Muhammad Yunus is that rare thing: a bona fide visionary. His dream is the total eradication of poverty from the world. In 1983, against the advice of banking and government officials, Yunus established Grameen, a bank devoted to providing the poorest of Bangladesh with minuscule loans. Grameen Bank, based on the belief that credit is a basic human right, not the privilege of a fortunate few, now provides over 2.5 billion dollars of micro-loans to more than two million families in rural Bangladesh. Ninety-four percent of Yunus's clients are women, and repayment rates are near 100 percent. Around the world, micro-lending programs inspired by Grameen are blossoming, with more than three hundred programs established in the United States alone.

Banker to the Poor is Muhammad Yunus's memoir of how he decided to change his life in order to help the world's poor. In it he traces the intellectual and spiritual journey that led him to fundamentally rethink the economic relationship between rich and poor, and the challenges he and his colleagues faced in founding Grameen. He also provides wise, hopeful guidance for anyone who would like to join him in "putting homelessness and destitution in a museum so that one day our children will visit it and ask how we could have allowed such a terrible thing to go on for so long." The definitive history of micro-credit direct from the man that conceived of it, Banker to the Poor is necessary and inspirational reading for anyone interested in economics, public policy, philanthropy, social history, and business.

Muhammad Yunus was born in Bangladesh and earned his Ph.D. in economics in the United States at Vanderbilt University, where he was deeply influenced by the civil rights movement. He still lives in Bangladesh, and travels widely around the world on behalf of Grameen Bank and the concept of micro-credit.

Registered by yourotherleft of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania USA on Sunday, March 07, 2004

Current status: permanent collection

---

Registered by solittletime of Portland, Maine USA on Friday, October 28, 2011

Current status: travelling

---

Registered by BookAmbler of Colchester, Essex United Kingdom on Monday, March 05, 2012

Current status: to be read

---

Registered by onthebus of Vancouver, British Columbia Canada on Sunday, May 06, 2007

Current status: to be read

---

Registered by Jalepeno of Calgary, Alberta Canada on Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Current status: permanent collection

---

Registered by BuckeyeYooper of Worthington, Ohio USA on Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Current status: travelling

---

Registered by dustyflint of Honolulu, Hawaii USA on Saturday, August 25, 2007

Current status: travelling

---

Registered by lahamlin of Pasadena, California USA on Sunday, June 26, 2011

Current status: travelling

---

Registered by emsdy of Cebu City, Cebu Philippines on Sunday, September 25, 2011

Current status: travelling

---

Registered by lillgu on Thursday, November 10, 2011

Current status: to be read

---

Registered by sgscarcliff on Saturday, April 24, 2004

Current status: reserved

---

Registered by bookbabe71 of Kentville, Nova Scotia Canada on Friday, January 19, 2007

Current status: permanent collection

---

Registered by catphischie of Great Falls, Virginia USA on Friday, June 22, 2007

Current status: travelling

---

Registered by kellzzz of Indianapolis, Indiana USA on Sunday, September 16, 2007

Current status: to be read

---

Registered by Laurenderella of San Diego, California USA on Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Current status: available

---