Young British journalist Thomas Graham was on a short-term editorial assignment in the Philippines when he interviewed Tony Meloto. Asked why poverty remained so high in the country. Mr. Meloto urged Thomas to delve into the heart of the matter. "You won't find the answers you are looking for on that clipboard of theoretical questions. Instead, enter the world of the poor and find solutions together."

Thomas promptly quit his job, moved out of his high-rise Manila apartment and set out on a journey that took him across the length and breadth of the islands. Along the way, he ignored the warnings of the embassy and headed into conflict areas sporting only a GK T-shirt for protection, befriended former gang leaders, and briefly lost his father during a visit to prison. Wherever he went, he uncovered remarkable tales of resilience, hope and transformation which taught him more insights and life lessons in a twelve-month journey than all his education back home had achieved.

Most imortantly, he learned that Mr. Meloto's contention was true: a country like the Philippines, blessed with such abundant resources and talented people, really does have no excuse to be poor.

The Genius of the Poor is a heartfelt, inspiring and often humorous account of how GK is rousing a remarkable nation to overcome the poverty in its midst.