Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.2/5)
Genre: Non-Fiction, Development Studies, Sociology, Sri Lankan Studies

Book Review:
Denis Goulet's ''Survival with Integrity'' is a sober, rigorous, and indispensable analysis of one of Asia's most renowned grassroots movements. Rather than a celebratory account, Goulet offers a clear-eyed assessment of Sarvodaya as it reached a critical juncture in its history. The book's great strength is its focus on the fundamental dilemmas of social change: How does a movement inspired by Gandhian and Buddhist principles of self-reliance and spiritual growth navigate the demands of modernization, donor funding, and political reality? Goulet does not provide easy answers but masterfully frames the questions, making this a profoundly thought-provoking read for development practitioners, activists, and scholars. While the writing is academic in tone, it is accessible and grounded in real-world observations. This book is less about Sarvodaya's celebrated successes and more about the difficult, ongoing work of aligning means with ends—the very struggle for ''integrity'' referenced in the title. For anyone interested in the sociology of development, NGO studies, or modern Sri Lankan history, this is a classic and necessary text.