---
product_id: 7947102
title: "40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World"
brand: "howard g buffett"
price: "€ 33.01"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 7
url: https://www.desertcart.fi/products/7947102-40-chances-finding-hope-in-a-hungry-world
store_origin: FI
region: Finland
---

# 40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World

**Brand:** howard g buffett
**Price:** € 33.01
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** 40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World by howard g buffett
- **How much does it cost?** € 33.01 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.fi](https://www.desertcart.fi/products/7947102-40-chances-finding-hope-in-a-hungry-world)

## Best For

- howard g buffett enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted howard g buffett brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World

## Images

![40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51B3t5cby3L.jpg)
![40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mI4NRL5FL.jpg)
![40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31Rs1EQC8sL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words?
  

*by V***R on Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2013*

Howard G. Buffett (HGB) is a photojournalist at heart. If 40 Chances had been published with stories to bring out the essence of his pictures, this would have been a coffee table volume, much admired, but of little impact to most of those in the development community driven by a plethora of words.Howard and his investment banker father, Warren Buffett, were greatly influence by Warren's wife who used her endowment from Warren's financial empire to change the lives of the poorest global citizens. Warren endowed his three children with similar funds with the caveat that they actively manage their foundations. Warren chose to manifest his epiphany by realizing that philanthropy was not his calling and, thus, gave a large portion of his personal wealth to be managed by the Gates Foundation. Howard, on the other hand managed his billion dollar endowed foundation by actively pursuing the hard part of global philanthropy, supporting that dimension, management infrastructure not readily visible and thus not easily funded by other agencies, public or private.40 Chances is a series of short essays selectively chosen from his global travels to "experience" the issues surrounding development efforts, primarily around his second love, agriculture. This included management of his 1500-acre farm in Illinois to small farms in Africa worked by hand. Throughout the book he emphasizes that since he actively managed the foundation, his successes and particularly the failures encountered were his, from which to learn and grow.His was a luxury not given to the majority of those working in the development world and whose funding depended on demonstrating "success". This, in a large part involved being able to show physical results, buildings, acres planted, schools or appropriate technologies. HGB chose to fund the "invisible".  One senses the irony and his frustration in the one photo where he has blanked out a sign placed in front of a yet to be finished project- a sign announcing who sponsored this project and whom those who come should recognize and appreciate. It is the same frustration that has been felt by many who have traveled globally and have winced at encountering these signs and are reminded of Shelly's poem, Ozymandias. As a noted futurist said, "you can get social change, or credit. You can't get both".In all the examples chosen for this book we see these efforts through the lens of HGB, the photographer.  And like the best of these journalists, one sees the risks he took to experience the reality and feel his commitment to put his foundation's funds on the line, to take a chance against the odds. While both successes and failures are represented along with the twisting paths, physically, socially, and politically, 40 Chances is not a set of case studies that one can puzzle through for prescriptive insights.As HGB points out, his is a unique journey. Few are blessed with the resources, fiscal, social and political that allowed him to not only experience the world through his lenses but also to take the personal risks, celebrate small victories and accept when the best intentions went awry. The photographer takes a hundred shots to get the one that tells the tale. That selective economy creates great art. Unfortunately, neither the author nor the editors had that same sensitivity to the narrative portion of the volume.There are too many stories. And while each is unique, most skim over the top, often saved by the photographer's lens. Unless one is new to the development industry, and it is an industry, many of the lessons learned by HGB's experience are well understood and documented many times over-not the same but sufficiently similar to get that sense of déjà vu. He paid a heavy price to have an "original" experience and the insight to reach the conclusions that many others also have had. What is missing is a time-lapse photograph or narration showing the evolution of those projects that apparently were considered successful.HGB's oft repeated aim was the commitment to invest in the invisible, the hard to document infrastructure that is often critical but often unfunded and which, as has been well documented, leaves projects often uncompleted, or, if finished, lacking in the resources to effectively put them into motion and driving them to sustainability. As the book points out, soils in Africa are essentially "worn out" by time itself, years of neglect, abuse and mismanagement. Restoring the earth, the difference between "dirt" and "soil", is a long-term commitment but one that HGB has set about to accomplish. In pursuing this path, immediate needs of food and shelter, corruption and human frailties often intervene with short-time demands on human resources.And, herein, is the author's and the book's major flaw. The camera's lens responds to the here and now. The human condition draws the camera in to the moment, one that has an immediate need but one that also distracts. A group of tourists were traveling across the Sahara on a safari. The guide said that the group would see people begging for water. If the group distributed resources to these individuals there would not be enough water for the group to complete the trip. And that is the human dilemma that 40 Chances does not address. HGB realizes that some of those caught in his lens will be dead in the morning but the lens is silent on what that means to all on this planet.Zorba: Why do the young die? Why does anybody die?Basil: I don't know.Zorba: What's the use of all your damn books? If they don't tell you that, what the hell do they tell you?Basil: They tell me about the agony of men who can't answer questions like yours.Is a picture worth a thousand words?

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    40 Doses of Hope.
  

*by C***R on Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2013*

I have just finished reading 40 Chances and I am filled with hope that world hunger and food insecurity has some amazing people who think the big picture and are putting in the hard yards to really solve the problem. This is the first time I have felt compelled to acknowledge a book in this way. I think the Buffet family, all three generations are examples of people who are using their wealth in ways that benefit all. Well off people also now have an example of how to work harder, think of others and most importantly to find other like minded people with whom they can form partnerships to do better.I have known about Warren Buffet for quite a while and had bought my father, a retired banker, Snowball which he read and advised me to also read, but I knew little of his children and grandchildren. I was sitting in Hamburg eating my lunch watching Piers Morgan, which I came in half way through and saw the three generations of Buffets and heard about the book 40 Chances and by the time the interview was finished I had downloaded the book to my Kindle.I was born in outback Australia and grew up in country NSW for the first 10 years of my life and although I was then a city child I have a connection to the country. Having seen first hand what happens to soil with traditional tilling I believe H G B and H W B are on the right track. Thanks also for letting us know what others are doing in this field. It was good to hear about the failures as well as the successes as failure leads to better outcomes next time and it is good that failures can be seen as a learning exercise and not a blame game.I am now going to buy 2 more copies of this book in paper form for my father who grew up on a dairy farm and my for brother a high school geography teacher who I am sure will read this book and spread the word.Thanks to all the Buffets for appearing on CNN for otherwise I may not have known about this book and wouldn't have read it. You have given me the power to help spread the word buy being able to talk to others about this book and to also give this book to others to spread the word. Who knows to where it will lead. I hope to an answer to world hunger and food security for all and I sincerely hope that one day you will put yourself out of work in this area and move on to something else that needs big picture thinkers. I give this book 5 stars and recommend it as a must read for anyone who cares about what happens to our world.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    highly recommended for everyone to read
  

*by J***N on Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 16, 2014*

Inspirational and a great collection of real life stories. A true and pragmatic picture of today's world..... Everyone needs to help in their own capacity. Best, Jonathon

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.fi/products/7947102-40-chances-finding-hope-in-a-hungry-world](https://www.desertcart.fi/products/7947102-40-chances-finding-hope-in-a-hungry-world)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Finland*
*Store origin: FI*
*Last updated: 2026-03-10*