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

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

by Jacqueline Novogratz (Goodreads Author)

3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 · rating details · 1,965 ratings · 326 reviews

For the first 5,000 copies of The Blue Sweater purchased, a $15 donation per book will be made to Acumen Fund, a nonprofit that invests in transformative businesses to solve the problems of poverty.

The Blue Sweater is the inspiring story of a woman who left a career in international banking to spend her life on a quest to understand global poverty and find powerful new way...more

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published March 3rd 2009 by Rodale Books

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The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz

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Jan 31, 2009 Judy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ms. Novogratz is a big dreamer and a bigger doer. This book--which reads alternately like a novel, a memoir, a diary, or a lecture--chronicles her development from a 20-something idealist to a 40-something optimist, well-grounded and well-schooled in the ways of a complex world.

The author jump-started a bakery in Kigali where her friends and colleagues, in years to come, were both victims and perpretrators of the Rwandan genocide, was assaulted on the shores of Tanzania, climbed a volcano in Za...more

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Mar 15, 2009 Cathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this! Though she is a friend/colleague I have known for over 10 years, I had not fully understood Jacqueline's early experiences in Africa working to empower women and their impact on her current work at Acumen Fund. Not only is the first half an incredible personal narrative about a 20-something trying to do good in the world, and how she learns from her mistakes, but I think this might follow 3 cups of tea as the next social entrepreneurship best seller! Kudos to Jacqueline. Acumen rocks...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, ladywritten, bechdel_test_yes

My main takeaway: Novogratz is a pretty amazing person. She seems pretty endlessly energetic, and unbelievably resilient. Trying to change global distribution and economic patterns is hard work, even if you don't throw in language difficulties, personal assaults, and brushes with genocide. I can imagine that if I were faced with one hundredth of the resistance, complication, bureaucracy, negativity, corruption, and depressing logistical difficulties that Novogratz has faced, I'd give up and walk...more

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Jun 12, 2010 NG rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoirs

Jacqueline Novogratz's memoir is so thoughtful, interesting, and perspective-altering, that I find myself recommending it to everyone I talk to. If you have ever wanted to help people, change the world in ways big or small, or make a difference, read this clear sighted, wonderful book with an abundant heart. Jacqueline Novogratz writes clearly and engagingly about her experiences helping the poor throughout the world, helping business change lives (from a small bakery in Rwanda to a company that...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Adam Gossman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: re-readers, 2012-reading

I opened this book and could not put it down. It had everything: it was very well written, was the perfect mixture of story, factual data, memoir and one of those books that makes you want to sell all you own and go out to conquer the world.

I cannot recommend this one enough!

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Apr 14, 2013 Cheryl Astern rated it 5 of 5 stars

" The Blue Sweater is the inspiring story of a woman who 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. It all started back home in Virginia, with the blue sweater, a gift that quickly became her prized possession—until the day she outgrew it and gave it away to Goodwill. Eleven years later in Africa, she spotted a young boy wearing that very sweater, with her name still on the tag inside. That the sweat...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Diane Kistner rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's been very difficult for me to review Jacqueline Novogratz' excellent book, "The Blue Sweater." Every time I sit down to write about it, I don't feel like I have the words to do it justice. I've gone back and read it a second time, and I still find it hard to organize my thoughts well enough to convey how greatly I appreciate this work. It moved me to think and feel deeply; to ponder over what is essential to live and live joyfully despite economic upheavals, cultural diversity, and resource...more It's been very difficult for me to review Jacqueline Novogratz' excellent book, "The Blue Sweater." Every time I sit down to write about it, I don't feel like I have the words to do it justice. I've gone back and read it a second time, and I still find it hard to organize my thoughts well enough to convey how greatly I appreciate this work. It moved me to think and feel deeply; to ponder over what is essential to live and live joyfully despite economic upheavals, cultural diversity, and resource scarcity; and to consider in what ways I might myself care for my fellow brothers and sisters, love them, and learn from them.

