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UnPoverty: Rich Lessons from the Working Poor
The poorest people in the world do not just survive--they thrive lavishly. They enjoy rich family relationships, build vibrant communities and exude deep faith. They have much to teach us about life and inspire us with their ingenuity, persistence, generosity and self-reliance.
Mark Lutz has visited families living in cardboard huts, hiked dusty paths to isolated African villages, and tiptoed across putrid open sewers on makeshift bridges. UnPoverty relays those astonishing encounters with unforgettable people: desperately poor, yet abundantly rich.
When we hear about the billions of people living on a few dollars a day, do we visualize what that means? These stories put individual faces on unimaginable statistics and bring their reality to life. You may even see yourself in them.
Come with Mark as he visits his friends in far-away places not often seen. He takes you into their homes and their hearts. Experience life at the bottom of the economic ladder; you will resonate with his insightful reflections. His gripping stories will leave you challenged by what we can and must do and encouraged by what they do with so little.
Their poverty has more to do with latitude and longitude than with laziness or lack of intelligence. Through no fault of their own they are poor monetarily, but rich in areas many of us are bankrupt. Mark has watched innovative and hard-working people undo the chains of poverty, often with a large ripple effect in their families and entire communities.
After more than two decades of working closely with some of the poorest people living in developing nations, Mark Lutz now believes that what he calls unpoverty is possible. You too will catch the vision as you read these enlightening tales. Mark calls us to join an accelerating revolution to eradicate extreme poverty during our lifetime. He makes the bold claim that this audacious goal is possible, and invites you to unite with the rich poor people in our global village to create a world of unpoverty.
Mark Lutz has visited families living in cardboard huts, hiked dusty paths to isolated African villages, and tiptoed across putrid open sewers on makeshift bridges. UnPoverty relays those astonishing encounters with unforgettable people: desperately poor, yet abundantly rich.
When we hear about the billions of people living on a few dollars a day, do we visualize what that means? These stories put individual faces on unimaginable statistics and bring their reality to life. You may even see yourself in them.
Come with Mark as he visits his friends in far-away places not often seen. He takes you into their homes and their hearts. Experience life at the bottom of the economic ladder; you will resonate with his insightful reflections. His gripping stories will leave you challenged by what we can and must do and encouraged by what they do with so little.
Their poverty has more to do with latitude and longitude than with laziness or lack of intelligence. Through no fault of their own they are poor monetarily, but rich in areas many of us are bankrupt. Mark has watched innovative and hard-working people undo the chains of poverty, often with a large ripple effect in their families and entire communities.
After more than two decades of working closely with some of the poorest people living in developing nations, Mark Lutz now believes that what he calls unpoverty is possible. You too will catch the vision as you read these enlightening tales. Mark calls us to join an accelerating revolution to eradicate extreme poverty during our lifetime. He makes the bold claim that this audacious goal is possible, and invites you to unite with the rich poor people in our global village to create a world of unpoverty.
185 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2010
8 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 18, 2019
Honestly, I don't know what to rate this book.
This is decent if you want to learn about microfinance and about real people whose lives were improved by their own hard work and loans. The book's purpose was to showcase success stories from various countries and cultures, and it did that very well.
While there are definitely good things to be said about microfinance- like it demands work and dedication that can lead to dignity and improved quality of life- it is also a specific form of capitalism that charges kind of a high rate of interest from the poor and encourages them to take loans repeatedly. So there's that.
Additionally, the author paints all the poor as people just needing a break; they never do drugs or hide their woes in alcohol like people of all other economic means do, apparently. Nor are they ever just flat out lazy. Mark compares them to wealthier people and they pretty much come out on top every time. Not that anyone is lining up to trade places...
On the basis of the specific people and success stories he sought out, the author concludes that microfinance can end poverty, really.
And because all kinds of people and poverty are complex, I disagree. It can help, but no one has found a single solution and I doubt they ever will.
Very good that we're trying, though.
The author is an interesting mix and convinced me that he really has a love for poor folk and their difficulties. He also has a love for being a white, middle class consuming American. On one hand he talks about how he can't find true gratitude being that way, and he knows the poor appreciate even tiny blessings a lot...but apparently when he prayed to God to be grateful, he wasn't praying to learn gratitude like they did, the hard way.
He also talked about how the poor knew more than he did about the importance of the family, seeings as how they all had to work together to survive. Later on however, he talked about how poor families had to be separated for months and sometimes years to get work in distant places. So...sometimes one thing, sometimes the opposite it seems.
