NEW from Joe Humphreys: GOD'S ENTREPENEURS: How Irish missionaries tried to change the world

"often uplifting and always informative" David Adams, Irish Times "Today, Humphreys explores a shrinking world... this popular, readable, and brisk overview reminds us of what the missionaries can teach Ireland" John L. Murphy, New York Journal of Books Who are the Irish missionaries and what has motivated them? Why did people go? For glory, adventure, escape? And what did they achieve? The author, Irish Times journalist Joe Humphreys, has visited the missionaries’ places of work across the globe, asking what motivated them in the past, and what continues to motivate the modern missionary. Along the way, we meet women who defied a Catholic Church ban on practising medicine, ‘turbulent’ priests who challenged despots and dictators (and sometimes won), and aid workers, who today fight against such global problems as religious extremism and HIV/AIDS. Click for further media coverage, including interviews on BBC and Newstalk Joe writes about the book in the Irish Times: Missionary zeal: Ireland's informal diplomatic corps

"Joe Humphreys has produced an excellent book, God’s Entrepreneurs, tracing the history and the work of the Irish missionaries. Such a book was long overdue on these selfless ambassadors for Ireland... As Joe Humphreys rightly points out, today’s Irish humanitarian organisations owe much to the example that was set and the trails that were blazed by the missionaries. And Ireland owes much of its reputation for selfless humanitarianism and generosity of spirit to their courage and tenacity."
John O'Shea, founder of development agency Goal

Reviews for Joe's second book, 'FOUL PLAY - What's WRONG with Sport':

FOUL PLAY
What's WRONG with Sport

'Foul Play' has been featured on BBC's Analysis programme, and on RTÉ and Newstalk

'One of the year's most amusing reads, a carefully controlled rant backed up with well-researched facts.'
Observer

'impressive... Joe Humphreys writes from a fan's viewpoint and the moment of clarity that most football supporters eventually have – "What's the point of all this, why am I letting it affect my life so much?"'
Metro

'...this is a timely book, and one that, being written in very easy-to-read prose, takes the fight right to the enemy. And the enemy is the moronic football fan (ie, the dedicated one)... and indeed everyone who claims that sport builds character.'
Nicholas Lezard's paperback choice, The Guardian

'Written from the perspective of a knowledgeable fan... this book will certainly shake some long-held beliefs.'
James Copnall, Times Literary Review

ALL REVIEWS

AUDIO LINKS & INTERVIEWS (Including: Joe Humphreys discussing Thierry Henry's handball on Newstalk radio)

HUMOUR

LINKS to a BETTER SPORTING WORLD

FIFA vs 'FOUL PLAY'

'A very interesting and thought-provoking book.' [Listen to the full Interview]
RTÉ's Pat Kenny

Book of the week, Off the Ball, Newstalk [Listen to the full Interview]

FOUL PLAY
What's WRONG with Sport

is published by Icon Books, London (April 2008)

Comments can be posted to Joe Humphreys at: whatswrongwithsport@gmail.com

Also by Joe Humphreys...

The Story of Virtue: Universal lessons on how to live

This is the new website of Joe Humphreys, author and journalist.