So let me just dive in and do the best I can. First, the book reads like a novel. It is full of vivid imagery, color, sensitivity and compassion. It is also, like the author, pragmatic and sensible. I was struck by the complexities of poverty but also the incredible hope and promise of those who value every shred and moment of life--because they have to if they are to survive. I was amazed at how something as simple as a mosquito net could entirely transform a life and how people crushed by illness and tragedy manage to be so much more alive and gratefully engaged with the world than so many of us who are more privileged are.

I was brought face to face with my own emptiness in reading this book--not a bad thing--and also a stirring sense of what I might have to offer in this world. "The Blue Sweater" succeeded in shifting my focus, and rather profoundly so. I feel more hopeful for our world now because I'm thinking about what I, myself, need to do in the context of my family and community.

I only wish the book had photographs of the incredible people in Africa, India, and the Middle East whose stories the author shares with us. I found myself very interested in Novogratz' Acumen Fund activities and her ideas about combining philanthropy with market forces to help the poor build and sustain better lives. I was especially struck by the need to listen to the people one is trying to help and that no one solution is enough; it takes approaching problems in many different ways that all feed into each other if people are to build successful, sustainable communities that promote the health, well-being, and dignity of all citizens.

I could not help but wonder if the principles Novagratz has found to be successful could not be applied somehow to middle- and working-class people in the U.S. and other developed countries who are seeing their quality of life erode and yet do not have the skills to survive or even an awareness of ways they harm others. (This is an entirely different kind of poverty, but it is poverty nonetheless, an ignorance and learned helplessness that is ultimately destructive.) If some, like the retiring baby boomers, could be harnessed to help work to strengthen communities and build connections/collaborations with the poorest among us here, it could be a way of skill-building and also increasing awareness of the ways each of us impacts our world. Out of this training ground could come a subset of people with the generalist skills to work in other countries, either in their younger years as a career or in retirement.

I hope someone from the Acumen Fund and like-minded organizations will work closely with the Obama administration to develop models to help those Americans who would like to begin to help themselves and their communities, to the extent that they are able.

Finally, let me say that I was excited to realize the significance of Barack Obama's mother having worked with microfinancing (a major tool discussed in this book that I didn't understand before), because I know that means our new president has a sense of how much can be accomplished when those first small steps are facilitated and people are given hope that WE can transform our world. Time is money, too. If we can find ways to "microfinance" our time according to our interests without having to completely reinvent wheels (say, be able to download a well-developed model for starting a small community garden or a "fun"/safe neighbor's home-based afterschool skill-teaching workshop so latchkey kids have a place to go), together we could quickly make enormous progress. What's stopping me is age and not being quite sure how to begin so success is more likely.(less)

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Aug 19, 2012 Andy rated it 2 of 5 stars

The Blue Sweater is a guidebook for what not to do in global aid. The author honestly tells her story of one failure after another. She deserves credit for admitting her errors and for continuing to try new things, but it is frustrating that she never takes a step back to ask what has worked in countries that have moved out of poverty. Instead she keeps reinventing the wheel and repeating proven mistakes (not listening to locals, etc.). This is especially frustrating because she does seem to hav...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Ari rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

An excellent writer....eh not really. But the author is living an interesting life and she sucks you in by sharing stories of both endearing and intriguing characters. My interest was especially piqued by the efforts of women in Cote d'Ivorie she thought she was 'helping' who tried to sabotage her. The author does not entirely blame the women but instead recognizes that there was a failure to communicate on her part and the part of the NGO that hired her to do the work (the women from Cote d'Ivi...more An excellent writer....eh not really. But the author is living an interesting life and she sucks you in by sharing stories of both endearing and intriguing characters. My interest was especially piqued by the efforts of women in Cote d'Ivorie she thought she was 'helping' who tried to sabotage her. The author does not entirely blame the women but instead recognizes that there was a failure to communicate on her part and the part of the NGO that hired her to do the work (the women from Cote d'Ivioire wanted one of their own in Jacqueline Novogratz's position). Ms. Novogratz ha some amazing opportunities and met some truly inspirational people, including Professor John Gardner. I loved this quote she attributed to him 'You should focus on being more interested than interesting' (pg. 138).

