Book Review: How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas by David Bornstein

How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas by David Bornstein (Oxford University Press)

Social entrepreneurship is a simple idea that might just change the world: create, market, and sell a product with the express intent of improving the world. In How to Change the World, David Bornstein explores the power of this concept through a series of vignettes highlighting the various permutations this concept has taken in the hands of agents of change around the globe. By melding the tools of capitalism with the moral and ethical foundation normally associated with the non-profit sector, Vera Cordeiro is offering effective healthcare even the poorest of Brazil can afford, Erzsebet Szekeres is providing assisted living for the disabled of Hungary, and Veronica Khosa is caring for AIDS patients in South Africa. This book represents a thorough overview of an important new trend in meeting the needs of developing communities around the world.

Those familiar with the working reality for non-profits and NGOs know that finding funding to continue to provide critical services to the poor is a constant struggle. Many have begun looking for innovative ways to transcend this hindrance by making the capitalist system work on behalf of the poor as an efficient tool for pushing the development and distribution of meaningful products. One unique aspect of social entrepreneurship is that it puts serving communities in need as its primary goal, rather than making a profit. Another is that the enterprise must be financially viable and efficient to survive. Furthermore, when an economic crisis hits, the first to be affected are the poor; the second are non-profit and public entities that serve them. This book offers an important perspective for those who believe in the potential of capitalism as a savior of the poor, those who see it as an oppressive force, and everyone in between.

Robin Pendoley
Curriculum Director
Thinking Beyond Borders

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