Book review: Leading Social Entrepreneurs of Pakistan - Hero business

Iqbal M. Khan’s latest book The Unsung Heroes is a tribute to numerous men and women of Pakistan.

Iqbal M. Khan’s latest book, Leading Social Entrepreneurs of Pakistan: The Unsung Heroes, is a tribute to the numerous men and women of Pakistan who have played a positive role in improving the country. In the book, Khan looks at 92 social entrepreneurs, their successful ventures and the inspiration behind them. He considers these individuals to be fighters and encourages his readers to join the fray by becoming socially active and embracing the entrepreneurial spirit.

The book is split into nine sections. The first section provides a general overview of the book, while the others are devoted to specific areas of social entrepreneurship: Education, health, children development, micro finance, community development, environment & heritage conservation, human rights, gender issues and women empowerment. At first glance the book may seem to be a collection of autobiographical essays but it is more of an inspirational guide to those who aspire to make a positive impact in the country.

Unsung Heroes provides a detailed look into the lives of each of the 92 individuals. Khan analyses the successes of the many different social ventures and encourages his readers to not only applaud these heroes for their valiant efforts, but also to acknowledge them as the true leaders of our nation. He introduces each entrepreneur by way of a detailed biography and then delves into their inspirations and achievements. Khan believes that precedents of social good can inspire us to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. This is one of the reasons why I believe that Khan’s efforts and analysis are of utmost importance and should be introduced in the curriculum of all students of business studies, if not earlier in life when a child is developing his or her personality and aims.

Khan talks a lot about good and evil in the book, believing that the country has been taken over by those who wish to do evil. While the book promotes social entrepreneurship, it also stresses that fear of failure should not prevent an individual from taking action. Khan categorically states that had these ‘heroes’ refrained from taking action because of the fear of failure, Pakistan may have been doomed to an even worse fate than what critics and cynics currently complain about. Khan’s book may be the perfect guide to help us become the true heroes of Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, February 26^th, 2012.