This book, about BASIX a micro-finance institution in India, comes at a time of increasing doubt over the sustainability of micro-finance, as the debt burden of the poor and the despair it can create reaches public knowledge. BASIX offers an alternative model. The institution believes that while credit is important for the poor, it alone is insufficient to bring people out of poverty, and therefore combines financial services with livelihood development. BASIX offers a holistic model of microfinance, with a hope for a more equitable and sustainable future.