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Alex Counts vividly tells us the many stories behind the founding and
continuing success of Grameen
Bank, the home of the world micro-lending movement. Micro-lending
is based on the realization that what the poor need to lift them out
of poverty is often not a handout, but a small amount of credit
and some well-organized encouragement. If ever an
approach sounded simplistic and utopian, it's Grameen's. What makes
Grameen worthy of extended consideration is its impressive success,
not only in its base in Pakistan, but in duplicate programs all over
the world.

Counts' book is not a dry economics lesson, but an engrossing history
of Grameen and the leaders who have sacrificed to make it work. He
tells the touching stories of Grameen borrowers both in Pakistan and
in Chicago and relates hows the changes wrought by the tiny amounts of
money made available have rippled through the local society. I found
this book to a great eye-opener; I could never have imagined before
how important a flea market might be to women struggling to become
self-employed, nor could I have imagined how resourceful and creative
the very poor could be in starting their own businesses. Yunus
convinces us that the main problems with povery alleviation programs
often lie not with the supposed indolence of the poor but with the
lack of imagination that donors exhibit.