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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
If you think there is no good left in the world, you should read Banker to the Poor. Muhammad Yunus takes us through his experience, going from a university teacher to a worker at the grassroots level, lending money to the poorest of village people, to help them get started through offering microcredit loans.
It's a fascinating story, of how an initial $27 helped 42 people get their life back on track again, to break free from the vicious circle of poverty. The Grameen organization has now spread and grown to more than just a bank, and reading the book gives a lot of hope, of how one man desiring to do good can actually accomplish it despite everyone and even the system working against him.
The only thing that made me uncomfortable while reading the book was how everything seemed to flow and progress so smoothly. Setbacks and negative experiences were dealt with in one paragraph, and the following success was given much more space. It would have been interesting to read a bit more about the problems and reflections on those experiences. All in all though, it's a very good book and well worh reading.
It's a fascinating story, of how an initial $27 helped 42 people get their life back on track again, to break free from the vicious circle of poverty. The Grameen organization has now spread and grown to more than just a bank, and reading the book gives a lot of hope, of how one man desiring to do good can actually accomplish it despite everyone and even the system working against him.
The only thing that made me uncomfortable while reading the book was how everything seemed to flow and progress so smoothly. Setbacks and negative experiences were dealt with in one paragraph, and the following success was given much more space. It would have been interesting to read a bit more about the problems and reflections on those experiences. All in all though, it's a very good book and well worh reading.
This is an inspiring and encouraging account of how one economics professor looked past statistics and standards to create a real solution for poverty. Though welfare and other "social programs" make microlending a difficult solution in "first world" countries, and there are definitely other problems that need to be taken into account since this was published in 2003, the Grameen Bank and all of its partnerships are doing what not many have done before: giving hope and means to those who were stuck in their social and financial position. Instead of making people rely on charity or the corrupt system, microlending allows people to become independent and make a future for themselves and their families. It would be nice if people in rich countries would see the beauty of this as well, stopping the inefficient government programs for poverty and allowing people to help themselves through microlending.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
A great read for knowing the back story behind a Noble Prize winner. A true testament to how faith in people can trump the traditional narrative and fight against poverty!
I am amazed by how the author of this book, Muhammad Yunus, has taken the world and attempted to turn it on its head. Banker to the Poor tells the story Yunus's entrance into the world of micro-credit, wherein the poorest of the poor are given small loans without any collateral and with the expectation that the loan will be repaid in full. From his first gut-reaction loan to a person clearly in need, to a multi-national, billion dollar enterprise, Yunus has created an organization whose goals are nearly completely opposite of any other financial institution.
What I loved most about the book are the personal stories, the experiences of those whose lives have been changed by the micro-credit model. It is amazing to realize what a differnce $40 can make to a person who earns pennies every day. The set-up of the bank itself was interesting to me also, although sometimes the economic discussions got thick for me and might turn some readers off. I like that I feel more informed about Bangladesh itself, since Yunus does take time to give us some of his personal background and experiences in his home country.
The book was inspiring and it certainly can leave the reader wanting to do DO more to alleviate poverty. For the most part, it read like a novel and certainly proves that Muhammad Yunus deserves that Nobel Peace Prize he received - it's inspiring to see one man impacting so many lives for good and with such good intentions.
What I loved most about the book are the personal stories, the experiences of those whose lives have been changed by the micro-credit model. It is amazing to realize what a differnce $40 can make to a person who earns pennies every day. The set-up of the bank itself was interesting to me also, although sometimes the economic discussions got thick for me and might turn some readers off. I like that I feel more informed about Bangladesh itself, since Yunus does take time to give us some of his personal background and experiences in his home country.
The book was inspiring and it certainly can leave the reader wanting to do DO more to alleviate poverty. For the most part, it read like a novel and certainly proves that Muhammad Yunus deserves that Nobel Peace Prize he received - it's inspiring to see one man impacting so many lives for good and with such good intentions.
I began reading this book right before Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize. Definitely makes a convincing case for microcredit programs and shows how a person with a vision can rally people behind a good idea and make a dent in poverty.
La storia del premio nobel per la pace 2006, fondatore della Banca Grameen e del microcredito. Il professore di economica che è partito da uno dei più poveri villagi del Bangladesh prestando pochi centesimi ad una donna e si è inventato il "prestito cambiavita" per i più poveri ed i diseredati, che solitamente sono donne.
Una storia raccontata con molta umiltà e piena di speranza, uno di quei libri che ti fa sperare e cercare di diventare una persona migliore.
Una storia raccontata con molta umiltà e piena di speranza, uno di quei libri che ti fa sperare e cercare di diventare una persona migliore.
Inspiring, but a tedious read. Would've worked very well at about 1/3 the words, IMHO. That said, I did learn a fair bit...
An amazing book for anyone interested in humanitarian aid and the life of someone who really gave it his all.
Great story about how Grameen Bank came to be and developed. The beginning of the book is a short autobiography, and, while interesting, Yunus comes off sounding a bit too self congratulatory for my taste.