experience.
Q: Did you need to do any additional research to write the book, or did most of it come from your own memories?
A: I wrote from my own memory. I went through thousands of photographs in the family’s collection to jog my memory.
Q: What impact did it have on you to write this book, and what do you hope readers take away from it?
A: I reflected on my past actions and their outcomes, and recognized my shortcomings more clearly.
As for readers, I hope my experiences will motivate them to serve those who are suffering from poverty and social discrimination. Reverence for others’ lives and acting on compassion are integral to my personal conviction.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am actively pursuing the construction of the second Shanti Bhavan. Addressing the needs of the children and staff of Shanti Bhavan is a daily task.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I wish to remind those who are financially successful in their careers that more than 50 percent of the world’s population is struggling to live on less than $5 a day. Being indifferent to their predicament is morally wrong.
If those in the top 10 percent of the economic ladder contribute 10 percent of their wealth and income to worthwhile causes such as quality education and skills development for the poor, poverty can be eliminated.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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