Harriet Van Meter: A Life Extraordinary (2006)

Harriet Van Meter was not typical of the media interpretation of post World War II women. Yes she was a good cook, a good mother and a good housewife but she wanted something more. She had an unquenchable volunteer spirit. When she saw a need, she addressed it. In her 40s she went back to school to finish college and complete a master degree--phi beta kappa. The culmination of her volunteer spirit was the founding of the INternational Book Project and her drive to bring peace and understanding to the people of the world through literacy--or as she said it, "one book at a time." She was a finalist for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 and to this day the International Book Project--a project started in her basement in Lexington, Kentucky has shipped more than 5 million books to individuals, schools and organizations around the world.