Muhammad Yunus, the practical visionary who pioneered microcredit and won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, has developed a new dimension for capitalism which he calls "social business." By harnessing the energy of profit-making to the objective of fulfilling human needs, social business creates self-supporting, viable commercial enterprises that generate economic growth even as they produce goods and services that make the world a better place. Here, Yunus shows how social business has gone from being a theory to an inspiring practice, adopted by leading corporations, entrepreneurs, and social activists across Asia, South America, Europe and the US. He demonstrates how social business transforms lives; offers practical guidance for those who want to create social businesses of their own; explains how public and corporate policies must adapt to make room for the social business model; and shows why social business holds the potential to redeem the failed promise of free-market enterprise.--From publisher description.

Includes index.

Introduction: social business-from dream to reality -- Why social business? -- Growing pains : lessons in adaptation and change from the story of -- Grameen danone -- Launching a social business -- To cure one child : a social business approach to health care -- Legal and financial frameworks for social business -- "Social R&D" : Grameen veolia explores new ways to serve human needs -- Creating a social business infrastructure -- Glimpses of tomorrow : the future of social business -- Social business and the current crisis.