The World’s Poorest President has Something to Say
| Author | Yoshimi Kusaba (Editor), Gaku Nakagawa (Illustrator) |
|---|---|
| Publisher | CHOUBUNSHA PUBLISHING |
| ISBN | 978 - 4811320670 |
| Category | Children's Books |
| Estimated length | 32P |
| Size | 244 × 216 mm |
First published in March 2014, The World’s Poorest President has Something to Say is now in its thirteenth printing. It is a colorfully illustrated version of, then Uruguay’s President, José Mujica’s speech made at the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Tackling issues that other members of the Summit avoided, Mujica asks in this speech, that attending governments reconsider their understanding of the Western development model and its future sustainability.
“Life is short and it slips away from us. And no material object is more important than life”, Mujica says. But in reality, money, the market-economy and the lifestyle it brings has come to dominate us. Hyper-consumerism and the illusion of material need make us forget what is most relevant: our world, our relationships with other people, and real happiness. It is time for us to reconsider all of this, for the sake of our earth’s sustainable future.
The World’s Poorest President has Something to Say presents Mujica’s message in a stylish and easy-to-understand format without compromising its earnestness and poignancy.
About José Mujica President of Uruguay from March 2010 through to 2015, he is known affectionately by citizens as “Pepe”. During his time in office, he donated 90% of his pay to charity. He shunned the presidential villa, opting instead to live on a farm just outside of the capital Montevideo. His speech at the Rio summit was delivered in the middle of his presidential term. It has since become an internet phenomenon, garnering much international attention and prestige. He has been labeled by the international press as “the world’s most radical president” and also “the world’s poorest president”. He continues to be an inspiration for his fellow politicians, Uruguay’s citizens, and to people around the world.
“Life is short and it slips away from us. And no material object is more important than life”, Mujica says. But in reality, money, the market-economy and the lifestyle it brings has come to dominate us. Hyper-consumerism and the illusion of material need make us forget what is most relevant: our world, our relationships with other people, and real happiness. It is time for us to reconsider all of this, for the sake of our earth’s sustainable future.
The World’s Poorest President has Something to Say presents Mujica’s message in a stylish and easy-to-understand format without compromising its earnestness and poignancy.
About José Mujica President of Uruguay from March 2010 through to 2015, he is known affectionately by citizens as “Pepe”. During his time in office, he donated 90% of his pay to charity. He shunned the presidential villa, opting instead to live on a farm just outside of the capital Montevideo. His speech at the Rio summit was delivered in the middle of his presidential term. It has since become an internet phenomenon, garnering much international attention and prestige. He has been labeled by the international press as “the world’s most radical president” and also “the world’s poorest president”. He continues to be an inspiration for his fellow politicians, Uruguay’s citizens, and to people around the world.
About the Author
About the editor Born and based in Kyoto prefecture, Yoshimi Kusaba is a freelance editor and writer whom has also worked on numerous titles for Japanese publishing house Choubunsha, including the Sekai o Sukuu Shigoto series (The Task of Saving the World). In addition, she has also worked with Tokyo-based children’s publisher Froebelkan.
About the illustrator Gaku Nakagawa first started illustrating in 1996. Over the years, his clients have included domestic municipal offices, international magazines, and websites. His work appears frequently in London-based magazine MONOCLE and is also featured by art publisher Taschen as part of their Illustration Now! series. In 2013, Nakagawa was presented with the Design for Asia Award for his illustrated version of Kyoka Izumi’s Ryutandan (a novel first published in 1896). He is an ordained Buddhist monk and resides in Kyoto.
About the illustrator Gaku Nakagawa first started illustrating in 1996. Over the years, his clients have included domestic municipal offices, international magazines, and websites. His work appears frequently in London-based magazine MONOCLE and is also featured by art publisher Taschen as part of their Illustration Now! series. In 2013, Nakagawa was presented with the Design for Asia Award for his illustrated version of Kyoka Izumi’s Ryutandan (a novel first published in 1896). He is an ordained Buddhist monk and resides in Kyoto.
FOREIGN EDITIONS
| Publication | March, 2014 |
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