Development economics Books

Book SynopsisThe inverse relationship between farm size and productivity is accepted as a stylized fact of agriculture in developing countries. This study uses Egyptian fieldwork data to examine factors creating this relationship, and the impact of economic and technological change on the relationship.Table of ContentsIntroduction The Present Study: Nature and Rationale; Chapter 1 The Nature of the Inverse Relationship and Its Apparent Policy Implications; Chapter 2 Theoretical Approaches to the Inverse Relationship; Chapter 3 A Class-Based Approach and the Breakdown of the Inverse Relationship in the Dynamic Context; Chapter 4 The Evidence for an Inverse Relationship between Farm Size and Productivity in Egypt: A Shadow Debate; Chapter 5 The Political Economy of the Contemporary Egyptian Countryside; Chapter 6 A Disaggregated Analysis of the ILO Data: Technical Change and the Inverse Relationship in Egypt; Chapter 7 A Closer Look at the Inverse Relationship in the Context of Agrarian Transition: Evidence from Fieldwork in Rural Egypt; Chapter 8 A Positive Relationship Village in Qena and the Emerging Comparative Picture in the Context of Egyptian Agrarian Transition;

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Book SynopsisFrom the legendary former Fed Chairman and the acclaimed Economist writer and historian, the full, epic story of America's evolution from a small patchwork of threadbare colonies to the most powerful engine of wealth and innovation the world has ever seen.Shortlisted for the 2018 Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year AwardFrom even the start of his fabled career, Alan Greenspan was duly famous for his deep understanding of even the most arcane corners of the American economy, and his restless curiosity to know even more. To the extent possible, he has made a science of understanding how the US economy works almost as a living organism--how it grows and changes, surges and stalls. He has made a particular study of the question of productivity growth, at the heart of which is the riddle of innovation. Where does innovation come from, and how does it spread through a society? And why do some eras see the fruits of innovation spread more

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Book SynopsisThis book challenges the usual ways in which development and change are regarded in rural Africa and provides a corrective to state-centred studies of development.Trade Review... a refreshing and original antidote to the myopic habits of conventional scholarship... [an] illuminating, astute, against-the-grain study of real-existing development.' -- James C. Scott, Sterling Professor of Political Science and Anthropology, Yale University ! an excellent critique of perspectives focusing on the success of a reform-minded Ugandan state. Jones portrays instead the weakness of central government in the countryside and the deleterious effects of 'external' development schemes. His focus is on change generated from within the local community by the coalescences and interchanges among religious and kin-based associations. -- Joan Vincent, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, Columbia University Beyond the State in Rural Uganda offers a new anthropological perspective on how to think about processes of social and political change in poorer parts of the world, appealing to anyone interested in African development. Society Now An accessible, intelligent and stimulating account, and a very welcome addition to the literature on Uganda. -- Tania Kaiser, School of Oriental and African Studies Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute ... a refreshing and original antidote to the myopic habits of conventional scholarship... [an] illuminating, astute, against-the-grain study of real-existing development.' ! an excellent critique of perspectives focusing on the success of a reform-minded Ugandan state. Jones portrays instead the weakness of central government in the countryside and the deleterious effects of 'external' development schemes. His focus is on change generated from within the local community by the coalescences and interchanges among religious and kin-based associations. Beyond the State in Rural Uganda offers a new anthropological perspective on how to think about processes of social and political change in poorer parts of the world, appealing to anyone interested in African development. An accessible, intelligent and stimulating account, and a very welcome addition to the literature on Uganda.Table of Contents1. Introduction; Moving the State from the Centre; In Between "Development"; The Rest of the Book; 2. Introducing Oledai; Themes that Cut Across Developments in the Village; Seniority, Prosperity, Propriety; Explaining Change in the Village; 3. Teso Society through the Twentieth Century; From Stateless to Sub-Colonial; Teso through the Post-Colonial Period; The Teso Insurgency; Conclusion; 4. The Village Court and the Withdrawn State; Away from Decentralisation; The History of the State in Teso Villages; The Actual Work of the Village Council in Oledai; Conclusion; 5. The Pentecostal Church; The Nature of Pentecostalism; Pentecostalism in the Teso Region; The Incorporation of Pentecostalism; The Limits to Incorporation; Conclusion; 6. The Anglican and Catholic Churches; The Historic Mission Churches in Teso; The Influence of Pentecostalism; Conclusion; 7. Burial Societies; The Work of Burial Societies; The Genealogy of Burial Societies; Burial Societies and Local Borrowings; The Past in the Present; Conclusion; 8. Conclusion; Churches and the Meaning Of Change; Burials, Ideas and Institutional Change; Uganda in Between; Appendix A: Research Methods; Appendix B: Interviews; Interviews Conducted in the Sub-Parish of Oledai; Interviews: Others; Participants in Group Discussions in Oledai; Participants in Group Discussions in Agolitom (Conducted in Ateso).

