Blog

February 19, 2009

February 19 – Grameen Foundation CEO Alex Counts speaks to Cornell alumns

A large group of Cornell University alumni had the opportunity to hear Alex Counts speak today about his book, Small Loans, Big Dreams: How Nobel Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus and Microfinance are Changing the World. Counts is the president and CEO of the Grameen Foundation, a nonprofit, Washington, D.C.–based organization that has grown from modest beginnings in 1997 to become a global network of forty-six microfinance partners in twenty-four countries. Under his leadership, the Grameen Foundation impacts an estimated eighteen […]
January 28, 2009

January 28, 2009 – In Memory of John Updike

Hooks Book Events acknowledges the passing of John Updike with this offering, “Requiem,” from his forthcoming collection, “Endpoint and Other Poems,” as shared in today’s Opinion section of the New York Times. Requiem, by John Updike Were I to die, no one would say, “Oh, what a shame! So young, so full Of promise — depths unplumbable!” Instead, a shrug and tearless eyes Will greet my overdue demise; The wide response will be, I know, “I thought he died a […]
January 20, 2009

January 20, 2009 – What is Barack Obama reading?

In his first book, “Dreams From My Father,” Barack Obama talks about how he has turned to books as a way of acquiring insights and information from others. Some of his favorites are by James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, Langston Hughes, Richard Wright and W. E. B. Du Bois. In college, he immersed himself in a spiritual-intellectual search and read the works of Nietzsche and St. Augustine. What is he reading these days? During a 60 Minutes interview in November Obama […]
November 15, 2008

November 15, 2008 – Reading Connection’s Wine & Words event

On November 15th, the Reading Connection held a fundraiser at the National Education Association HQ in Washington DC. TRC sends volunteers into homeless shelters to read (and give) books to the children in the Arlington, VA area. The event included a silent auction and appearance by five local children’s authors. HBE staff came up with the idea of having the authors sell (and sign) their books at the event, get attendees to buy extra copies of the books to donate […]
October 9, 2008

October 9, 2008 – The Grameen Foundation event

After taking Alex Counts to the Main Treasury on September 17th for the Kickoff of the CFC Campaign, we were fortunate to escort him to HUD on the 25th. There were more than 75 in attendance in the beautful new Brooks-Mondale Auditorium to hear Alex Counts. He was a big hit with these young legal fellows who asked interesting and provocative questions about the Grameen model (website: www.grameenfoundation.org) , and of its successes in the U.S. We were also graced […]
September 27, 2008

September 27, 2008 – Financial Meltdown and Solutions: HBE features Robert Shiller

For those keeping up with the news, Washington continues to reel from the financial meltdown on Wall Street and Main Street while HBE staff found itself again in the middle of the action. After taking Alex Counts to the Main Treasury CFC kick off, we were very fortunate to squire Bob Shiller around town to discuss his new book, The Sub Prime Solution (Princeton Press, 2008). Some of you may know Bob as the founder of the Case Shiller Index […]
September 17, 2008

September 17, 2008 – Saving the Galaxy event

HBE staff found itself for the second time working with the wonderful US Treasury Event staff in Secretary Henry Paulson’s office. We were asked to help find a speaker for the annual Consolidated Federal Campaign Kick-off (CFC). The obvious choice for us was Alex Counts President and CEO of Grameen Foundation (www.grameenfoundation.org) who has written a new book Small Loans Big Dreams (Wiley, 2008) outlining his work in tandem with the Grameen Bank and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Muhammad Yunus. […]