I did however strongly disagree with Novogratz/the Acumen Fund on one issue. I do not think we should charge people living in poverty for mosquito bed netting in places where malaria is life threatening. I admire what the Acumen Fund is doing in terms of social entrepreneurship but not when it comes to selling life-saving techniques/technologies at too-high prices (this really hit home for me after I read Professor Jeffrey Sachs' 'The End of Poverty'). But Ms. Novogratz does make a good point when she says "So often we ask ourselves the wrongquestion. When it comes to a disease like malaria, the question should not be whether bed nets are sold or given away free. Both distribution methods have their place in a broader attack on the disease. The question instead is, What does it take to eradicate malaria? Without a reliable source of bed nets, people may find themselves abruptly cut off from a supply when they most need it. It's not 'either-or' but rather 'both-and'" (pg. 264). I agree that we need reliable sources of bed nets and to focus on the big picture of immunizing people to malaria but I still disagree that there is a market for people to sell bed nets. Maybe to wealthy people but even then I hesitate to really push that position.

I'm rather nosy so my one question about Novgratz's personal life was how she met her husband. I appreciated the fact that she did not shy away from talking about the travails of being a single female working in developing countries. She talks about the local club scene and food which she enjoyed and how isolated she sometimes felt from the sheltered, wealthy ex-pat communities throughout Africa.
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Aug 10, 2011 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club

2.5 out of 5 stars.

This book reminded me a lot of Unbowed by Wangari Maathai--non-fiction, set in Africa, strong woman changing the world, but writing...not so great. Which is a real shame about the not so-great writing because the subject matter is important. Jacqueline Novogratz is inspiring, Acumen Fund sounds amazing, Novogratz's journey of discovery about herself, the world, and how to change it is interesting. But oooh, girlfriend needed to focus. She needed an editor to help her focus. A...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Book Concierge rated it 3 of 5 stars

Novogratz had a solid middle-class upbringing but dreamed of doing more with her life. This book is about her journey to implement the principles she held dear. As she was about to graduate from the University of Virginia she felt at loose ends, not sure what or where she wanted to work, feeling she really wanted to take a year off to “tend bar and ski and figure out how I would change the world.” But to appease her mother she went on the round of interviews scheduled by the school for graduatin...more

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Apr 23, 2011 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really was drawn into this book, and how she told the story of her life. I particularly noted her reflections on the decision points / turning points.

"The next morning, on a long run, I thought about what made Duterimbere successful and what I wanted to do next in my life. I decided to apply to business school. When we ran Duterimbere like a business, though we raised charitable money, we succeeded. When we acted more like a typical nonprofit, neither holding ourselves to our mission nor meas...more I really was drawn into this book, and how she told the story of her life. I particularly noted her reflections on the decision points / turning points.

"The next morning, on a long run, I thought about what made Duterimbere successful and what I wanted to do next in my life. I decided to apply to business school. When we ran Duterimbere like a business, though we raised charitable money, we succeeded. When we acted more like a typical nonprofit, neither holding ourselves to our mission nor measuring results, we usually failed. I wanted a better understanding of management and how to build businesses." p.103

on deciding between a fellowship at the Rockefeller Foundation to explore enterprise-development strategies for low-income communities in the US or move to Czechoslovakia to work on a fund that would build small enterprises there, one year after the fall of the Wall. "With my tendency toward wanderlust, I leaned toward working in a new land during a historic moment." Her mentor argues for the fellowship. "It will give you an imp. vantage pt on what philantrophy is, both domestically and internationally. And you have already worked in a developing country building enterprises. Life at your age should be about putting new and different tools in your toolbox. You already understand that communities today transcend geography and that you belong to multiple ones -- Stanford, women, the community that cares for Africa. But to be truly effective, esp internationally, you must root yourself more strongly in your home's own soil. It is time for you to know this country, as well. Only by knowing ourselves can we truly understand others -- and knowing from where you come is an important part of knowing who you are. . . You should focus on being more interested than interesting" -- something I'd heard him say countless times." p.123

"I will be forever grateful to Duterimbere and to Rwanda for teaching me about possibility, about the power of markets, the need for smart and carefully invested financial assistance, and the constant hope for rebirth. I learned that microenterprise is an important part of the solution, but it is not the only part. I also learned that traditional charity alone can't solve the problems of poverty.
Before we made the blue bakery a business, the women were demoralized, dependent, and still desperately poor. Big flows of aid can create as many incentives for corruption and mismanagement as for change. Markets alone won't solve the problems of poverty. Low-income people are invisible to most entrepreneurs, who don't see them as paying customers. Poor distribution, lack of infrastructure, and corruption all add up to a failure of markets to deliver to the poor what they want and need at prices they can afford." p.188

Aravind Eye Care System, India. 2.3 million patients a year, more than 280,000 cataract surgeries a year, each dr. performs on average 80 surgeries a day. The US average is 6.
"We run Aravind like McDonald's," he explained, "clean and organized, with every process known and understood sot that we get maximum efficiency. Two-thirds of the patients pay nothing or near nothing, and yet the hospital is consistently profitable -- and growing." p.197
Avarind's simple business model was based on a sliding-scale pricing model whereby wealthier people paid the full cost of the operation and the poor paid a token amount or nothing if they were truly destitute. Aravind at the time had two hospitals in the same location, and it differentiated ability to pay by offering full-service, air-conditioned rooms at the newer hospital to the paying patients. The "free" or lesser-paying patients were treated at the older facility and slept on mats on the floor, but every surgeon rotated between the 2 hospitals, the actual quality of care was the same." p.199
From this and other ventures, we determined that despite Aravind's success, grants typically weren't as effective as equity and loans, especially when trying to create markets for the poor. An equity investment would make us real owners with the ability to negotiate with greater clarity. Loans and equity also would impose a market discipline that could lead to raising more traditional forms of capital over time -- and that, we knew, was key to growing the innovations we wanted to support.
We were learning. By the end of the 1st yr, we had modified our approach. We determined that we would no longer make grants, but instead invest equity in or make loans to social enterprises. We would establish metrics for what the entrepreneur hoped to achieve from the beginning and hold him or her to it, as we would hold ourselves to our own set of expectations and goals. This was the opposite of old-fashioned charity.
Our new approach also differed from the type of investment that a venture capitalist or private equity investor might make. . . .We were interested in enterprises run by social entrepreneurs who were unafraid to work in markets where individuals had minimal income, where the roads were terrible and infrastructure was sometimes nonexistent. . .. We knew that the pipeline -- the number of deals we could support -- would be a challenge for a number of years, yet we were convinced that the many problems of poverty could only be solved if entrepreneurs were encouraged to overcome these hurdles. This meant we couldn't simply invest and expect quick results. . . . Our investment style was focused on what we termed "patient capital" -- not traditional charity, not traditional business investment, but something in-between. Patient capital is money invested over a longer period of time with the acknowledgment that returns might be below market, but with a wide range of management support services to nurture the company to liftoff and beyond.
If it were easy to start a business serving the poor, patient capital would not be necessary. It's not easy. Social entrepreneurs focused on serving low-income markets work against all odds of success, facing enormous individual and institutional challenges. The only chance to overcome these hurdles is to combine an extraordinary entrepreneur with the kind of support that neither traditional investors nor charities can provide.
We learned the power of having strong teams on the ground." p203-4.

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Jan 25, 2011 Josephine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Jacqueline Novogratz’s “The Blue Sweater”, which got me thinking about how I was going to move forward in terms of how I donated and who I donated to.

One of my favourite sayings — which I often said of a particularly bad manager I once had — is that, “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for life.”

I think that giving someone the tools to build a better life for themselves is probably a better bet than simply giving them money.

Novogratz is the fou...more

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Aug 20, 2010 Catherine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I carried this book around for a while, I thought it would be interesting and I should read it but I also thought it was likely to be a touch strong on 'being worthy!' and therefore hard going.... So as I am often looking for some escapism I kept putting off actually starting it. How wrong I was, once started it took me three days to read and blew me away!

This is a beautifully constructed book that takes you through the personal life journey of Jackueline Novogratz and her approach to giving di...more

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Jul 14, 2010 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Blue Sweater is a first-person account of Jacqueline Novogratz' experiences, starting as an idealistic investment banker in Africa, and evolving to the founder of the Acumen Fund. She believes in "patient capital" -- investments that can take time to mature -- and in capturing the energy and information from markets to establish sustainable endeavors.

Novogratz has witnessed a lot.

The book's title comes from a great "coincidence" that highlighted her sense that our lives are profoundly conne...more

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Jun 03, 2010 Elevate Difference rated it 4 of 5 stars

Would you give up a promising career in international banking to pursue a lifetime of attempting to understand and eradicate global property? Jacqueline Novogratz began her career as an international banker at Chase Manhattan Bank. As a member of the Credit Audit team for Chase Manhattan Bank, Novogratz was responsible for reviewing the quality of the bank’s loans in other countries, especially in troubled economies. As time went on, Novogratz began to explore the possibilities of working with t...more Would you give up a promising career in international banking to pursue a lifetime of attempting to understand and eradicate global property? Jacqueline Novogratz began her career as an international banker at Chase Manhattan Bank. As a member of the Credit Audit team for Chase Manhattan Bank, Novogratz was responsible for reviewing the quality of the bank’s loans in other countries, especially in troubled economies. As time went on, Novogratz began to explore the possibilities of working with the poorest people. As her interest grew in helping the impoverished, she found a New York City based microfinance organization that focused on lending to women. The Blue Sweater tells the story of Novogratz’s career from international banking to philanthropy.

After leaving her job at Chase Manhattan Bank to work with the microfinance organization, she was sent to Africa to work with women. Novogratz had never imagined herself working in Africa. She was unprepared for the hostility she experienced from the African women and the amount of corruption and lack of credibility in some of the programs. Although she began her trip to Africa as a naïve idealist, she began to learn that she needed to listen to program participants to truly understand what was needed. While in Rwanda, Novogratz participated in the founding of Duterimbere, a microfinance organization that would lend exclusively to women. She also assisted in setting up a successful bakery operation for single women. The Rwandan genocide had a devastating effect on the organizations she helped to establish.

After spending time in Africa, Novogratz had the opportunity to attend graduate school for business administration and to work with other international organizations. Novogratz directed the Philanthropy Workshop and the Next Generation Leadership program for the Rockefeller Foundation. During this time, Novogratz also founded the Acumen Fund, an organization based on “patient capital.” Patient capital is a combination of venture capitalism and traditional charity that focuses on lending to social entrepreneurs. The programs sponsored by Acumen Fund are also based on the idea the poor will pay for goods and services, instead of the model of traditional charity.

I thought Novogratz’s story was inspiring and instructional. The Blue Sweater is accessible to those who do not have a background in international finance. Her commitment to helping people living in poverty in a meaningful way is based on the idea that all people are interconnected.

Review by Rekesha Spellman (less)

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Jan 01, 2010 Andrew rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excellent, very recent book by Jacqueline Novogratz, the CEO of the Acumen Fund, a non-profit devoted to making investments in effective and sustainable local solutions for tackling poverty. The first three quarters of the book details Novogratz's life story coming out of college that contributed to her founding of the Acumen Fund and the last quarter details what the Acumen Fund has done since in 2001.

Certain other books written by development "experts" have a pompous, "I knew this all along" t...more Excellent, very recent book by Jacqueline Novogratz, the CEO of the Acumen Fund, a non-profit devoted to making investments in effective and sustainable local solutions for tackling poverty. The first three quarters of the book details Novogratz's life story coming out of college that contributed to her founding of the Acumen Fund and the last quarter details what the Acumen Fund has done since in 2001.

Certain other books written by development "experts" have a pompous, "I knew this all along" tone, but Novogratz instead writes in a humbled, non-pontificating tone. She is equally reflective and acknowledging of her blunders, as she as of her successes. She sheds light on the frustrations and slow pace of working with local entrepreneurs to help them help themselves, but she demonstrates how effective these approaches can be. Novogratz provides numerous examples of how traditional aid approaches have failed miserably due to top-down management and misunderstanding of local customs. Novogratz illustrates how a true partnership with local entrepreneurs is necessary for the installment of a successful and sustainable program to tackle the needs of the developing world, whether it is access to clean water, access to drip irrigation, or access to bed nets.

