The Blue Sweater

Bridging the Gap between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World

By: Jacqueline Novogratz

Narrated by: Jacqueline Novogratz

Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

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 sweater had made its trek all the way to Rwanda was ample evidence, she thought, of how we are all connected, how our actions - and inaction - touch people every day across the globe, people we may never know or meet.

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 - women dancing in a Nairobi slum, unwed mothers starting a bakery, courageous survivors of the Rwandan genocide, entrepreneurs building services for the poor against impossible odds.

She shows, in ways both hilarious and heartbreaking, 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.

©2009 Jacqueline Novogratz (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"This is a wonderful book by a remarkable woman. It's a story about doing enormous good while having some extraordinary experiences and even adventures. It touches the heart and the mind. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about what's really going on in the world out there." (Fareed Zakaria, editor at large, Time magazine; host, CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS)

"Jacqueline's book and her work represent an entirely new way to look at things, a vivid opportunity for change and most of all, an obligation to spread the word about the way the world has evolved. We need to wake up and listen to what she has to say. Hurry!" (Seth Godin, author of Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us and Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable)

"If you believe in the worth and capacity of individual initiative and in group commitment, or if you believe that our lives can be transformed by the events we live through, then you must read this book." (Daniel Toole, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia)

Why money is NOT the answer

She shows great inside on how we may go about making great changes and why many of the current programs do not and will not work.

one of the most inspiring books on development

I loved this book and the author's views on how to help and aid the poor through lending . The stories she tells are incredibly heartwrenching and thought provoking

Inspiring!!

This was one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. As an educator I hope to pass on her message to my students.

Read this book

Everyone should read this book. Especially those who live by the status quo - too many Americans take clean water & health & housing for granted & all they do is complain about their favorite football team or how much gas cost. Enough already.

Not for me

I admire the author’s journey and accomplishments. She also offered some wonderful insights. However, this book was extremely hard to follow with multiple names and side stories. I feel the story could have been simplified and it would have been easier to follow. I couldn’t finish it.

Inspiring, Honest Read. Highly Recommended

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. This is a beautiful, honest memoir, as well as a crash course on micro-lending and development for the poor. Novogratz is very good at describing her experiences, missteps, and successes without revision; she writes about what she learned, the people she met, the places she grew to love. I especially like the parts involving Rwanda. The audio quality is also good, and Novogratz is fun to listen to.

Amazing!

Just read or listen to it. It is one of the best books I have ever encountered. An amazing and inspired journey.

Must read for anyone

I read this as supplement to an international studies class, but it was so compelling I would have read it voluntarily. Novogratz addresses the flaw in the current system of foreign aid and using her long compelling experience in the field suggests a superior long lasting system.

In addition to this niche topic she addresses in so many words the human condition and tells her first and second hand accounts of major world events she was tied to: Rwandan Genocide, 9/11, others.

This book is above all else an easily digestible story that forever one to question their beliefs and develop character.

great read!

It was a great read! The uganda portion was slower to follow though. Loved following her journey!

Enlightening and Inspiring

Ms. Novogratz has woven together a story that takes the reader/listener inside her experiences in a way that makes one appreciate the depth of her understanding of the people she is helping enable themselves to realize their own potential to better their lives for a more sustainable and successful future.

Excellent by any measure.