I started reading Banker to the Poor because I wanted to find out more about how microlending started, and how it works. So why did I stall out while reading the first two chapters?
The book unexpectedly begins in a very autobiographical way, talking about the author’s childhood and participation in the creation of the nation of Bangladesh. All interesting stuff that can stand on its own, but not what I set out to read. Further, Yunus has a pretty dry writing style. It’s almost like he can’t decide whether it’s worth writing about personal details or not. So we get autobiography, but in very broad strokes.
That being said, things get more interesting when Yunus addresses a subject that excites him. Here’s an example [p 35]:...What I did not yet know about hunger, but would find out over the next twenty-two years, was that brilliant theorists of economics do not find it worthwhile to spend time discussing issues of poverty and hunger. They believe that these will be resolved when general economic prosperity increases. These economists spend all their talents detailing the processes of development and prosperity, but rarely reflect on the origin of poverty and hunger. As a result, poverty continues.
This is content which makes me want to stand up and cheer, and motivates me to keep whittling away at this book.
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