by Paul Collier
|
| List Price: | $21.00 |
| Amazon Price: | $9.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. |
| You Save: | $11.01 (52%) |
| Average Rating: |  |
| Lowest New Price: | $9.99 |
| Availablitiy: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
|
 |
|
Product Description
Global poverty, Paul Collier points out, is actually falling quite rapidly for about eighty percent of the world. The real crisis lies in a group of about 50 failing states, the bottom billion, whose problems defy traditional approaches to alleviating poverty.
In The Bottom Billion, Collier contends that these fifty failed states pose the central challenge of the developing world in the twenty-first century. The book shines a much needed light on this group of small nations, largely unnoticed by the industrialized West, that are dropping further and further behind the majority of the world's people, often falling into an absolute decline in living standards. A struggle rages within each of these nation between reformers and corrupt leaders--and the corrupt are winning. Collier analyzes the causes of failure, pointing to a set of traps that snare these countries, including civil war, a dependence on the extraction and export of natural resources, and bad governance. Standard solutions do not work against these traps, he writes; aid is often ineffective, and globalization can actually make matters worse, driving development to more stable nations. What the bottom billion need, Collier argues, is a bold new plan supported by the Group of Eight industrialized nations. If failed states are ever to be helped, the G8 will have to adopt preferential trade policies, new laws against corruption, and new international charters, and even conduct carefully calibrated military interventions.
As former director of research for the World Bank and current Director of the Center for the Study of African Economies at Oxford University, Paul Collier has spent a lifetime working to end global poverty. In The Bottom Billion, he offers real hope for solving one of the great humanitarian crises facing the world today.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 thoughtful quick read, 2008-11-17
surpasses older books on the subject; a fluid easy read yet not superficial; combines a compassionate belief that we ought to help those in extreme poverty with a critical analysis of the failings of current development aid.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Full of hope, 2008-10-31
This book gives great insight on how complex nations really are and that there is a soulution for every problem. Terrific reading.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Development economics that we can all understand, 2008-10-17
This book summarizes a career's worth of research in a format that both explains issues and makes suggestions in a way that does not require economics jargon translation. It is the best work I've seen that describes the effect of individual and combined local and world factors on the plight of the 'bottom Billion" mainly in land locked African nations. Without assigning blame Collier recounts the history, economic, geographic, social and leadership factors that trap these nations and make those of us committed to helping them so perplexed about why aid has not worked. He offers suggestions for growth that leave some room for optimism. What raises the work above well written editorial to convincing evidence is that Colliers's writings and suggestions are based upon consolidation of research results (that he briefly cites at the end of the work) over a long period covering the measured influence of many factors . Besides the pithy and well drawn content the writing is clear , straightforward and entertaining making it enjoyable to read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Thought Provoking, 2008-09-15
I really enjoyed this book. Paul Collier has taken what is a very complex issue and presented it in a concise view of the situation of the "Bottom Billion" which many of us do not really understand. Collier and his colleagues have done an enormous amount of research and analysis and have distilled that into a compelling read for anyone who worries about what's happening to our world.
To me, the book shed light on the difficulty faced by the "Bottom Billion" and how, with the best of intentions, Aid organisations, the World Bank, IMF, European Union, USA, regional bodies etc can still not achieve an improvement in the lives of these people. Coordination is the key, and that is far easier said than done - and I am just wondering how the author is working to get this "Bottom Billion" discussion tabled. It would be great to follow any progress made - and I hope, for the sake of a billion lives, there is progress.
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
 Poorest billion, 2008-06-28
What do we do with them?
Prof. Collier of Oxford University, has done years of research, publishing, conferences, on this topic. Yet, one-size- fit-all solution never came up.
With civil war, ethnic conflict, fighting for natural resources, bad governance, bad neighbors, military power, aids from G8, law, trade policy issues, one would think that the solution is not possible.
What is needed is to have a strong and capable leadership at the top. With a strong leader, the country can change.
We need to focus on a group of countries at a time. G8 countries are drilling oil, gas, and minerals in Africa now. China recently sent 500,000 to Africa to build highway, bridges, telephone systems, etc.
It is possible to accomplish.
But this book does not include any of the African success stories.
Everyone knows the problem. But the solution is the most important for the bottom billions.
Price is accurate as of the date/time indicated. Prices and product availability are subject to change. Any price displayed on the Amazon website at the time of purchase will govern the sale of this product.
|
Store Categories
|