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the characteristics of the Chinese economic development model and its reception in Africa and Latin America. It also investigates the current competition over governance models in the Muslim world and asks which model or models will guide development in Muslim countries.Trade Review...the core of the book is excellent. -- Ali Abd al-Malik, The Islamic Quarterly ...the core of the book is excellent.Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Lure of Development Models, Robert Springborg; Section One: The Chinese Model and its Global Reception; 1. A China Model or Just a Broken Mould?, William Hurst; 2. Latin America's View of China: Interest, but Scepticism, Barbara Stallings; 3. The China Model in Africa: A New Brand of Developmentalism, Catherine Boone with Dhawal Doshi; Section Two: The Chinese Model and its Competitors in the Muslim World; 4. Learning the Right Lessons from Beijing: A Model for the Arab World?, Emma Murphy; 5. Toward an Islamic Model for the Middle East and North Africa?, Clement M. Henry; 6. Democracy, Development, and Political Islam: Comparing Iran and Turkey, Mohammed Ayoob; 7. Can the East Asian Developmental State be Replicated? The Case of Malaysia, Jeff Tan; Section Three: The Role of Governance in Development Models; 8. Governance against Development in Pakistan, Ishrat Husain; 9. Is 'Good Governance' an Appropriate Model for Governance Reforms? The Relevance of East Asia for Developing Muslim Countries, Mushtaq Khan; Conclusion: Not Washington, Beijing Nor Mecca-The Limitations of Development Models, Robert Springborg; About the Contributors.

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Book SynopsisTo what extent do Islamic values have implications for economic policy making?Islamist political parties have enjoyed unprecedented election victories in recent times. The Islamic Revolution in Iran, the election of the Justice and Development Party in Turkey and the coming to power of Islamists, albeit briefly, after the Arab Spring, has changed the political landscape in the Middle East and has ramifications for the entire Muslim World. Yet the continuing success of these parties depends on their record on economic development and employment creation. Are their economic policies different from those of their autocratic predecessors? Have they been influenced by the writings of academic Islamist economists? This book looks at the impact of Islamic teaching on public economic policy and asks how Islamic economics differs from mainstream micro and macroeconomics.Table of ContentsList of tables; Part 1: Ideas, themes and measures; 1. Economic philosophy from a Shari'ah perspective; 2. Microeconomic morality; 3. Fiscal policy choices to promote social justice; 4. Development policy; 5. International economic engagement; 6. Banking regulation, monetary policy and Islamic finance; Part 2. Country experiences; 7. Islam and economic modernisation in Turkey; 8. The Islamic Republic of Iran's nationalist economic model; 9. The influence of the Muslim Brotherhood on Egypt's economy; 10. Piety, inclusion and materialism in Saudi Arabia; 11. Faith and political economy in Pakistan and Bangladesh; 12. Asian versus Muslim identities in Malaysia and Indonesia; Postscript; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisWhy has Myanmar (Burma), a country rich in resources - rice, timber, minerals - descended to ''least developed country'' status? Is the explanation to be found inside Burma or beyond? Is the failure of development due to political authoritarianism and conflict? Or perhaps the drugs trade is partly to blame? This book contends that all these factors have contributed. But it also maintains that the mismanagement of the country''s resources is of equal, or even greater, importance. A clear answer to the question of Burma''s developmental failure is sought by focussing upon the misuse of resources in concert with those factors that are more usually emphasized.Trade Review'We know precious little about Burma, and we should - indeed, need to - know more. Peter Perry's uncompromising and wide-ranging foray into this little known country helps to illuminate Burma's decline and is a valuable and necessary addition to a thin body of work.' Jonathan Rigg, Durham University, UK '...marvelous book that should be welcomed by both lay readers and specialists interested in Myanmar (Burma) in particular and development studies in general...Highly recommended.' Choice 'Peter Perry's Myanmar (Burma) since 1962 is a great addition to the literature on a relatively unknown topic...A geographer by training, Perry provides a different perspective to understanding the roots of Burma's economic crisis...His "integrative" approach, although neither new or revolutionary, is a major contribution to a field that has been predominantly occupied by historians, economists, political scientists, and anthropologists.' SOJOURN: Journal of social Issues in Southeast Asia '[the author's] command of the country's troubled social history and events leading to the current state of developmental failures make this book an invaluable reference for students and researchers of global studies, Southeast Asian history, political studies and Burmese studies,' Political Studies Review '...gives a useful background to anyone wishing to understand how contemporary Burma reached its present parlous state...' Pacific AffairsTable of ContentsContents: Preface; Looking at Ne Win's Burma: why and how; Looking at Ne Win's Burma: sources and evidence; Ne Win's Burma and its contexts: socialist and military; Ne Win's Burma and its contexts: isolationism, authoritarianism, Buddhism and the popular response; Rice: the failing driving force; Rice: sustained failure and unsustainable success; Teak and timber: primacy by default; Minerals: new profits and old; Distributional crisis: socialism, shopkeepers, and service providers; Distributional crisis: the alternatives; Insurgencies and drugs; What happened next; What now? Afterwords and afterwards; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisClimate change threatens all people, but its adverse effects will be felt most acutely by the world''s poor. Absent urgent action, new threats to food security, public health, and other societal needs may reverse hard-fought human development gains. Climate Change and Global Poverty makes concrete recommendations to integrate international development and climate protection strategies. It demonstrates that effective climate solutions must empower global development, while poverty alleviation itself must become a central strategy for both mitigating emissions and reducing global vulnerability to adverse climate impacts.

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Book SynopsisBased on research conducted by the Moscow Centre for Civilizational and Regional Studies, this work documents the findings of one of the studies done on the states of Central Asia - Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kirgizia and Tadjikistan. It analyses the difficulties of state-building and the social upheavals experienced by these republics.