Novogratz convinced me that arguments such as free bed nets versus selling bed nets are moot. The actual question should be: how to best eliminate malaria? The answer to this is BOTH free bed nets (to reach the children and women that are recipients of the free programs) and the sold bed nets (distributed via companies and local stores to reach the rest of the population that will not be covered). There is a space for investments to work beside philantrophy. Also, Novogratz drills the point home that what is needed is not simply a good heart, but also diligence and accountability.

Novogratz honestly addresses the small questions (from her perspective) that are overlooked in the fervent debate of development, such as:
How does one reconcile coming from/living a privileged life when working with those in abject poverty? How does one set up systems to recognize the potential of "evil" in people (ie. theft), while still working with their better traits to help them? How does one balance personal safety and personal life when working in distant, foreign, and potentially risky lands?

Novogratz is a talented, engaging writer and the book moves fluidly. I recommend this book to all interested in development and global health.(less)

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Nov 30, 2009 Judith rated it 5 of 5 stars

It always seems to me that with all the brilliant minds, money, technology, and energy devoted to conquering poverty, we should be able to make at least make a dent in it. This book explains why traditional charities have so frequently fallen short of the mark despite our best intentions. The author is an absolutely brilliant woman who chose 20+ years ago to leave a high-paying career in banking in NYC specifically because she wanted to change the world. She lived in Africa, India and Pakistan,...more

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Nov 15, 2009 Cari rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone that wants to make a difference

Recommended to Cari by: It's required reading for my Intro to International Poli Sci cla

This book illustrates the problems with the charity and relief organisations of the 3rd (developing) world. The emphasis of this book is on the economic field, with especial stress put on the value of accountability and the value of a person doing something for themself, rather than having it done for them or given to them. The stories of people in this book cover from the mid 1980s through today, including the impact of the Rwandan genocide and the need for clean water, mosquito nets and access...more

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Aug 27, 2009 Gwenyth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: global-health

I had high expectations for this book: I read it alongside Muhammad Yunus'"Banker to the Poor", thinking that Yunus could be the representative of the beginnings of micro-credit, and Novogratz of the more recent direction of the movement.

However, this book, in the end, is more autobiographical than informational. Novogratz has undoubtedly lived a fascinating life, but in the end much of the book felt more like fluff than substance.

My sense is that she'd have been better served by focusing more t...more

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Aug 20, 2009 Pearl rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a terrific book. It made me feel good to know that there are such people as Jacqueline Novogratz (JN) in the world. If you liked "Three Cups of Tea," you'll also like this book. In one respect, it's better - the author doesn't get lost in the middle of the book; the narrative continues in a straightforward manner.

JN's desire, from a very young age, was to make a difference in the world. When she began a successful career in the financial world, she still longed for a job that would make...more

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Jun 11, 2009 Heidi Cuppari rated it 4 of 5 stars

So far I’m in love with this book. Not only because I worked closely with Jacqueline for a couple years at Acumen Fund which on its own was a wonderful journey and learning experience, but because this a truly inspirational story about a woman who had a vision and was determined to learn how to approach poverty problems in a different way. She believed strongly that treating the poor like ‘customers’ and not ‘charity cases’ would grow local economies and give pride to people in their lives, and...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Marzie rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of the best books to explain the difference between philanthropic giving and philanthropic self-gratification, the effectiveness of microloans versus handouts, that I've ever read. While Novogratz's tone is rather dry, the message, especially In the last quarter of this book, is so vital to understanding why pure charity often fails to make lasting change in the attempt to eradicate poverty. With no easy solutions but plenty of thought-provoking ideas, this is easily one of the best books I'...more

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Aug 19, 2011 Antof9 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Antof9 by: Scotty

Shelves: 2011-read, biographies-memoirs, historical, leadership, liberry, nonfiction, travel, women

