Twenty-Seven Dollars and a Dream: How Muhammad Yunus Changed the World and What It Cost Him

"Twenty-Seven Dollars and a Dream: How Muhammad Yunus Changed the World and What It Cost Him" dives deep into the heart of economic justice and gender equality through the compelling journey of Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus. Published on November 15, 2013, this narrative, crafted by social psychologist Katharine Esty, unfolds the monumental impact of a simple act of lending $27 to 42 women in rural Bangladesh. This gesture ignited the global microcredit movement, lifting millions of women out of poverty across nearly 100 countries. The book not only chronicles Yunus’s establishment of the Grameen Bank in 1983 and his painful removal in 2011 but also captures his resilience and continued advocacy for social businesses worldwide. Esty enriches the biography with personal anecdotes and diverse perspectives from Yunus’s allies and critics, offering readers an intimate look at the sacrifices entailed in pioneering social change. Ideal for college students, this work inspires reflection on how individual actions can drive sweeping global transformations.