Venture is a rich and readable collection of true microfinance stories. It is written for anyone who would like to better understand the realities faced by the the aspiring middle class in the world's least developed countries.

Serah Wanjiku Mukuria works at the Mugaa Village Secondary School, a rare rural high school nestled in the highlands of Kenya's Rift Valley, as a secretary (many people affectionately call her "Madam Secretary") and also takes care of her farm and animals.

Seven years ago, Rose Karanja's reality was bleak. One of a small minority of girls in Kenya to complete high school, she renounced college ambitions to care for her orphaned brother and sister.

The hope for Africa is that it can leverage its considerable endowments -- its arable land and the hard working nature of its people -- to kick start sustainable economic growth and realize food and economic security.