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES AND WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER • Winner of CMI Management Book of the Year 2019Based on an in-depth analysis of over 2,600 leaders drawn from a database of more than 17,000 CEOs and C-suite executives, as well 13,000 hours of interviews, and two decades of experience advising CEOs and executive boards, Elena L. Botelho and Kim R. Powell overturn the myths about what it takes to get to the top and succeed. Their groundbreaking research was the featured cover story in the May-June 2017 issue of Harvard Business Review. It reveals the common attributes and counterintuitive choices that set apart successful CEOs—lessons that we can apply to our own careers.   Much of what we hear about who gets to the top, and how, is wrong. Those who become chief executives set their sights on the C-suite at an early age. In fact, over 70 percent of the CEOs didn’t have desig

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Book SynopsisAs Russia aggressively tries to regain the status of a Great Power', whether it has the economic capacity to do so has become a matter of enormous topical importance, not just for those with a long-standing professional interest in the Russian economy, but also for a wider range of economists, political scientists, and foreign-policy specialists who need to understand the workings of this majorif somewhat unusualstate. Moreover, to determine if Russia can meet and sustain its apparent ambitions requires a knowledge not just of its current economic circumstances, but also of its economic past. What, if any, is the legacy of the Soviet period? How did Russia approach the transition from central planning to a market-type economy (a question which is relevant not just to our understanding of Russia itself, but also of transitional, emerging, and developing countries more generally)? And, leaving aside its Great Power ambitions, does the contemporary Russian economy possess the resources

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Book SynopsisAfter the global financial crisis of 2008, a new trend in foreign direct investments (FDI) emerged: investors' rising interest in farmland in developing nations. This ''land rush'' was a marker of increased land commodification and agricultural financialization, but has also been associated with global narratives of agricultural modernization, and development through FDI of ''cheap, unproductive and/or idle'' farmland.Yet, as this book demonstrates, global investment dynamics are dictated by complex economic, political, socio-historical dynamics in any host country. Focusing on the land rush in Tanzania, the contexts of six investment projects in the nation are examined and unpacked, helping to understand the ways in which political struggles over land, capital and authority all feed into determining the goals - and eventually the outcomes - of the ''farmland investment game''.Trade ReviewThis book arguably presents the most compelling understanding of farmland investments in the most remote, less studied, and fertile lands of Tanzania. Its first theoretical and methodological chapters are of great use to researchers and students in many fields. A must-read book for political economy students and practitioners alike. * Emmanuel Sulle, University of the Western Cape, South Africa *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. Case selection and research method Chapter 3. In brief, the legacies of historical land management in Tanzania and the potency of factional struggles within the CCM Chapter 4. The national political arena Chapter 5. Rufiji district, a local political arena Chapter 6. Missenyi district, a local political arena Chapter 7. Village politics, or a micro political arena Chapter 8. Conclusion References

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Book SynopsisWolfgang Sachs is an author and Research Director at the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, in Germany. He has been chair of the board of Greenpeace Germany, a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and is a member of the Club of Rome. He teaches at Schumacher College and as Honorary Professor at the University of Kassel. His other books include Planet Dialectics (with Susan George, Zed 2015), and the edited collection Fair Future (Zed 2007).Trade ReviewShort, pithy and well reasoned... There is something in each chapter to challenge, even assault, our dearest, most tightly held assumptions. * Praise for the First Edition, Bulletin of Science, Technology and Society *The Development Dictionary questions the whole basis for twentieth century development through a series of brilliantly written essays by leading writers from around the world. * Praise for the First Edition, Resurgence *Unique...the book is a scream of pain from the receiving end of a process experienced as cultural genocide. * Praise for the First Edition, The Guardian *Table of ContentsForeword to the New Edition Introduction - Wolfgang Sachs 1. Development - Gustavo Esteva 2. Environment - Wolfgang Sachs 3. Equality - C. Douglas Lummis 4. Helping - Marianne Gronemeyer 5. Market - Gerard Berthoud 6. Needs - Ivan Illich 7. One World - Wolfgang Sachs 8. Participation - Majid Rahnema 9. Planning - Arturo Escobar 10. Population - Barbara Duden 11. Poverty - Majid Rahnema 12. Production - Jean Robert 13. Progress - Jose Maria Sbert 14. Resources - Vandana Shiva 15. Science - Claude Alvares 16. Socialism - Harry Cleaver 17. Standard of Living - Serge Latouche 18. State - Ashis Nandy 19. Technology - Otto Ullrich

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Thoroughly revised and updated, this foundational text provides the basic economic tools for students to understand the problems facing the countries of Latin America. In the fourth edition, Patrice Franko analyzes challenges to the neoliberal model of development and highlights recent macroeconomic changes in the region. Including charts and tables with the most current data available, the book also offers a wealth of new boxed discussions and vignettes.

