The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A visionary book . . . devoted to providing opportunity to poor people in all countries in an interconnected world.”—Deepak Chopra

“An inspiring book by a remarkable woman.”—People
 
It all started with the blue sweater, the one my uncle Ed gave me. . . . The blue sweater had made a complex journey, from my closet in Alexandria, Virginia, to a young child in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. . . . The story of the blue sweater has always reminded me of how we are all connected. Our actions—and inaction—touch people we may never know and never meet across the globe.

Jacqueline Novogratz left a career in international banking to spend her life on a quest to understand global poverty and find powerful new ways of tackling it. From her first stumbling efforts as a young idealist venturing forth in Africa to the creation of the trailblazing organization she runs today, Novogratz tells gripping stories with unforgettable characters. She shows how traditional charity often fails, but how a new form of philanthropic investing called “patient capital” can help make people self-sufficient and can change millions of lives.
 
More than just an autobiography or a how-to guide to addressing poverty, The Blue Sweater is a call to action that challenges us to grant dignity to the poor and to rethink our engagement with the world.
 
Jacqueline will donate her paperback royalties to Acumen Fund and other organizations fighting for social change.
1100559553
The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A visionary book . . . devoted to providing opportunity to poor people in all countries in an interconnected world.”—Deepak Chopra

“An inspiring book by a remarkable woman.”—People
 
It all started with the blue sweater, the one my uncle Ed gave me. . . . The blue sweater had made a complex journey, from my closet in Alexandria, Virginia, to a young child in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. . . . The story of the blue sweater has always reminded me of how we are all connected. Our actions—and inaction—touch people we may never know and never meet across the globe.

Jacqueline Novogratz left a career in international banking to spend her life on a quest to understand global poverty and find powerful new ways of tackling it. From her first stumbling efforts as a young idealist venturing forth in Africa to the creation of the trailblazing organization she runs today, Novogratz tells gripping stories with unforgettable characters. She shows how traditional charity often fails, but how a new form of philanthropic investing called “patient capital” can help make people self-sufficient and can change millions of lives.
 
More than just an autobiography or a how-to guide to addressing poverty, The Blue Sweater is a call to action that challenges us to grant dignity to the poor and to rethink our engagement with the world.
 
Jacqueline will donate her paperback royalties to Acumen Fund and other organizations fighting for social change.
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The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World

The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World

by Jacqueline Novogratz
The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World

The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World

by Jacqueline Novogratz

Paperback(Reprint)

$17.99 
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Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A visionary book . . . devoted to providing opportunity to poor people in all countries in an interconnected world.”—Deepak Chopra

“An inspiring book by a remarkable woman.”—People
 
It all started with the blue sweater, the one my uncle Ed gave me. . . . The blue sweater had made a complex journey, from my closet in Alexandria, Virginia, to a young child in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. . . . The story of the blue sweater has always reminded me of how we are all connected. Our actions—and inaction—touch people we may never know and never meet across the globe.

Jacqueline Novogratz left a career in international banking to spend her life on a quest to understand global poverty and find powerful new ways of tackling it. From her first stumbling efforts as a young idealist venturing forth in Africa to the creation of the trailblazing organization she runs today, Novogratz tells gripping stories with unforgettable characters. She shows how traditional charity often fails, but how a new form of philanthropic investing called “patient capital” can help make people self-sufficient and can change millions of lives.
 
More than just an autobiography or a how-to guide to addressing poverty, The Blue Sweater is a call to action that challenges us to grant dignity to the poor and to rethink our engagement with the world.
 
Jacqueline will donate her paperback royalties to Acumen Fund and other organizations fighting for social change.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781605294766
Publisher: Harmony/Rodale
Publication date: 02/16/2010
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 320
Sales rank: 404,129
Product dimensions: 5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

JACQUELINE NOVOGRATZ is founder and CEO of Acumen Fund, a nonprofit venture capital firm for the poor that invests in sustainable enterprises in the developing world.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1
(Continues…)



Excerpted from "The Blue Sweater"
by .
Copyright © 2010 Jacqueline Novogratz.
Excerpted by permission of Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Table of Contents

Prologue xi

1 Innocent Abroad 1

2 A Bird on the Outside, a Tiger Within 20

3 Context Matters 36

4 Basket Economics and Political Realities 54

5 The Blue Bakery 72

6 Dancing in the Dark 89

7 Traveling without a Road Map 106

8 A New Learning Curve 126

9 Blue Paint on the Road 146

10 Retribution and Resurrection 165

11 The Cost of Silence 181

12 Institutions Matter 198

13 The Education of a Patient Capitalist 213

14 Building Brick by Brick 235

15 Taking it to Scale 255

16 The World We Dream, the Future We Create Together 272

Acknowledgments 285

Reader's Guide 289

Suggested Reading 293

Index 299

Reading Group Guide

Questions for Discussion
1. One lesson that Jacqueline learns over and over again is the importance and power of listening to others. What are some examples from the book of either failure to listen or success in listening? Can you think of some instances from your own life where listening more or less might have changed an outcome?

