Book Review: Banker to the Poor

Just a quick blurb... This book is such an inspiration to me. I'm astounded at how thought out Yunus' work is. In an effort to create a real and lasting solution to ending world poverty, Yunus has begun to create an entire market dedicated to social consciousness. His ability to identify the needs of the poorest individuals (or as he likes to call them-the real poor) and families and address them by creating a system specifically dedicated to them is admirable. Critics often argue that Yunus is really just creating a cycle of lending and debt for the poor. I'd agree to some extent, but only if you view his idea as being strictly banking transactions. If you look at the entire system he is creating I'd argue that those of us who are fortunate enough to not qualify for Grameen are caught in our own market's cycle of debt and, in fact, could be even more at the mercy of the market than even the clients of Grameen. At least Yunus has the well-being of his lenders at heart. Who can say that about Bank of America or any other corporate bank these days? Furthermore, is it not true that Yunus is creating a system that enables these families to live better lives? They are now able to eat, be educated, and find a sense of pride they previously lacked. Is this not progress? I would never argue that Grameen is fool-proof and is the only solution to ending poverty. In fact, even Yunus agrees that it is not the only solution. However, I would say that it is an excellent start to a movement and work that quite simply has to be done. I highly recommend this book.