Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Get started
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Clay Water Brick summary
Jessica Jackley
Finding Inspiration from Entrepreneurs Who Do the Most with the Least
18 mins
Brief summary
Clay Water Brick by Jessica Jackley is a memoir of a woman who founded Kiva, a non-profit providing micro-loans to entrepreneurs. She shares lessons for entrepreneurs with a social-impact lens.
Table of Contents
Clay Water Brick
Summary of 8 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 8
While conventional charities are floundering, entrepreneurs in developing nations are making a difference.
Designer suits, expensive cars, cash to burn: that’s how most of us picture the life of a successful entrepreneur. But not all entrepreneurs are enjoying life in the fast lane. Some of the most ingenious, resourceful and innovative entrepreneurs live and work in the poorest areas of the world.
In recent years, entrepreneurs from developing nations have become beacons of hope. Far from widening the divide between rich and poor, the entrepreneurial spirit could help us close it.
Entrepreneurship may even be a far better solution to poverty than any other current method. Why?
Well, consider how the average charity works. A person donates a given amount of money knowing that it’s for a good cause. They don’t know how that money will be spent, who it helps or the quality of the charity’s assistance.
Individuals that want to feel more involved in a charity’s activity may volunteer. The author herself volunteered in many organizations. But no matter whether she was helping out at a hospital, at a sports club, in a soup kitchen or a halfway house for teenage mothers – she couldn’t help feeling like she wasn’t making a lasting impact.
Moreover, seeing the same people return every day for assistance with little motivation to change their own lives is disheartening to many volunteers. Charities, of course, are an indispensable part of society. But there are more ways to make a difference.
As the saying goes: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” The author understood the significance of this after gaining firsthand experience in East Africa with Californian nonprofit Village Enterprise. After interviewing local small business owners about their lives and the positive impact of Village Enterprise’s financial sponsorship, one thing was clear:
These people had the ideas, motivation and aspirations to fight their way out of poverty. All they needed was a little financial support. This gave birth to a revolutionary way of improving conditions in developing communities. The following blinks will tell you more about how it happened.
Want to see all full key ideas from Clay Water Brick?
Key ideas in Clay Water Brick
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Clay Water Brick about?
Clay Water Brick (2015) explores the author’s unusual business career in connection with stories of successful micro-entrepreneurs all over the globe. These blinks reveal the strategies of entrepreneurs who make something out of nothing while making a difference in struggling communities.
Clay Water Brick Review
Clay Water Brick (2015) by Jessica Jackley offers a captivating journey into the world of social entrepreneurship, demonstrating that anyone can make a positive impact. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Packed with inspiring stories of ordinary people creating extraordinary change, it shows that anyone can be a changemaker.
- By combining personal anecdotes with practical advice, the book provides a roadmap for turning passion into purpose and making a difference in the world.
- Its engaging narrative and thought-provoking insights make social entrepreneurship accessible and exciting, ensuring the book is far from boring.
Best quote from Clay Water Brick
Your mission is your identity and your guide. It tells the world and serves to remind you, exactly who you are and who you are not.
—Jessica Jackley
Who should read Clay Water Brick?
- Aspiring entrepreneurs worried that a lack of resources will hold them back
- Activists interested in sustainable approaches to changing the world
- Those who want to see global issues from an optimistic perspective
Categories with Clay Water Brick
Book summaries like Clay Water Brick
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
37 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Clay Water Brick FAQs
What is the main message of Clay Water Brick?
The main message of Clay Water Brick is that small actions can have a big impact on solving poverty and creating positive change.
How long does it take to read Clay Water Brick?
The estimated reading time for Clay Water Brick is several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Clay Water Brick a good book? Is it worth reading?
Clay Water Brick is worth reading because it provides inspiring stories and practical insights into social entrepreneurship and making a difference.
Who is the author of Clay Water Brick?
The author of Clay Water Brick is Jessica Jackley.
What to read after Clay Water Brick?
If you're wondering what to read next after Clay Water Brick, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Brag Better by Meredith Fineman
- Getting It Done When You're Depressed by Julie A. Fast
- King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild
- The Next Great Migration by Sonia Shah
- House of Huawei by Eva Dou
- The Sovereign Child by Aaron Stupple
- Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg
- Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday
- The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
- The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk