The White Man's Burden - William Easterly

Easterly explains why The West's efforts to help the developing world have done more harm than good. He harps on the fact that aid organizations have no method of measuring success and accountability is virtually inexistent. His belief in a more piecemeal, pragmatic approach to tackling the problems of poverty will catapult you to do something - no matter how small - that will affect the lives of the impoverished. Easterly's book is a major driving force behind this organization and to him we will forever be in debt.

The End of Poverty - Jeffrey Sachs

Sach's passionate cry for the end of 'extreme poverty' by the year 2025 is palpable. His eloquence in explaining the plight of the impoverished world and ideas on how to improve their condition is inspiring to say the least. The culmination of the book is met with nine steps to help with the goal of ending extreme poverty by 2025, some of which are: raising the voice of the poor, harnessing global science, and making a personal commitment to the cause.

Globalization and Its Discontents - Joseph Stiglitz

Stiglitz analyzes the effects of globalization on the world with a major focus on the poor world. He also heavily criticizes the Bretton Woods organizations (IMF and the World Bank) emphasizing dissatisfaction with the economic policies IMF recommends (requires) to poor countries. Based on this book, the IMF has lost its focus and brought much ill to developing countries. The organization needs to change its mindset and have at the core of its existence - true assistance for poor countries.

Creating a World Without Poverty - Muhammad Yunus

Winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, Muhammad Yunus changed the world when he loaned 856 taka (27 USD) to villagers in the 1970s. From there came the birth and boom of micro-credit or microfinance. In this book, he explains a new concept - social businesses - that are driven not by profits but by social change. Investors will recoup their original investment (without profit) but will benefit from the social impact the organization will make in the world. All profits reaped from the social business will be reinvested in the company to spread the good all over the world.

The Elusive Quest for Growth - William Easterly

This book investigates the different panaceas that have been recommended in order to end world poverty. It considers population control, aid for investment, education, loans, debt forgiveness, etc and comes up with a startling but predictable conclusion. There is no panacea that will end world poverty. The book also explores the fact that people, governments, and financial institutions simply respond to incentives. We must come up with good incentives in order to help the poor.