The Blue Sweater

Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A visionary book . . . devoted to providing opportunity to poor people in all countries in an interconnected world.”—Deepak Chopra “An inspiring book by a remarkable woman.”—People It all started with the blue sweater, the one my uncle Ed gave me. . . . The blue sweater had made a complex journey, from my closet in Alexandria, Virginia, to a young child in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. . . . The story of the blue sweater has always reminded me of how we are all connected. Our actions—and inaction—touch people we may never know and never meet across the globe. Jacqueline Novogratz 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. From her first stumbling efforts as a young idealist venturing forth in Africa to the creation of the trailblazing organization she runs today, Novogratz tells gripping stories with unforgettable characters. She shows how traditional charity often fails, but how a new form of philanthropic investing called “patient capital” can help make people self-sufficient and can change millions of lives. More than just an autobiography or a how-to guide to addressing poverty, The Blue Sweater is a call to action that challenges us to grant dignity to the poor and to rethink our engagement with the world. Jacqueline will donate her paperback royalties to Acumen Fund and other organizations fighting for social change.