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Book SynopsisHow to Find, Keep and Nurture Creative TalentNolan Bushnell founded the groundbreaking gaming company Atari and two dozen other companies. He also launched Steve Jobs'' career, along with those of many other brilliant creatives over the course of his five decades in business. In his eagerly awaited first book, Bushnell explains how to find, hire, and nurture the people who could turn your company into the next Atari or the next Apple. The business world is changing faster than ever, and every day your company faces new complications and difficulties. The only way to resolve these issues is to have a staff of wildly creative people who live as much in the future as in the present, who thrive on being different, and whose ideas will guarantee that your company will prosper when other companies fail.Trade ReviewAn absolutely invaluable book by the founder of Atari and the man who launched Steve Jobs' career.Nolan is a genius, and a generous one, too. Like most geniuses who share their secrets, his secrets are simple, and available to anyone with the guts to listen - Seth Godin, author of The Icarus DeceptionThe man who helped give a generation the game of Pong now gives a new generation a series of pongs for their careers. Nolan Bushnell's book is a spirited and insightful road map for anyone trying to navigate the new world of work - Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive

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Book SynopsisAre global standards of aid, assistance and redistribution achievable in practice? These 8 essays assesses fields including humanitarian and development aid, the slave trade, health care assistance, reparations for historical injustices, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund and the global responsibility of the EU.

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Book SynopsisTaking the growing South African mining town of Emalahleni as a case study, this book investigates whether a just transition from coal-generated energy is possible and what the local implications of this global restructuring of the energy sector will be.Trade Review"This volume was an eye opener. The authors in this work of genuinely thorough scholarship skillfully use their South African mining story to develop bigger arguments about the complexity of transitioning away from a dominant resource economy. While the dramatic history of South Africa and its outsized mining sector is unique, the set of questions which arise is not. The town they focus on is still booming, but other communities already experience post-mining life, and, as the editors say, 'nobody plans for decline'. Planning for decline is especially hard when coping with growth requires all attention of local government, when post-apartheid elites want to finally benefit, and business people do not see an end to the boom. Envisioning what a transition would look like, and preparing for this, is hard. Turning such vision into a strategy is even harder. If we want such a transition to be more than economic survival, and more than avoiding environmental catastrophe, i.e. if we strive for fairness in the process and prosperous communities as a result, then the dimensions of the challenge are hard to overestimate. As the authors note, the reverberations of unregulated and unanticipated closure after a boom can span generations. Neo-liberal ideologies and mining companies anxious to avoid responsibility for communities they used to control, as well as workers desperately in need of opportunities, do not prevent the search for a just transition, however. The analyses in this book reveal, beyond complexity and despair, many signs of hope and pathways to brighter post-mining futures." -Kristof Van Assche, University of Alberta

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Book SynopsisThe challenge in teaching an introductory course on sustainability is there are many ways to teach it, and many issues to cover. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals offer a cohesive and interconnected set of topics to help address this problem – indeed the SDGs are now the guiding framework for planning and implementing sustainability through 2030. They are the focus of international development efforts, and the lingua franca of sustainability as a field of study, the international consensus on “what is sustainability?” As such, the UN SDGs present an ideal framework for an introductory level textbook because taken together, they integrate the “Three Es”—environment, economic development, and equity—that are the core definition of sustainability. This book introduces students to sustainability structured around the 17 UN SDGs. Through a global perspective, with attention given equally to how sustainability challenges the highest income countries of the Global North, as well as to the moderate- and low-income countries of the Global South, Benton-Short synthesizes basic environmental science, policy, and interdisciplinary perspectives while investigating key challenges to developing a more sustainable future through the SDG framework. Readers will easily tackle this complex set of topics through an accessible writing style, comprehensive scholarship, and diverse perspectives. Guided by a lush art program, complete with numerous maps, figures, and photos to enliven the presentation, students will develop a greater understanding of the important trends in sustainability in the twenty-first century. The broad arguments highlighted through numerous case studies and boxes prepare global citizens to grapple with the environmental, social, economic, and political challenges that face our collective future. Features of this exciting, brand-new text include: Chapter opening learning objectives to guide students’ course goals Helpful study aids such as key terms—bolded in the text and compiled both at the end of each chapter and in a comprehensive glossary End-of-chapter questions for discussion and activities to promote active learning A stunning art program, with detailed maps, figures, tables, and photos, to engage students as visual learners Critical Perspectives and Expert Voice boxes to present the diverse perspectives in sustainability Interconnections boxes to help students tie together ideas across the issues Key Terms and Concepts and Understanding the Issue boxes to go in-depth on important topics Making Progress and Solutions boxes that show students hopeful trends toward seemingly intractable problems SDGs and the Law boxes that provide a legal and governance context. Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsPrefaceIntroduction: Sustainability and Sustainable DevelopmentChapter 1: PovertyChapter 2: Hunger and Food InsecurityChapter 3: Health Chapter 4: EducationChapter 5: Gender EqualityChapter 6: Water and SanitationChapter 7: EnergyChapter 8: Decent WorkChapter 9: Infrastructure, Industry and InnovationChapter 10: Reduce Inequalities Chapter 11: Sustainable CitiesChapter 12: Production and Consumption Chapter 13: Climate Change Chapter 14: The Ocean Chapter 15: Terrestrial Ecosystems and BiodiversityChapter 16: Peace, Justice and Human RightsChapter 17: Collaborative Governance and PartnershipsChapter 18: Reflections on Sustainability and Sustainable Development GlossaryIndexAbout the Author

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Book SynopsisEnvironmental lawyer and activist Lowell E. Baier has been involved in many of the environmental battles of the past 50 years, going back to the passage of the landmark Endangered Species Act (ESA), a bipartisan law passed by Congress and signed by President Richard Nixon more than 50 years ago. In this book, he looks back at a lifetime of environmental advocacy and tackles one of the leading challenges of today, the unprecedented decline in species due to climate change. Baier argues that as global temperatures rise and already worrisome extinction trends accelerate, we should be utilizing the ESA, which functions like an emergency room for the planet. Drawing from his extensive experience as a negotiator and activist, Baier argues that the ESA is flexible enough to ameliorate the biodiversity crisis while still respecting landowners, states, and industries.

