Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism
by Muhammad Yunus
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Description
The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize outlines his vision for a new business model that combines the power of free markets with the quest for a more humane world--and he tells the inspiring stories of companies that are doing this work today. In the last two decades, free markets have swept the globe, bringing with them enormous potential for positive change. But traditional capitalism cannot solve problems like inequality and poverty, because it is hampered by a narrow view of human nature in show more which people are one-dimensional beings concerned only with profit. In fact, human beings have many other drives and passions, including the spiritual, the social, and the altruistic. Welcome to the world of social business, where the creative vision of the entrepreneur is applied to today's most serious problems: feeding the poor, housing the homeless, healing the sick, and protecting the planet.--From publisher description. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Some good general discussions of ending poverty. But I think his new business model does not work
He devised it as a way of avoiding some of the negatives of capitalism and endless growth. But it does not cover the risk of loss in the startup phase. Only big corporations can use the model. It furthers concentration and uncontrolled growth. It will tend to become a scam by which the powerful greenwash their power.
He devised it as a way of avoiding some of the negatives of capitalism and endless growth. But it does not cover the risk of loss in the startup phase. Only big corporations can use the model. It furthers concentration and uncontrolled growth. It will tend to become a scam by which the powerful greenwash their power.
Title: Creating A World Without Poverty
Author: Muhammad Yunus
Publisher: PublicAffairs (2008)
This is the second book by Muhammad Yunus that I have reviewed for Letters on Pages. I reviewed his first book, Banker to the Poor, which was basically a biography of Grameen Bank. Yunus founded the Grameen Bank, which provides microcredit to the poor people of Bengladesh and the rest of the world. But you should remember that anyway, seeing how I just wrote that review pretty recently!
Yunus' second book, Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism, is a thesis statement on social business. Yunus believes social businesses will be the wave of the future of capitalism. The key tenets of social business is that it show more is a "no-risk, no-return" investment. There is no risk or return because the investors of the business get all of their initial investment back, with money that the social business made in "profit". Eventually the business becomes self sustaining...relieving the need for investors.
Yunus certainly recognizes that these businesses will need investors who are more interested in helping underprivildged people than making a huge ROI. Of course, the basic idea of capitalism is that the company is run with one goal: maximize shareholder return. So I guess social business is capitalism-lite.
The book was pretty interesting and had a lot of cool ideas. I am sure they will take eventually, especially as people are becoming more conscious of social issues and stuff like that. Especially as they relate to business. There were some pretty slow parts of the book though...and Yunus gets a little preachy at times. But I suppose he has earned that right considering all he has done.
I like the idea of social businesses as much as charities. I think a social business could probably provide more service than a charity because they can become self sufficient. Neat stuff.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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This review, and others, can be found at www.lettersonpages.com show less
Author: Muhammad Yunus
Publisher: PublicAffairs (2008)
This is the second book by Muhammad Yunus that I have reviewed for Letters on Pages. I reviewed his first book, Banker to the Poor, which was basically a biography of Grameen Bank. Yunus founded the Grameen Bank, which provides microcredit to the poor people of Bengladesh and the rest of the world. But you should remember that anyway, seeing how I just wrote that review pretty recently!
Yunus' second book, Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism, is a thesis statement on social business. Yunus believes social businesses will be the wave of the future of capitalism. The key tenets of social business is that it show more is a "no-risk, no-return" investment. There is no risk or return because the investors of the business get all of their initial investment back, with money that the social business made in "profit". Eventually the business becomes self sustaining...relieving the need for investors.
Yunus certainly recognizes that these businesses will need investors who are more interested in helping underprivildged people than making a huge ROI. Of course, the basic idea of capitalism is that the company is run with one goal: maximize shareholder return. So I guess social business is capitalism-lite.
The book was pretty interesting and had a lot of cool ideas. I am sure they will take eventually, especially as people are becoming more conscious of social issues and stuff like that. Especially as they relate to business. There were some pretty slow parts of the book though...and Yunus gets a little preachy at times. But I suppose he has earned that right considering all he has done.
I like the idea of social businesses as much as charities. I think a social business could probably provide more service than a charity because they can become self sufficient. Neat stuff.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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This review, and others, can be found at www.lettersonpages.com show less
Again very inspiring book by Muhammad Yunus about his concept of Social Business and the Future of Capitalism. I like his approach of taking the tools of for-profit businesses and apply them to social challenges.
Very inspiring book. It helps us maintain a perspective about what's really important. This is a must read book for sure.
NOBEL LAUREATE MUHAMMAD YUNUS PRESENTS HIS VISION FOR ERADICATING POVERTY THROUGH INNOVATIVE SOCIAL BUSINESS MODELS THAT COMBINE ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITH HUMANITARIAN GOALS.
TITULO DE LA EDICION ORIGINAL; "VERS UN MONDE SANS PAUVRETE"
EDICIONN ORIGINAL : JC LATTES
EDICIONN ORIGINAL : JC LATTES
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added by Shortride
Yunus is back in the public eye with a concept he calls social business. This form of capitalism, he believes, can make progress against poverty in ways that governments and traditional charities have not done. He lays out the concept in his new book, Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism. It's an inspiring volume, full of practical information for show more people who are motivated to try out his ideas. show less
added by mikeg2
Author Information
30+ Works 2,395 Members
Muhammad Yunus, a native of Bangladesh, is the founder of Grameen Bank and the father of microcredit, an economic movement that has helped lift millions of families around the world out of poverty. Yunus and Grameen Bank are winners of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, and Yunus won the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 and the Congressional Gold show more Medal in 2013. show less
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Awards and Honors
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2007
- Important places
- Bangladesh
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 338.7; 338
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 643
- Popularity
- 44,949
- Reviews
- 8
- Rating
- (3.92)
- Languages
- 11 — Bengali, Chinese, Danish, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese (Portugal), Spanish, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 36
- ASINs
- 7
