> Posted by Yvonne Chen
Editor’s note: This is one of the CFI blog’s all-time most popular posts. We thought we’d put it front and center once more, in order to make it more visible to new readers who might be stocking their bookshelves.
Looking for a new book to read? The Browser’s recent interview with microfinance expert Stuart Rutherford gives us his top five on the subject of “The Poor and Their Money”:
- The Economics of Microfinance by Jonathan Morduch and Beatriz Armendáriz
- Mainstreaming Microfinance: How Lending Began, Grew, and Came of Age in Bolivia by Elisabeth Rhyne
- Women at the Centre: Grameen Bank Borrowers After One Decade by Helen Todd
- A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
- Small, Short and Unsecured: Informal Rural Finance in India by F J A (Fritz) Bouman
Known for his expertise in understanding how the poor manage their money, Rutherford has himself published some of today’s go-to references on this topic, including The Poor and their Money and Portfolios of the Poor. The five books listed above were chosen by him not only for their impact on his work, but also for their ability to place the client at the center of our conceptualization of microfinance. This is important because as Rutherford himself explains, “microfinance has to find a way to adapt itself to the enormous complexity found in the lives of poor people, and not the other way around.”
Order your own copy of Elisabeth Rhyne’s Mainstreaming Microfinance: How Lending Began Grew and Came of Age in Bolivia today.
Have you read?
‘More Than Good Intentions’ by Dean Karlan and Jacob Appel – Book Review by Guy Stuart
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February 1, 2010 at 10:47 am
jacobksamuelson
That’s a great list.
To add, I read Elizabeth Rhyne’s more recent book Microfinance for Bankers and Investors last year. I’ve kept it within arms reach ever since b/c I find it so valuable a resource. It’s highly readable without reducing any of the complexities of inclusive finance that are necessary for full understanding.
March 7, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Denis Griffin
A relatively early book on microcredit that inspired me is Australian scholar Joe Remenyi’s “Where Credit is Due” published in 1991. He visited a number of MFIs in Asia and Africa and wrote about their strengths and weaknesses. He also emphasised the importance of savings and other financial services before the term microfinance became fashionable.
July 13, 2010 at 2:08 am
financial spreadbetting
Mainstreaming Microfinance is a good book, I read part of this at university.
February 6, 2011 at 6:50 pm
Getaneh Gobezie
What about the books by Stuart Rutherford, Portfolio of the Poor’, and ‘The Poor and Thier Money’?? Such books are eye-openers in about microfinance.
February 7, 2011 at 3:19 pm
Center for Financial Inclusion
Thank you Getaneh. We agree that this is a great book and are happy to hear that others share this sentiment. Please write to us with other thoughts and suggestions as well.
September 1, 2011 at 3:49 am
Getaneh Gobezie
Hello colleagues, and thank you for this initiative. … This is very helpful for all stakeholders in microfinance who do not have the time to review everything written on the sector. I would like to add:
**Gonzalez-Vega, Claudio (2003): Deepening Rural Financial Markets: Macroeconomic Policy and Political Dimensions, Ohio State University
**Dowla, Asif and Dipal Barua (2006): The Poor Always Pay Back: The Grameen II Story, Kumarian Press, Inc., USA
But some (most??) of us can NOT access these materials…. particularly if they are in hard copy…. Perhaps you can be of assistance on this??
Thank you also for your other work on-line posting of real field experiences; i.e, WordPress – [New Post] ….. They tell a real story from the grass root!! ….
I hope to learn more and also share…..
Rgrds,
Getaneh Gobezie
Gender and Ruralfinance consultant
(getanehg2002@yahoo.com)
December 12, 2011 at 12:33 pm
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