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Book SynopsisA road map for how businesses can grow and make money while reducing poverty and conflict in some of the world''s most challenging environments Many companies worry that expanding into emerging markets is a risky-and even dangerous-move. Professors Viva Ona Bartkus and Emily S. Block see things differently. They argue that by entering markets in the world''s frontline regions-areas stuck in cycles of violence and extreme poverty-businesses can actually create stability and expand opportunity for communities and corporations alike.From helping Colombian farmers transition from growing coca to produce to disrupting human trafficking rings by creating more construction jobs in the Philippines, Business on the Edge proves that businesses can make money while advancing corporate social responsibility, environmental conservation, and social justice. Partnering with groups including multinational companies, NGOs, and the US military, Bartkus and Block outline the

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Book SynopsisA collection of scholarly studies exploring the diverse challenges facing Africa today.

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Book SynopsisA thorough investigation of the validity of the economic concepts currently used in development strategies for Africa.

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Book SynopsisChallenges urban Africa to become proficient in the skillts required to survive in the new millenium.

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Book SynopsisThis title begins from the standpoint that new thinking is needed if South Africa is to generate sustainable economic growth, provide employment and decent work and promote rural development. As comparisons with other developing economies, particularly South Korea and Brazil, show, it is possible for the so-called developmental state to direct and plan economic activity and achieve developmental objectives. At the same time the title warns about the perverse impacts of black economic empowerment, particularly the growth of a rentier class of well-connected entrepreneurs.Table of ContentsThe challenge of development. South Africa's political economy. The global environment.

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Book SynopsisNew Perspectives in International Development focuses on the latest thinking in the field, moving the debate into areas such as the connection between security, conflict, and development, managing energy crises, the impact of environmental and climate change, and the role that technology can play in alleviating these challenges. The book explores the theme of development as a process of change; as historical transformation in relation to contested sites of power; it considers how human agency can affect change and the different scales, from the local to the transnational, at which change can occur. The interaction between these threads highlights the complex processes involved in international development that cannot be understood in isolation. Writers bring their own theoretical and empirical tools from social sciences including geography, politics, economics and environmental science. Chapters move from the theoretical to include case studies, placing theory in the context of the deliberate actions of people to improve their lives. The book concludes by suggesting possible ways forward to link development theories, models and practices. New Perspectives in International Development is the second of two books in The Open University's International Development series.Table of ContentsIntroduction Fear and Development Wars, States and Development Human Security or Human Development in a World of States? Solidarity, Sovereignty and Intervention Vulnerability in a World Risk Society Perspectives on Development, Technology and the Environment The Challenge for Environment, Development, and Sustainability in China Environment, Inequality and the Internal Contradictions of Globalisation Climate Change: Causes and Consequences for Development Making International Development Personal Conclusion

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Book SynopsisEntrepreneurs and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) have become the darlings of neoliberal development thinking, with the received wisdom being that such enterprises hold the key to the economic transformation of low-income countries. This thinking has profoundly influenced development policy in Rwanda, but has singularly failed to deliver the much anticipated emergence of a new class of entrepreneurs and a vibrant SME sector. This book deconstructs the myths around entrepreneurship and SMEs, and reveals how neoliberal approaches towards microcredit and related programmes have failed to address the economic challenges facing countries like Rwanda. Drawing on his study of successful and aspiring entrepreneurs, Poole identifies the factors associated with successful entrepreneurship. He uncovers the unintended consequences of the entrepreneurship and SME development prescription, and offers key policy insights which have implications for Rwanda and beyond.Trade ReviewAt last, the development industry's myth that entrepreneurs and enterprises can be generated with business plans and credit has been exploded, at least in the context of Rwanda. * Professor Malcolm Harper *David Poole's careful research in Rwanda blows fresh air into the stale atmosphere of conventional wisdom about entrepreneurship. This book should be required reading for aid officials and government officials and it will help them question the waste of resources poured into misguided credit schemes and training programmes in so many countries. * Christopher Cramer, Professor of the Political Economy of Development at SOAS, University of London *Table of ContentsList of Tables PART ONE Chapter 1 Terminology, Research Focus and Methodology Chapter 2 Theories of Entrepreneurship PART TWO Chapter 3 Rwanda: the Model Pupil? PART THREE Chapter 4 Successful Entrepreneurs, Finance and Planning Chapter 5 Successful Entrepreneurs and Psychological Traits PART FOUR Chapter 6 Searching for the Proto-entrepreneur Chapter 7 Aspiring Entrepreneurs’ Motives for Starting a Business PART FIVE Chapter 8 Resolving the Paradox References

