Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism That Serves Humanity's Most Pressing Needs

by Muhammad Yunus

Overview

Nobel Prize winner and bestselling author of Banker to the Poor,shows how entrepreneurial spirit and business smarts can be harnessed to create sustainable businesses that can solve the world's biggest problems--a reminder that capitalism can take kindlier forms” (Spectator)

Social business is a visionary new model for capitalism developed by Muhammad Yunus, the practical genius who pioneered microcredit and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to combat global poverty. Now social business, which harnesses the energy of capitalism to fulfill human needs rather than reward shareholders, is being adopted by leading corporations as well as entrepreneurs and social activists across Asia, South America, Europe, and the United States. Through examples of corporations such as BASF, Adidas, Danone, Uniqlo, and others, Building Social Business shows how an inspiring theory has become a world-altering practice, and offers practical guidance for those who want to create social businesses of their own.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781586488635
Publisher:	PublicAffairs
Publication date:	05/11/2010
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Muhammad Yunus, a native of Bangladesh, is the founder and managing director of Grameen Bank, a pioneer 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. He is currently serving as Chief Adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh.
 

Table of Contents

Introduction: Social Business-From Dream to Reality vii

1 Why Social Business? 1

2 Growing Pains 33

Lessons in Adaptation and Change from the Story of Grameen Danone

3 Launching a Social Business 57

4 To Cure One Child 95

A Case of Social Business in Healthcare

5 Legal and Financial Frameworks for Social Business 111

6 Grameen Veolia Water 133

A Social R&D Project for Addressing the World Water Crisis

7 Creating a Global Infrastructure for Social Business 153

8 Glimpses of Tomorrow 173

More Social Businesses Are on the Way

9 The End of Poverty 195

The Time Is Here

Index 207

Editorial Reviews

There are times when Professor Yunus’ aims for Glasgow sound like something out of the Conservative’s ‘Big Society’ pitch. His latest book, Building Social Business, is 300 pages of Big Society pleading for people to go out there and create businesses which generate cash and contribute to the greater good at the same time.”—Independent

“[A] reminder that capitalism can take kindlier forms: microfinance pioneer Yunus explains how he believes social enterprise can redeem what he regards as the failed promise of free markets.”—Spectator

“In nine short, well-written chapters, Yunus provides genuine insight into global poverty and a unique perspective on the ways in which social businesses can coexist with traditional businesses to alleviate poverty and improve the lives of the world’s citizens.—CHOICE

"Yunus's approach is balanced and practical. There is no sermonising or the usual 'we are from the not-for-profit sector and do gooders so we know best' approach... one cannot but marvel at Yunus's intense attempts to champion the cause of eradicating poverty. His is a case of a noted economist making a journey into the real world to face real problems and happily using his personal brand to strike tie-ups with leading multinationals to solve these problems. He needs to be read, understood; and he needs to be judged not only on his results, but on the sheer weight of his efforts. In India, good writing on the social sector is woefully inadequate. While high profile outfits such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have helped raise visibility in the sector, there is still little understanding of social business. This is an excellent read in that space."—Business World (India)

“‘Social business is about joy,’ says Yunus. Indeed, and the book itself is joy to read. In modest prose, Yunus tells of undertakings that instill hope. He also gives a lot of ideas, along with nuts-and-bolts practical advice for people who are ready to take the plunge into the world of social business. In the years to come, it seems certain that social business will become an integral part of our economic structure and will positively change the lives of many people.”—Malaysia Star

"Even a hard-core sceptic would find it difficult not to dream once the magic of Dr Muhammad Yunus' words as presented in the book start to make sense."—Daily Star (Pakistan)

"Yunus may be an astute (social) businessman, but he also has a savvy side. He is quick to point out that working for any social business does not mean lowering one's standards, for they offer employees competitive salaries and benefits; it simply means not profiting from the poor...Yunus has a Nobel Peace Prize 2006 (shared with Grameen Bank) to show for his efforts, and is already playing around with the building blocks of a new poverty-free world order."—Daily Times (Pakistan)

“Giving poor people the resources to help themselves, Dr. Yunus has offered these individuals something more valuable than a plate of food, namely security in its basic form… Dr. Yunus has invoked a new basis for capitalism whereby social business has the potential to change the failed promise of free market enterprise.”—Sacramento Book Review

“Yunus engagingly profiles international social businesses, whether launched by multinational corporations or conceived by ordinary people with a vision to solve social problems. He offers practical advice for starting your own social businesses: from idea generation to the nuts and bolts of launching and running the concern. His impassioned dream of a different version of capitalistic endeavor is as inspirational as it is practical.”—Carol J. Elsen, Univ. of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Library Journal

From the Publisher

Ray Porter authoritatively narrates the story of how microloans revitalized money-lending practices and female-owned businesses in Bangladesh. Porter also conveys the earnestness of Muhammad Yunus’s journey from small-scale interventions in his village as a community money lender to renown as a Nobel Peace Prize winner. In places, the listener may feel the narration grows slightly plodding, an effect of the repetitive sentence rhythm. But this delivery style may be suited to the complexity of the text, which is a mixture of biographical, economic, and historical data. M.R. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2010 - AudioFile