The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid

This book, highly lauded by the press when it was first published, focuses on how private companies can help to fight world poverty by developing profitable businesses. Highly pragmatic, it offers a collection of successful examples and the lessons that can be drawn from them. The second part describes twelve successful initiatives, and an on-line extension of the book offers additional videos and case studies.
The most traditional part of the book fits into six chapters covering about 100 pages, addressing the subject from both a political and business perspective from the angle of how companies can make money and forward social progress by creating profitable businesses that improve the living conditions of the four billion individuals who live on less than $2 a day. Chapter 1 offers a clear introductory glimpse at the relevant issues and deserves to be at least rapidly perused. Managers intrigued by what it takes to succeed in the developing world will pay careful attention to chapter 2, which describes twelve innovative ways to serve these markets profitably. The other chapters examine the “ecosystem” required to develop a large-scale business in emerging markets – that is, the synergies that must be formed between private companies, humanitarian organizations and governmental institutions.