Off the Couch Into the War for Hearts and Minds

Khaled Hosseini, author of best selling novels The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns and And the Mountain Echoed wrote; Budd MacKenzie's book is more than a chronicling of his extraordinary humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan since 2003-which my foundation has been proud to support. Budd's book is a passionate cry against apathy and its insidious power. It is a call to action. In his own words, "hope is not a strategy". MacKenzie, an ordinary person moved to service by a deep sense of goodwill and moral urgency, bravely challenges ordinary Americans to join the struggle against poverty and human suffering. He asks us to not forget that millions inside war-wracked Afghanistan, especially children and women, remain marginalized, brutalized, and in need of education, work, food, and shelter. He asks that we give something of ourselves to those who, as the fable goes, suffer the most and cry out the least. Not only because it is needed, or the right thing to do. But because, as Winston Churchill put it, you make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give. Budd MacKenzie has made himself quite a life".

Off the Couch Into the War for Hearts and Minds is exactly what happened to the author beginning in 2003. By sharing his experiences and observations over the years, he has been able to inspire others to do the same.
The stories are fascinating and will be astounding to most. He urges others to get off the couch and into the war on poverty for their own benefit as well as those less fortunate. Whoever does will experience the joy of injecting hope into the lives of those who have little.