2. Who were the sources of Jacqueline's inspiration in the book? Who are your role models, mentors, or favorite writers? How do they inspire you?

3. Jacqueline often describes the natural beauty of her surroundings before delving into the details of her work. Why do you think she uses this particular style to introduce readers to her stories and experiences?

4. How is Jacqueline's narrative style similar to or different from other writers or biographies you've read?

5. Jacqueline encounters failure many times throughout her life. Think about how her failures shaped future decisions. What is the relationship between failure and success both in this story and more generally? What is the relationship between failure and leadership? Discuss your own failures or failures you might be familiar with and the effects of those failures.

6. Acumen Fund's approach sees entrepreneurs and businesses as primary agents of change in the effort to end poverty. Discuss the roles and relationships among different actors, i.e., business, government, and civil society, in economic development.

7. How is the Jacqueline who founded Acumen Fund at the end of the book different from the ambitious college student at the beginning? What changed?

8. Why does Jacqueline use her blue sweater story as a starting point for her book? Do you have any experiences like the blue sweater story that explore the same types of themes in your life?

9. Does Jacqueline make the right choice in turning down a promotion at Chase Manhattan and going to Africa instead? What would you have done if you were in her shoes?

10. What caused the women’s initial distrust of Jacqueline when she first arrived in Kenya? How does she build trust? How can trust be rebuilt after great tragedies like the Rwandan genocide or in countries where corruption might be the norm?

11. Describe the transformation of the bakery in Nyamirambo from a donor-driven organization to a self-sustaining small business. Do you agree with how Jacqueline went about changing the bakery and the lives of the women who worked there? What effects did it have? How were Jacqueline's efforts with the bakery different from the "patient capital" approaches she later espouses?

12. Discuss the dilemma that Jacqueline faces when buying champagne in Rwanda in Chapter 7. Have you ever been in a similar situation where you were conscious of your own privilege? Take a look at Chapter 9 as well, where a young man in the Next Generation Leadership fellows program confronts Jacqueline about privilege.

13. One of Jacqueline's favorite quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. is, "Power without love is reckless and abusive; love without power is sentimental and anemic." How does Jacqueline balance power and love in her work and as a leader? Does she find a "third way" that is a median between the two? In your own home or work life, how do you negotiate this tension?

14. Jacqueline sees moral imagination as the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes and see the world from their perspective. When is moral imagination most necessary? How is it related to the concept of dignity? Is this a skill that can be taught, and if so, how?

15. Why do you think Jacqueline wanted to return to Rwanda after the genocide? What did she learn from her conversations with Honorata, Liliane, Agnes, and Prudence during her return trips? How did these stories change Jacqueline’s understanding of human nature or your understanding of human nature?

16. What are the various coping mechanisms Jacqueline references in describing the post-genocide healing process in Rwanda? How have different societies dealt with the consequences of similarly horrific periods in their histories (i.e., Germany after the Holocaust, the U.S. after slavery)?

17. Describe Jacqueline's storytelling style. What role does a story play in shaping how we understand or remember events?

18. A close friend tells Jacqueline to "Just start. Don't wait for perfection. Just start and let the work teach you". Discuss this idea of overcoming mental barriers fearlessly. What other qualities or traits might you need to start something new?

19. Discuss the philosophy behind the concept of "patient capital". Does this seem like a viable solution to solving the problems of poverty? What other instruments exist for poverty alleviation? How does patient capital compare? Is it a sufficient "third way"?

20. How does Acumen Fund's approach differ from Jacqueline's beginnings in microfinance at Duterimbere? 21. Think about Acumen Fund's investment in Water Health International (WHI) in Chapter 15. What is the difference between seeing the poor as customers and seeing them as recipients of charity? Should poor people have to pay for basic services like water and housing? Why or why not?

22. Despite her focus on building businesses to solve poverty, Jacqueline gives money directly to the poor at various points in the book. Why does she give the money away? Has this book changed how you might donate your money in the future?

23. A potential donor tells Jacqueline, "Leaders are born, not made." What is leadership? Do you think some people are born leaders? Can leadership be developed over time and through experience? Does Jacqueline seem like a "born leader" or someone who became a leader?

Copyright © 2009 Acumen Fund

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