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Book SynopsisProtracted economic crises, accelerating inequalities, and increased resource scarcity present significant challenges for the majority of Africa's urban population. Limited state capacity and widespread infrastructure deficiencies common in cities across the continent often require residents to draw on their own resources, knowledge, and expertise to resolve these life and livelihood dilemmas. DIY Urbanism in Africa investigates these practices. It develops a theoretical framework through which to analyze them, and it presents a series of case studies to demonstrate how residents invent new DIY tactics and strategies in response to security, place-making, or economic problems. This book offers a timely critical intervention into literatures on urban development and politics in Africa. It is valuable to students, policymakers, and urban practitioners keen to understand the mechanisms and political implications of widespread dynamics now shaping Africa's expanding urban environments.Trade ReviewThis lively and important new collection pushes the study of the politics of urban development in African cities in to new terrain. A must-read for students of the African city. * Claire Mercer, London School of Economics, UK *Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I: Conceptual Framing 1. DIY Urbanisms Old and New 2. DIY Urbanism in Distressed Cities in Africa 3. Reconnaissance Discourse of DIY and Urban Living in Nigeria 4. DIY Urbanism in an African Context and its Potential as a Collaborative Placemaking Tool for Bridging Africa’s Urban Infrastructure Deficit Part II: Case Studies 5. Political Economy of Community-led Security Provisioning in Urban Africa 6. The Production of Urban Space through Multi-scaled Political Networks in Lagos, Nigeria 7. Historicizing Precarity and DIY Urbanism in Accra, Ghana 8. Exploring Street Informality as Design Method: Experiences from Nigerian and Ghanaian Cities 9. Self-made Urbanism Handbook: The Case of Freetown, Sierra Leone 10. Resistance or Utopia? DIY Eco-communities in Durban, South Africa 11. Disability and Urbanism in Malawi 12. DIY Urbanism in Boom and Bust: a Perspective from Africa’s Copperbelt Conclusion

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Book SynopsisIn 1960, the GDP per capita of Southeast Asian countries was nearly half of that of Africa. By 1986 the gap had closed and today the trend is reversed, with more than half of the world's poorest now living in sub­ Saharan Africa. Why has Asia developed while Africa lagged? The Asian Aspiration chronicles the stories of explosive growth and changing fortunes: the leaders, events and policy choices that lifted a billion people out of abject poverty within a single generation, the largest such shift in human history. The relevance of Asia's example comes as Africa is facing a population boom, which can either lead to crisis or prosperity, and as Asia is again transforming, this time out of low-cost manufacturing into hi-tech, leaving a void that is Africa's for the taking. Far from the optimistic determinism of 'Africa Rising', this book calls for unprecedented pragmatism in the pursuit of African success.Trade Review‘Unlike most of the recent books vaunting the economic success of East Asia relative to Africa, this one does not limit its Asian examples to China, South Korea, and Taiwan; the authors also discuss poorer countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, whose history and pas economic policy failures make their recent successes more instructive for African countries.’ -- Foreign Affairs

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Book SynopsisTravel to virtually any African country and you are likely to find a Coca-Cola, often a cold one at that. 'Bottled' asks how this carbonated drink became ubiquitous across the continent, and what this reveals about the realities of globalisation, development and capitalism. 'Bottled' is the first assessment of the social, commercial and environmental impact of one of the planet's biggest brands and largest corporations, in Africa. Sara Byala charts the company's century-long involvement in everything from recycling and education to the anti-apartheid struggle, showing that Africans have harnessed Coca-Cola in varied expressions of modernity and self-determination: this is not a story of American capitalism running amok, but rather of a company becoming African, bending to consumer power in ways big and small. In late capitalism, everyone's fates are bound together. A beverage in Atlanta and a beverage in Johannesburg pull us all towards the same end narrative. This story matters for more than just the local reasons, enhancing our understanding of our globalised, integrated world. Drawing on fieldwork and research in company archives, Byala asks a question for our time: does Coca-Cola's generative work offset the human and planetary costs associated with its growth in the twenty-first century?Trade Review‘Byala asks a question for our time: does Coca-Cola's generative work offset the human and planetary costs associated with its growth in the twenty-first century?’ -- Campaign for the American Reader blog'Brilliantly conceived, entertaining, and important, "Bottled" will unquestionably take its places as one of the most important social histories of Africa. With Byala's storytelling gift and eye for narrative detail, this account is a masterclass in how to integrate individual stories from around the continent with broader socio-economic and political events.' -- Caroline Elkins, Professor of History and African and African American Studies, Harvard University'The tension between Africa's interests and Coke's is a fascinating social and philosophical narrative, and Sara Byala's research and knowledge of the subject are impressive. There are not many books which give such extensive and highly entertaining first-hand examples from the field. An important contribution.' -- Mary Martin, Senior Research Fellow at the Department of International Relations, London School of Economics, and Director of the UN Business and Human Security Initiative, LSE IDEAS'"Bottled" examines the history of Coca Cola in Africa as a window onto the whirlwind of events across the continent over the past century. The detail on individual stories is outstanding.' -- Elisa Gambino, Lecturer in Global Development, University of Manchester

