Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism That Serves Humanity's Most Pressing Needs Paperback – May 10, 2011

This is undoubtedly Yunus’ best and most useful book for it gives detailed advice to the interested reader how to create and run a social business. This doesn’t mean his first two books were simply anecdotic; they are fascinating reading and highly instructive as to how this man himself started out and landed one of the greatest social businesses so far created on the globe: Grameen Bank.I think that without knowing ‘the story’ one would simply be short of believing that it can be done, that we can really erase poverty by the novel institution of ‘social business.’ In fact, this extraordinary man was facing multiple obstacles, and while some of them were to be expected, the main obstacle was always and repeatedly lack of faith, lack of insight that the poor are trustworthy loan takers, and business partners. He didn’t want to establish a bank, he started out with working with banks, standing as a guarantor, and increasingly the banks were unwilling to cooperate with the argument that the poor ‘do not qualify for loans.’ As there was no real cooperation thus with banks, he simply resorted to the ultimate solution: to start a bank all by himself.I especially liked the Introduction of the book which is written in a very fluent style, outlining and anticipating the main ideas presented in the book.

I usually do not take the time to rate and review any book.I will invest my time in doing this now with this title, because I found it so much interesting and inspiring to people who wish to actively do something to improve the world we live in, to make it a fairer world and to cure poverty and other social diseases.I have been a witness of the decay of capitalism in modern times. As an economist, I agree with Mr. Yunus that something is not working well in our "systems", there is poverty all around the world and crisis episodes, such as the one we are still getting out, only exacerbate this and other social problems.Entrepreneurship has been a key element in our world's transformation. It brings together creativity, will, needs and dreamers to find a new way to address new or existing markets in a way actual enterprises do not do it. If you are a person who wish to start out a project, if you are involved right now in the Social Sector or if you just want to help improve the community you live in, this book is just meant to be yours.In its pages, Mr. Yunus describes in depth his concept of "Social Business", the building brick of a new kind of capitalism, a more social, more human and more environmental friendly type."Social Capitalism" Theory will re-define the "Homo Economicus" person to a new agent which looks out for generating Social Value and not only individual proftis. His concept is a squared and sounding theory and, most amazingly, has proved to be working in the distant country of Bangladesh. More than communicating an economic theory with a new approach, he's trying to open our eyes and show us that poverty can be alleviated and, with it, so much human suffering.At the end, it is all about Hope, of giving us back Hope that a better world can be created... and Bangadesh is leading the way, for the first time, a Developing Country is leading the race! A New World can be built, a world without poverty. What is needed is sharing new ideas and inspiring examples to move "dreamers" to take a more active role in their society's transformation. This books is those two things.You will really enjoy it!

Well worth the read for understanding the Grameen concept of building Social business and the capacity of social business to impact the world in addressing specific issues. Yunus shows the successes and failures and raises important questions for persons considering using business to address social issues. At the end of the day, the social business still must make a profit as it is a business. The book should be read critically as Yunus interjects European welfare governance as a desirable model not yet able to be developed in many countries, thus the need for social business. His world view some how separates government from the people rather than the American model of government of the people, by the people, for the people. However, Yunus rightly shows how business can be run for the benefit of the people, by the people. Yunus could make the book a better read by eliminating some broad assertions on governance and references to issues caused by [the myth of] global warming and instead write that social issues can be solved by social businesses, regardless of the cause or perceived cause. I highly recommend the book for practitioners as well as for people desiring to better understand how to create sustainability which by itself eliminates poverty.