Entrepreneurship for Human Flourishing

by Peter Greer, Chris Horst

In our efforts to reduce poverty and advance human flourishing, we are often quick to glorify the “noble nonprofit,” while viewing entrepreneurship and enterprise as amoral at best.
In Entrepreneurship for Human Flourishing, Chris Horst and Peter Greer of HOPE International argue that such a posture neglects the very engine of human flourishing—whatever their size or form, businesses play a central role in the war on poverty. With personal stories of everyday businesspeople, Greer and Horst assert the integral role of free enterprise and entrepreneurship in creating opportunities for individuals to experience what it means to be fully human. For when that happens, they argue, people and societies flourish.

Genres: Economics, Nonfiction, Business, Politics

118 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2014

About the author

Peter Greer is an author, speaker, and president and CEO of HOPE International, a global faith-based economic development organization serving throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Peter received a B.S. in international business from Messiah University and an MPP in political and economic development from Harvard's Kennedy School.
As an advocate for the Church’s role in missions and alleviating extreme poverty, Peter has co-authored over 14 books, including The Gift of Disillusionment, Mission Drift (selected as a 2015 Book Award Winner from Christianity Today), Rooting for Rivals (selected as a 2019 Leadership Resource of the Year in Outreach magazine), The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good (selected as one of the top 40 books on poverty by WORLD magazine) and Created to Flourish. More important than his role at HOPE is his role as husband to Laurel and dad to Keith, Liliana, Myles, and London. While his sports loyalties remain in New England, Peter and his family live in Lancaster, PA.

Blog: peterkgreer.com. Twitter: @peterkgreer. Facebook: @PeterKGreer

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 Review
I challenged myself in 2024 to re-read the books that impacted me most in my 20s.
At one point, I listed this book in the "top 3" most impactful books I'd read.
Now, to be honest, I'm sort of scratching my head on how it made it there. The work isn't bad. It apparently formed my attitude towards the profit/nonprofit divide in ministry. But it is very...cursory.
Very excited about microloans.
It feels very 2009? (Despite the 2014 publishing date?)
This would make good supplemental reading to a broader conversation about vocation and empowerment. But it really only scratches the surface of the conversation.

2015 Review
Peter Greer challenges the distinction between "for profit" and "non-profit" companies in helping people around the world. He share stories of individuals who used their "for profit" companies to provide jobs, expand education, and bring life to communities.
I have now heard Peter Greer speak several times and I'm so glad this book came out. It is a powerful message and one I hope people, especially within the church, will take to heart. "Non-profit" does not equal super holy compared to "for profit", instead each has a role to play in bring about human flourishing.
Highly, highly recommended, especially for students.

[Isaac Ezell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book is a must read for the business owner and the philanthropist. Horst and Greer go deep and engage emotion in this small volume outlining the macro-economic progress that entrepreneurship has brought about in the last 100 years. This book is for those of us that are tempted to think that our work in the business world is somehow less honorable or meaningful than Peace Corps volunteers or non-profit CEOs.

[Mark Oppenlander · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure why Peter Greer and Chris Horst wrote this book. At a glance, they seem to want to make a case for entrepreneurship as a critical tool to progress standards of living at a global level. They also seem to want to make a case for entrepreneurship as the way that global poverty can be alleviated, break down some of the conceptual divide between for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, and defend big business, which they seem to think gets a bad rap. However, at less than 100 pages, the book hits all of these things at a very high level. It simply doesn't have the time or space to go in-depth on anything.

The other problem I had with this book was that in its desire to show optimism for micro-finance, social entrepreneurship, and even corporate social responsibility (they spend quite a few pages talking about how philanthropic the drug manufacturer Merck is), it doesn't really address the problems that business creates. The book occasionally mentions things like income inequality, pollution, greed, or over-consumption, but the presentation of the dark side of business feels like a straw man argument, and the authors quickly bat it aside as they dive forward to talk about how good business is or can be. Again, this may simply be a function of space. It's possible that the authors have thorough, well-researched, and detailed responses to how we can blunt the sharper edge of business, especially at the multinational level, but they don't make those arguments here. More than anything, the books feels like a cheerleading tome for global capitalism.

To be fair, I agree with much of what Greer and Horst say. And they do highlight particular challenges (e.g., the lack of funding for SME's around the world) that are quite real. However there are other, more nuanced books out there on these topics. This slim volume feels like a primer, and a fairly unsophisticated one at that. Given that it was published by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), perhaps that's not a big surprise. AEI has a mission and a mandate of its own, and maybe this tiny book was produced merely as a recruiting tract for their ideas. But for someone who has read a lot about social enterprise, capitalism, and even global development, this book disappoints. It's too superficial to be truly useful.

[Kinho Chan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Missed opportunity.

This is an important topic and I appreciate the authors for trying to invite more engagement into careful consideration about the nature and potential of entrepreneurship and the meaning of human flourishing. I was disappointed by the superficiality of the content. In spite of the fact that I am in basic agreement with the authors that entrepreneurship has an important role in contributing to human flourishing, the arguments put forth in this book are often based on questionable premises and weak evidence (anecdotal or biased).

A number of well-reasoned and well-researched books have documented serious and systemic forces undermining individual efforts for human flourishing. Some examples include Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World, The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and its Solutions, Saving Capitalism: For the Many, Not the Few. It is my humble opinion that serious discussions about the role of entrepreneurship in human flourishing should meaningfully engage with the implications of human nature, socio-political power dynamics, and historical & economic inequities. I am hopeful that this book may inspire others to produce works that explore these issues in more depth.

[Laurie Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The small book with a phenomenally huge idea that works!