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Book SynopsisCan developing countries trade their way out of poverty? International trade has grown dramatically in the last two decades in the global economy, and trade is an important source of revenue in developing countries. Yet, many low-income countries have been producing and exporting tropical commodities for a long time. They are still poor. This book is a major analytical contribution to understanding commodity production and trade, as well as putting forward policy-relevant suggestions for ‘solving’ the commodity problem. Through the study of the global value chain for coffee, the authors recast the ‘development problem’ for countries relying on commodity exports in entirely new ways. They do so by analysing the so-called coffee paradox – the coexistence of a ‘coffee boom’ in consuming countries and of a ‘coffee crisis’ in producing countries. New consumption patterns have emerged with the growing importance of specialty, fair trade and other ‘sustainable’ coffees. In consuming countries, coffee has become a fashionable drink and coffee bar chains have expanded rapidly. At the same time, international coffee prices have fallen dramatically and producers receive the lowest prices in decades. This book shows that the coffee paradox exists because what farmers sell and what consumers buy are becoming increasingly ‘different’ coffees. It is not material quality that contemporary coffee consumers pay for, but mostly symbolic quality and in-person services. As long as coffee farmers and their organizations do not control at least parts of this ‘immaterial’ production, they will keep receiving low prices. The Coffee Paradox seeks ways out from this situation by addressing some key questions: What kinds of quality attributes are combined in a coffee cup or coffee package? Who is producing these attributes? How can part of these attributes be produced by developing country farmers? To what extent are specialty and sustainable coffees achieving these objectives?Trade Review'An important contribution to the literature on primary products and economic development.' Diego Pizano, National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia 'Daviron and Ponte have done a masterful job both of showing the limits to 'free' trade in agricultural products as well as providing some concrete proposals as to what must be done to promote greater equity. The story of the global coffee trade is an essential lesson for all those concerned about international development. This volume should be read by anyone who is interested in how international trade takes place on the ground as opposed to abstract theorizing about it.' Lawrence Busch, director of the Institute for Food and Agricultural Standards, Michigan State University 'This book uses value chain analysis to go beyond the normal hand-wringing about the coffee crisis. The authors blend theory and practice (including new data) to provide all those interested in coffee with new insights, ideas and perspective.' Peter Baker, senior coffee scientist, CABI Commodities 'Ponte and Daviron bring fresh insights to the persistent difficulties of trade as a lever of development for poor nations. Their well-crafted and historically grounded arguments precisely characterize the important intangible attributes of value and market power that are often overlooked and offer some stimulating perspectives for anyone interested in development and in coffee.' Daniele Giovannucci, consultant and author of The State of Sustainable Coffee 'The Coffee Paradox offers a fascinating account of how our favourite morning cup of coffee travels from poor producer regions in the Global South to relatively affluent consumer regions in the Global North. Analyzing recent transformations in coffee quality specifications and global trade networks, Daviron and Ponte illuminate the challenges and opportunities inherent in tropical export production, global trade, and shifting consumption trends. The book is theoretically sophisticated, empirically grounded, and goes the extra mile to identify promising pathways for fuelling development.' Laura T. Raynolds, co-director of the Center for Fair and Alternative Trade Studies, Colorado State University 'Aimed at academics and researchers, the Coffee Paradox raises interesting questions, using the example of coffee to explore a complex, but important subject.' New Agriculturist '....is an intriguing study..is likely to make an important contribution to the research, debates and initiatives addressing the relationship between commodity trade and development, as well as to the future potential of more equitable North/South relations amidst the rapid changes in production, trade and consumption in the global economy.' Douglas L. Murray, Colorado State University 'Recasts the so-called coffee paradox - the coexistence of a 'coffee boom' in consuming countries and of a 'coffee crisis' in producing countries. While coffee bar chains have expanded rapidly in consuming countries international coffee prices have fallen dramatically and producers receive the lowest prices in decades.' Development Action, Nov/Dec 2005Table of Contents Preface 1. Commodity Trade, Development and Global Value Chains 2. What's in a Cup? Coffee from Bean to Brew 3. Who Calls the Shots? Regulation and Governance 4. Is this any Good? Material and Symbolic Production of Coffee Quality 5. For Whose Benefit? 'Sustainable' Coffee Initiatives 6. Value Chains or Values Changed? 7. A Way Forward

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Book SynopsisOur world seems entangled in systems increasingly dominated by power, greed, ignorance, self-deception and denial, with spiralling inequity and injustice. Against a backdrop of climate change, failing ecosystems, poverty, crushing debt and corporate exploitation, the future of our world looks dire and the solutions almost too monumental to consider. Yet all is not lost. Robert Chambers, one of the ?glass is half full? optimists of international development, suggests that the problems can be solved and everyone has the power at a personal level to take action, develop solutions and remake our world as it can and should be. Chambers peels apart and analyses aspects of development that have been neglected or misunderstood. In each chapter, he presents an earlier writing which he then reviews and reflects upon in a contemporary light before harvesting a wealth of powerful conclusions and practical implications for the future. The book draws on experiences from Africa, Asia and elsewhere, covering topics and concepts as wide and varied as irreversibility, continuity and commitment; administrative capacity as a scarce resource; procedures and principles; participation in the past, present and future; scaling up; behaviour and attitudes; responsible wellbeing; and concepts for development in the 21st century.Table of ContentsWords and Ideas: Commitment, Continuity and Irreversibility; Aid and Administrative Capacity; Procedures, Principles and Power; Participation: Reviews, Reflections and Future; PRA, Participation and Going to Scale; Behaviour, Attitudes and Beyond; Ideas for the Future; Bibliography