Additionally, he flew all over the globe repeatedly to do his interviews. He was deeply touched, but he spent very little time with those he met. Really, it was kind of like poverty tourism; he was back home with his comforts most often in less than three weeks.
What, am I expecting him to become poor? I can't do that unless I expect the same from myself. Welcome to the difficulty of facing the poor when you have more than you need and you aren't about to give it up to help them.
I do think he did a good job sharing stories with sheltered, well-heeled folks who would never go look for themselves, and I admire his revealing of personal flaws and his heart.
Overall, his book is inspiring if you don't look too deeply, and a bit troubling if you do...which sounds about right for the topic.
This is decent if you want to learn about microfinance and about real people whose lives were improved by their own hard work and loans. The book's purpose was to showcase success stories from various countries and cultures, and it did that very well.
While there are definitely good things to be said about microfinance- like it demands work and dedication that can lead to dignity and improved quality of life- it is also a specific form of capitalism that charges kind of a high rate of interest from the poor and encourages them to take loans repeatedly. So there's that.
Additionally, the author paints all the poor as people just needing a break; they never do drugs or hide their woes in alcohol like people of all other economic means do, apparently. Nor are they ever just flat out lazy. Mark compares them to wealthier people and they pretty much come out on top every time. Not that anyone is lining up to trade places...
On the basis of the specific people and success stories he sought out, the author concludes that microfinance can end poverty, really.
And because all kinds of people and poverty are complex, I disagree. It can help, but no one has found a single solution and I doubt they ever will.
Very good that we're trying, though.
The author is an interesting mix and convinced me that he really has a love for poor folk and their difficulties. He also has a love for being a white, middle class consuming American. On one hand he talks about how he can't find true gratitude being that way, and he knows the poor appreciate even tiny blessings a lot...but apparently when he prayed to God to be grateful, he wasn't praying to learn gratitude like they did, the hard way.
He also talked about how the poor knew more than he did about the importance of the family, seeings as how they all had to work together to survive. Later on however, he talked about how poor families had to be separated for months and sometimes years to get work in distant places. So...sometimes one thing, sometimes the opposite it seems.
Additionally, he flew all over the globe repeatedly to do his interviews. He was deeply touched, but he spent very little time with those he met. Really, it was kind of like poverty tourism; he was back home with his comforts most often in less than three weeks.
What, am I expecting him to become poor? I can't do that unless I expect the same from myself. Welcome to the difficulty of facing the poor when you have more than you need and you aren't about to give it up to help them.
I do think he did a good job sharing stories with sheltered, well-heeled folks who would never go look for themselves, and I admire his revealing of personal flaws and his heart.
Overall, his book is inspiring if you don't look too deeply, and a bit troubling if you do...which sounds about right for the topic.
March 23, 2011
Overall a good commercial for the non-profit that sent it to me (Opportunity International, I believe). Lots of uplifting (and heart-breaking) stories of poverty and trying to break the cycle in very, very poor countries. Certainly not a great book within the overall genre (it's no Half the Sky) but still a good read.
January 27, 2013
An excellent read that gets to the heart of the things that truly matter in life. Includes examples of how we can help the poor without getting in the way of a developing country's progress. A good reminder for us to take a close look at our own priorities and at what we consider to be success and wealth.
March 17, 2020
Good if you want to learn a bit about the poor internationally but this is from a very skewed white American perspective. I would have liked to see a more radical recognition of the complexities of extreme poverty and not a one size fits all solution. I also think we need to be more radical in the way Christians look at "others". I really think Jesus would cringe at the way Christians today other-ize people different from themselves.
May 17, 2020
This book engendered my love for and fascination with microfinance. For that, it will always hold a special place in my heart.
September 20, 2020
Really eye-opening and provocative
December 28, 2022
Good points overshadowed by religious rhetoric.
July 27, 2013
This book was somewhat cathartic for me as it opened my eyes to aspects of poverty I had never considered such as how giving can actually be harmful. The author gives numerous examples such as clothes being donated to a Honduran village that put a seamstress business and a used clothing store and their employees all out of business. The book outlines real strategies for making a real difference in the world and was nothing short of inspirational and life changing for me.
April 13, 2011
Great stories.
December 23, 2013
Extremely repetitive.
August 7, 2016
Amazing info on ways to truly end extreme poverty! Thanks Mark!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews