The Blue Sweater

"The Blue Sweater is the inspiring story of a woman who has spent her life on a quest to understand global poverty and to find powerful new ways of tackling it. From her first stumbling efforts as a young idealist venturing forth in Africa to the creation of the trailblazing organization she runs today, Jacqueline Novogratz brings us a series of insightful stories and unforgettable characters — from women dancing in a Nairobi slum, to unwed mothers starting a bakery, to courageous survivors of the Rwandan genocide, to entrepreneurs building services for the poor against impossible odds." So writes her own organization the Acumen Fund in describing this book - and they are not far off the mark.

Brigham read it over Christmas and I picked it up this past week. And though not a spell-binding narrative a compelling life story and quest to contribute. I found her story uplifting and would that my daughter would read it to expand her vision of contributions by women and all my family to read  to learn: to listen better and add more value what ere they might do.

My favorite quotes of the book tended to be her quoting someone else and here are a sampling:

• patient capital - as a concept of investor funding that allows a concept to perculate and take-hold while still holding it accountable
• "you should focus more on being interested than being interesting
• Be fully present - listen  
• Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. MLK

• the future is here, it is just not widely distributed yet" william gibson

• people usually tell you the truth if you listen hatd enough. If you don't, you'll hear what they think you want to hear
• there is no currency like trust and no catalyst like hope
• people need to believe that they can participate fully in the decisions that effect their lives and have a stake in the societies in which they live
• the world will not change with inspiration alone; rather, it requires systems, accountability and clear measures of what works and what  doesn't
• you need to build a vision as if you were building a temple
• it is that suffering that binds us
• if you walk though the world with only your intellect you walk on one leg; if you walk through the world with only compassion you walk on one leg; but if you move through with intellect and compassion then you have wisdom

as a side note I found it interesting that at the end of her book she crosses paths and connects emotional with Seth Godin author of the next book on the list Linch Pin