This is basically two books (sort of like "Under the Banner of Heaven"), and the 3-star rating has to be a balance of the 4 stars I'd have given the first half with the 2 stars I'd have given the second. The first half is a riveting story that I literally did not want to put down. The second half is just information on either how-to or how-we-did set up a fund to fund microenterprise. And that, frankly, was not that interesting. Sure there were some things in the second half that caught my inter...more This is basically two books (sort of like "Under the Banner of Heaven"), and the 3-star rating has to be a balance of the 4 stars I'd have given the first half with the 2 stars I'd have given the second. The first half is a riveting story that I literally did not want to put down. The second half is just information on either how-to or how-we-did set up a fund to fund microenterprise. And that, frankly, was not that interesting. Sure there were some things in the second half that caught my interest, but this really could have been two separate books. The stories she has to tell (the first half) are AMAZING, and she tells them well. Really well.

Her family descriptions were so clear and I wanted to be in her family. What happened to families like this? If there was a family ethic, it was to work hard, go to church, be good to your family, and live out loud. We learned from our elders to be tough, to not complain, and to always show up for one another. I didn't understand then how much about tribe and community I learned from this American family.

It was also interesting to walk with her as she grew up. Not in a "finding herself" way, but in an actual growing up and becoming aware way. Her description of her meeting with Maha Ghosananda gives a good, and also good lesson on this:

I felt like a young journalist, driven but totally out of my element.

He smiled and slowly bowed his head in acknowledgment.

"Would you tell me about the peace marches, how you have the courage to head them, whether you have lost anyone along the way?" I asked almost breathlessly.

He looked at me, in no hurry to respond. With his hands clasped together, he said, "Each step is a prayer, each step is a meditation."

"You have made such a sacrifice with your life and are such an important spiritual leader," I continued, though I wasn't sure I even fully understood his first answer. "Those walks can take 45 days. Just the logistics must be an enormous burden for someone. Who helps you, and what can others do to support what you are doing? What is the right role for philanthropy? How many people know about the peace marches? I would think they are important not only for Cambodians, but also for the entire world to understand."

"We walk with compassion for the world," he answered.

My hyperenergetic style had never been so unsuccessful at connecting with another person before. Clearly, I needed a different approach.

"Maha Ghosananda," I said, "I am here out of deep respect for you and for what you are doing and want to consider how I might be able to introduce you and your work to others who might support it. Please forgive me for not even knowing how to ask the questions."

If more of us were willing to admit we didn't even know what question to ask, I think the world might be a better place.

On a personal note, I almost fell out of my chair when I got to the name of the chairman of the board of Acumen Fund - Margo Alexander used to work at the firm I worked for for 20 years. After her prestigious Wall Street career, Margo Alexander, the first woman to head a major trading floor, became our board chair. Pretty cool!

I really did enjoy this book -- but it was the first half that kept me reading -- and it was my interest in the first half that held me up through the second half. I'll admit I'm prone to snap judgments, and honestly? I think "Acumen Fund" is a really dumb name. Sadly, that affected how I felt about the whole book. That doesn't mean it's not a good book. It just means I'm not jumping up and down to recommend it. Secondarily, the editing seemed a little amateurish. For an editor, that's a big deal.(less)

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Jun 05, 2010 Kerry rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book is the story of the author's quest to try to change the world (more or less). In her 20s, she gives up a promising banking job to go live in a Africa to try to help with poverty. She has a lot of difficulties but keeps her optimism and preserves. Her story is inspiring especially because she accomplishes some amazing tasks. The book read more like a text book than a novel. It felt like an instructional manual for someone who might try to go and live in another country to help with pove...more

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Apr 07, 2009 Mary Louise rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jacqueline Novogratz and Seth Godin gave review copies of this book to Triiibes members. What a blessing. When I am finished, I will pass it on to my favorite library at Bennington College in Vermont. Will you help me spread the word about this terrific book?

If you read one nonfiction book a year, make it this one. In an honest and fair narration of the current problems facing all charitable organizations that want to do good work, Novogratz will convince you that "patient capital" is the way t...more

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Sep 13, 2011 Lindsay Haines rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Jacqueline Novogratz speaks with such clarity and simplicity about her journey to alleviate poverty. With her beginnings in corporate finance to beginning an MFI (Microfinance Institution) in Africa, she has revolutionized the world of microfinance and done exceptional things for developing countries.