In 2017 I wrote on my blog: "No national government can financially sustain the cost burden of providing for its citizens. Ukraine is an example of that. With a desire to help, a small team of Americans reached out traditionally to poverty stricken Ukraine with the following results: "Your helping is actually hurting us..." "...can you restore dignity...?" "They were still doing for others instead of walking with them." Thus, the novel idea of using micro-finance began with the people of Ukraine "...now gaining confidence in their God-given ability... who is the source of dignity?...they are the creation of God...they are made in His image."
Quotes from the book:

"...work comes from God-and is therefore a gift. Work was assigned to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, before the fall. The mandate to steward the earth and to bear the imago dei by exercising dominion throughout the created order means that in spite of sin, work is an essential and inherent part of what it means to be human." (pix)

"theologian Klaus Issler estimates that Jesus spent six times as many years working as a carpenter as he did in his public ministry." (px)

"Moreover, the authors explain how entrepreneurial capitalism is the long-term hope of the poor-and, therefore, of us all." (px)

"Where there is an abundance of entrepreneurship, employment rises-and human benefits extend beyond the provision of material goods and services alone." (p9)

"Michael Novak summarizes, 'How can we quickly discern the health of a nation? It's easy: Look at how many small businesses were created in the last year. If the number is high, the society is typically on the rise. If it's low, we know the nation is headed for trouble. Entrepreneurship reflects what is happening in the culture." (p10)

"Freer markets and higher levels of meaningful employment translates to higher levels of life satisfaction." (p10)

"'Capitalism and economic freedom promote peace,' writes Professor Erich Weede." (p11)

"'If countries fail at creating jobs,' says Clifton, 'their societies will fall apart. Countries, and more specifically cities, will experience suffering, instability, chaos, and eventually revolution.'" (p12-13)

"By overwhelming margins, free markets have enabled more people to escape poverty than any other economic system in the world." (p20)

[Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite and interesting little book.

The writers build the moral case for free enterprise. The make the case that entrepreneurialism is the long-term hope of the poor. Across the world. In every country. "Business isn't secondary in helping the poor; it is primary." p7

Few people rise out of poverty with government help. Most do it through small business, micro-business.

"Entrpeneurialship occurs when people use their God-given skills and talents to create and grow organizations."p7

"The myth that profit maximization is the sole purpose of business has done enormous damage to the reputation of capitalism and the legitimacy of business in society, " wrote John Mackey, founder and president of Whole Foods Market. p17

"According to their study (Yale University and the Brookings Institution), in 1981, 52% of the world's population was unable to provide for their basic needs, like housing and food, and was living below the 'extreme poverty line.' By the end of 2011, just 30 years later, that percentage plummented to 15 percent. That was not due to the World Bank or the United Nations, but rather to the "rise of globalization and the spread of capitalism."p21

Thus the sub-title of the book: "Entrepreneurship for Human Flourishing"

It is worth the read.

[Brice Karickhoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved all the ideas in this book. The authors did a great job to remind readers that while non-profits play an important role in poverty alleviation, the development of for-profit businesses is ultimately the process that turns the wheels of economic development. I’m totally here for it, and the authors did their research well. I’ve hardly ever not seen eye to eye with Peter Greer on anything he’s written.

I give this book 3 stars because it was probably 75% anecdotes. Which is great because people love stories and all. But it’s just not for me. I read fiction for stories, and non-fiction for knowledge, and whenever a non-fiction author follows every point with two five-page stories about that point, I get a lil bored.

[Amanda Sagastume · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read with good reminders:
- We can work in for-profit businesses and still be missional in our purpose.
- Businesses should be involved in missional work. It’s not just the job of nonprofits to eradicate poverty/help others.
- God created humans to work.
- Having success and wealth does not equal happiness.

Probably one of my favorite quotes in the book:
Meaning is not found through job creation or success alone, but through a lifelong commitment to fairh, community, family and meaningful work.

[Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet. If you're not familiar with the concept it is a good intro to the value of micro-finance and savings organizations. 4-stars by default (basic but short) although there are similar books by Peter Greer I'd recommend more.

[Paul Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid read. Does not dive deep with ideas but explores how business and entrepreneurship are essential to thriving society

[Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really helpful little book!

[Archer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Create-sell-invest-give: this is the consistent cycle of any flourishing entrepreneur. And when entrepreneurs flourish, people and places flourish.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this mini-book, Chris Horst and Peter Greer encourage businesses to be involved in their community. They challenge young startups to overcome the sacred/secular divide and integrate their faith into their businesses and communities. Entrepreneurship is essential for human flourishing. Providing employment is much more beneficial in the long run for communities than material goods and services. “Charity is at its best when it complements the private sector, when it temporarily assists those who are unable to participate in productive employment and take care of themselves and their families.” (p. 13)

I highly recommend this book to everyone! It’s short and to the point and makes a great case for free markets. “Meaning is not found through job creation or success alone, but through a lifelong commitment to faith, community, family, and meaningful work.” (p. 84)

The following are some of my favorite passages:

“Jobs are the central weapon in the war on poverty. They are the centerpiece of communities that flourish.” – p. 22

“There’s a direct correlation between the ease of opening a small business and a region’s prosperity.” – p. 31

“[C]ompanies focused on lasting success take into account a longer and broader view of human flourishing than do companies created to make a quick buck at the expense of their workers. “ – p. 48

“’Succeeding’ at the expense of your employees and customers will eventually lead to collapse.” – p. 48-49

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

From a Christian business perspective, this little booklet argues the point that we are not only to give aid to those in impoverished nations, but we are to teach them good business skills because they and their communities are then better able to help themselves in the future. It also talks about how people are created to work and when we are given the opportunity to work we have a better outlook on life and can look to the future, rather than simply focusing on surviving. Another main point is that being able to work for oneself gives one hope for the future.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean, it's everything I care about. Just not very practical.