This book summarizes Mr. Polak's work with his company, IDE (International Development Enterprises), which focuses on creating affordable, useful products that can assist small-plot farmers in developing countries to increase their income. Throughout, he presents salient and frankly obvious points about the very poor and their needs that most aid organizations either ignore or just never thought to address. For instance, from his introduction: "The biggest reason most poor people are poor is because they don't have enough money." See? Obvious.
The point is, however, most aid organizations don't address this root problem, choosing instead to go for big, showy projects that cost a lot and sound really ambitious, but just don't do anything to benefit the average very poor family. Polak suggests a twelve point plan to create programs that can really benefit the very poor. These include things like talking to people with the problem you are interested in, and really listening to what they have to say about it; learning everything possible about the problem's specific context; thinking in terms of scalability; developing measurable outcomes; and designing to specific cost and price targets.
The book tells the story of how one family in Bangladesh was able to move from barely surviving on less than $1 a day and not having enough food to make it through the year to relative prosperity and a much more comfortable lifestyle. This was made possible in part by their access to affordable, small-scale irrigation equipment, allowing them to make more effective use of their other resources - their land and their physical labor. Polak points out that when families can earn more money, they almost automatically do things like improve their diets, further their education, seek better healthcare, and generally become more empowered to improve their lives in the ways they see fit, according to their own priorities.
It took some mental acrobatics for me to begin to accept the concept of dollar a day farmers as "consumers" rather than "aid recipients." But as a market this group has a huge, untapped potential. There are something like 800 million small farmers; the combined purchasing power (given the right products and a little access to credit) would be enormous. Overall, I found this book engaging and its message hopeful and practical. It certainly provides food for thought.
Add Prime
to get Fast, Free delivery
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently bought together
This item: Out of Poverty: What Works When Traditional Approaches Fail
$42.99
Get it as soon as Tuesday, Jan 7
In Stock
+
$10.65
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jan 8
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
+
$10.99
Get it as soon as Tuesday, Jan 7
In Stock
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
- Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World PovertyPaperbackFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Wednesday, Jan 8Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
- Creativity Rules: Get Ideas Out of Your Head and into the WorldPaperbackFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Jan 7
- On Guard for Students: A Thinker's Guide to the Christian FaithPaperbackFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Jan 7
- The Namesake: A NovelPaperbackFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Wednesday, Jan 8
- Living Language: An Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology, 3rd Edition: An Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology (Primers in Anthropology)PaperbackFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Wednesday, Jan 8
- Listen, Here is a Story: Ethnographic Life Narratives from Aka and Ngandu Women of the Congo Basin (Issues of Globalization:Case Studies in Contemporary Anthropology)Bonnie L. HewlettPaperbackFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Jan 7Only 7 left in stock (more on the way).
Top reviews from other countries
-
- Amazon カスタマーReviewed in Japan on February 3, 2017
The more I read, the more realized how we think about tackling poverty must be changed.
- Erik Cleves KristensenReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 17, 2008
Make-sense view on reducing poverty
- D. McNaughtReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 25, 2013
One of the best books on poverty that cuts to the centre of what poverty is.