I love her style of writing, and I admire how she has equal parts strength and compassion. She is savvy and witty, but also loving and progressive in her thinking. The world needs a few more of her....more

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Oct 07, 2010 Madeline rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, class, school, women, colonialism, race, non-fiction, indian-subcontinent, memoir, social-agenda

Although it's pretty clear from her, um, utilitarian prose style, Jacqueline Novogratz is not exactly a writer, she does tell a good story. And, frankly, I don't know if this is the kind of book which you ought to read hoping for aesthetic pleasure - there are plenty of those books "about Africa" already, and a lot of them are gross - because Novogratz's focus, and the focus of her memoir is so clearly on social progress and rectifying injustice. As I mentioned, it really is quite a good story -...more Although it's pretty clear from her, um, utilitarian prose style, Jacqueline Novogratz is not exactly a writer, she does tell a good story. And, frankly, I don't know if this is the kind of book which you ought to read hoping for aesthetic pleasure - there are plenty of those books "about Africa" already, and a lot of them are gross - because Novogratz's focus, and the focus of her memoir is so clearly on social progress and rectifying injustice. As I mentioned, it really is quite a good story - and she is always willing to admit to her screw-ups, which is so refreshing. She's also willing to criticize institutionalized and settled philanthropy, and to challenge the status quo.

As she gets older, she becomes more sensitive, and it's notable that the book gets better the less she focuses on herself. Not because she isn't interesting or likable - I am certainly inclined to like her, even when I disagree with her - but because her personal story is only slightly different whereas the stories of the people around her are less well-known. Basically, we get to see Jacqueline realize that there are other people who are more strikingly compelling, even in the pages of her own memoir and in the story of her life - although she's an excellent guide to the entire process.

I will admit to disagreeing with some of her basic principles - I'm much more skeptical of capitalism, for example, and I'm undecided on the ethical claim that we need to provide incentives for good behavior (guess I'm enough of a Kantian to find that idea gives me pause) - but I certainly can't argue with her drive or commitment, both quite striking characteristics which made The Blue Sweater enjoyable reading, even though I was reading it as a TA for a first year seminar. I also would have liked some discussion of the relationship between the first world and the global south (or insert your preferred term...) beyond the scope of philanthropy. Still, it's a good read, thought-provoking without being preachy. There are occasional trite passages, but as I mentioned Novogratz is clearly not a Writer, so that is to be expected and forgiven. She is thoughtful, competent, dedicated, and willing to share stories with us.(less)

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Jun 03, 2009 Sandy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this book because I was instantly intrigued by the short story of the blue sweater that I read about inside the front cover. I had no idea the depths to which this book would go and the energy I would obtain from it! I learned so much from reading this that I now want to get an MBA after the Pharm D because I think I will really be able to make an impact with them both together. I really appreciated the way Jacqueline structured this book because she described in a good amount of detail t...more

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Feb 19, 2011 Karencita rated it 5 of 5 stars

I recommended this book to my book club with a bit of trepidation...would it dive too deeply into the technical intricacies of micro-finance? are these types of "save the world" stories really only my cup of tea? The book came highly recommended to me by two trusted sources, so recommend it I did. And in the end, I was deeply moved upon reading this book and found it was well received within the club, too, phew! Above all, I think it was Jacqueline's personal story and the raw honesty with which...more

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Quotes from The Blue Sweater: Brid...

“Why do some people stop growing at age 30, just going from work to the couch and television, when others stay vibrant, curious, almost childlike into their nineties?” — 14 people liked it

“They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I took mine and fell flat on my face. As a young woman, I dreamed of changing the world. In my twenties, I went to africa to try and save the continent, only to learn that Africans neither wanted nor needed saving. Indeed, when I was there, I saw some of the worst that good intentions, traditional charity, and aid can produce...

I concluded that if I could only nudge the world a little bit, maybe that would be enough.

But nudging isn't enough.” — 6 people liked it

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