The Unquiet Nisei by Diana Meyers Bahr

A Nisei is a second generation Japanese American and this book draws on a collection of oral histories of an incredible woman, Sue Kunitomi Embrey and her friends and family. In 1942 Sue, along with nearly 120,000 other people of japanese anscestry, was removed from the West Coast to what were called "relocation centers". Sue's experiances in this internment camp transform her into a life long activist speaking out against racism, prejudice, and moral injustice her entire life. Sue did all this in the face of great hostility from both Japanese Americans and mainstream communities. She worked tirelessly for more than three decades to make her particular internment camp a historic site as well as gain congressional acknowledgement and a presidential apology for those she suffered with as well as to remind us of what can happen in war time chaos so that it will not happen again.

This story is absolutely inspiring. Sue did what she felt was right and became an activist in a time when there were few voices for those who were considered less than, and in direct opposition to her upbringing and japanese culture.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

I know this is a fairly widely read book, but I wanted to post about it anyway.  This is the true story of an amazing man, Greg Mortenson.  After an unsuccesful attempt at summiting k2 in Northern Pakistan, Greg wanders into the little village of Korphe, where the good people take him in.  He feels indebted to the village and when he sees that the girls have to sit outside for their school vows to return to the village to build a school.  So begins his life mission of forming family-like relationships with the tribes of Afgahanistan and Northern Pakistan, people who have little to no education and have been ignored by their governments, building schools, and fighting terrorism and ignorance in the only way possible: through education and friendship.  It is a great and inspiring story.  People that see a need and fulfill it and make a huge difference by following their gut really inspire me.