Creating A World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism (PublicAffairs; 2007)

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 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. Creating a World Without Poverty tells the stories of some of the earliest examples of social businesses, including Yunus's own Grameen Bank. It reveals the next phase in a hopeful economic and social revolution that is already under way—and in the worldwide effort to eliminate poverty by unleashing the productive energy of every human being. 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 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. Prologue : Starting With A Handshake -- The Promise Of Social Business -- A New Kind Of Business -- Social Business : What It Is And What It Is Not -- The Grameen Experiment -- The Microcredit Revolution -- From Microcredit To Social Business -- The Battle Against Poverty : Bangladesh And Beyond -- God Is In The Details -- One Cup Of Yogurt At A Time -- A World Without Poverty -- Broadening The Marketplace -- Information Technology, Globalization, And A Transformed World -- Hazards Of Prosperity -- Putting Poverty In Museums -- Epilogue: Poverty Is A Threat To Peace--the Nobel Prize Lecture. Muhammad Yunus With Karl Weber. Includes Index. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. In the last two decades, free markets have swept the globe. But traditional capitalism has been unable to solve problems like inequality and poverty. In Muhammad Yunus'groundbreaking sequel to Banker to the Poor, he outlines the concept of social business -- 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. Creating a World Without Poverty reveals the next phase in a hopeful economic and social revolution that is already underway. Prologue : starting with a handshake The promise of social business A new kind of business Social business : what it is and what it is not The Grameen experiment The microcredit revolution From microcredit to social business The battle against poverty : Bangladesh and beyond God is in the details One cup of yogurt a a time A world without poverty Broadening the marketplace Information technology, globalization, and a transformed world Hazards of prosperity Putting poverty in museums Epilogue: "Poverty is a threat to peace" the nobel prize lecture The author describes his vision for an innovative business model that would combine the power of free markets with a quest for a more humane, egalitarian world that could help alleviate world poverty, inequality, and other social problems.