In 2006, Warren Buffett told his son that he was leaving the bulk of his fortune to making a difference in the world. That’s when he gave his son Howard G. Buffett a billion dollars and told him to go fix the hard problems. As a professional farmer, Howard G. decided to go out and fix hunger. Over time, he has realized that you can’t fix hunger without dealing with conflict, with property rights and just about every other aspect of society.
In his book 40 Chances (co-written with his own son Howard W. Buffett) he tells the story of how the average farmer only gets 40 Chances to plant a crop between the first time he climbs on a tractor and the last time he climbs off it. A farmer has to make the most of those 40 Chances. Rather than ploughing cash into the same projects that have always gotten cash, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation has chosen to adopt an experimental approach to development that looks above all for self-sustaining solutions that keep themselves going long after all the aid workers have left.
40 Chances is available on Amazon. You can follow the book on twitter @40Chances.