Book Signing and Discussion: “Portfolios of the Poor” by Jonathan Morduch

The Financial Access Initiative and Africa House presented, “Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on $2 a Day” by Daryl Collins, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford and Orlanda Ruthven. A panel, which included Matthew Bishop, Daryl Collins, Bill Easterly, Jonathan Morduch, and Yaw Nyarko, discussed the book. The authors report on the yearlong “financial diaries” of villagers and slum dwellers in Bangladesh, India, and South Africa–records that track penny by penny how households manage their money. The stories of these families are often surprising and inspiring. The panel discussion was followed by an enthusiastic Q & A session.