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Book Synopsis�Think globally, act locally� emphasizes the importance of scale in dealing with environmental challenges, but not how to factor it in. This major new book focuses on the spatial dimensions of urban environmental burdens, showing how important it is to take these into account when pursuing environmental justice and good governance - whether in the context of the sanitary risks of slum living, the pollution of uncontrolled industrialization and motorization, or the enormous ecological footprints of affluent urban lifestyles. Written by leading experts in the fields of urban development and environmental planning, the book reviews the urban environmental shifts that have shaped today�s challenges, and examines conditions and problems in the urban centres of low-, middle- and high-income countries. Case studies address such economically diverse cities as Accra, New Delhi, Mexico City and Manchester, while thematic chapters explore issues including water, sanitation and transportation. The book concludes by exploring and analysing different scales of governance. The editors argue that we should not rely solely on local governance to address local burdens like poor sanitation, nor depend only on global governance for global challenges such as greenhouse gas emissions, but that scale is crucial in both understanding the problems and devising successful responses. Published with UNU-IAS and IIED.Trade Review'With chapters by some of the most thoughtful international urban environmental scholars ... [and] many concrete examples from around the world, this volume advances the science by addressing issues of scale in both its meanings; the geographical scale of environmental interactions as well as the difficulties involved in scaling (overcoming) the many challenges of designing and promoting sustainable human environments worldwide' Kirk R. Smith, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, USATable of ContentsScaling the Urban Environmental Challenge * Urban Transitions and the Spatial Displacement of Environmental Burdens * Variations of Urban Environmental Transitions: The Experiences of Rapidly Developing Asia-Pacific Cities * In Pursuit of a Healthy Urban Environment in Low- and Middle-income Nations * Improving Urban Water and Sanitation Services: Health, Access and Boundaries * Poverty and the Environmental Health Agenda in a Low-income City: The Case of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), Ghana * Dynamics of Growth and Process of Degenerated Peripheralization in Delhi: An Analysis of Socio-economic Segmentation and Differentiation in Micro-environments * Motorization in Rapidly Developing Cities * A Comparative Perspective on Urban Transport and Emerging Environmental Problems in Middle-income Cities * Fixing Environmental Agendas in Mexico * In Pursuit of the Sustainable City * The Metabolism of Urban Affluence: Notes from the Greater Manchester City-region * Locating the Local Agenda : Preserving Public Interest in the Evolving Urban World * Index

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Book SynopsisWith the deadline for achieving the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) less than a decade away, the uneven progress is raising important questions about the ability of the international community to 'scale up' its efforts to finance the goals. Securing adequate financing for development has thus become the most pressing issue of the development agenda. This groundbreaking volume, by leading development economists and practitioners, addresses the central concern for policymakers involved in long term planning for the MDGs: how to create 'fiscal space' for the MDGs and strengthen domestic resource mobilization for human development, while ensuring long-term sustainability and freedom from reliance on aid. By looking at the evidence with fresh perspectives, the authors present a novel approach by which fiscal policy can be made to work for the poor, for the long term. Published with UNDP and Revenue Watch.Trade Review'This book makes a very important contribution to answering the question of how to increase fiscal space in developing countries with a view to achieving the MDGs. The solid analytical contribution is complemented by a number of country case studies that yield valuable empirical findings.' Jaime Ros, Professor of Economics at the University of Notre Dame and Faculty Fellow at the Helen Kellogg Institute of International StudiesTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Investing in Development: The Millennium Development Goals, Aid and Sustainable Capital Accumulation 2. Fiscal Space for What? Analytical Issues from a Human Development Perspective 3. Fiscal Space for Public Investment: Towards a Human Development Approach 4. The Fiscal Space Conjecture: Theoretical Reflections 5. Understanding Fiscal Expansions 6. A Review of Four Case Studies on Fiscal Space: Morocco, Senegal, Thailand and Venezuela 7. Guaranteeing Fiscal Space for Human Development in Morocco 8. Securing Fiscal Space for the Millennium Development Goals in Senegal 9. The Fiscal Space of Thailand: An Historical Analysis 10. Plenty of Room? Fiscal Space in a Resource-Abundant Economy: The Case of Venezuela Appendix: Selected Economic Indicators (2006) for Morocco, Senegal, Thailand and Venezuela

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Book SynopsisDuring the 1970s, owing to their oil 'rents', Algeria, Iraq and Libya all seemed engaged in a swift modernization process. Oil was the godsend that would enable these states to catch up economically. Algeria was a Mediterranean dragon,A" Libya an emirateA" and Iraq the rising military powerA" of the Arab world. From a political perspective, progressive socialism suggested that profound changes were underway: women's liberation, urbanization, education for all, longer life expectancy and so on. A few decades later, the disillusion is a cruel one. The sense of wealth led these countries to undertake political, economic and military experiments that would lead to impasses with disastrous consequences that they are still trying to overcome. How did it all happen? Can these countries dispense with far-reaching reforms? Can the EU export its norms and values and protect its gas supply? The present work offers the first global approach to the subject.Trade Review'Martinez offers fresh insight and analysis on the issue of the 'resource curse' and its impact on economic development.' * Choice *'A compact, readable analysis, full of insight, of three Arab states seldom examined as a whole. Highly accessible, his book is of value to specialists, graduate students and undergraduates alike. The CERI Comparative Politics and International Studies Series, which supports translations of noteworthy social science works emanating from French researchers at Sciences Po, is also to be congratulated for bringing this book to an English-speaking audience.' * International Affairs *'A cogent, intelligent analysis of the perils and pitfalls of hydrocarbon wealth in these troubled states, adding much fuel to the "oil curse" debate and examining the structures that are seemingly its result.' * Christopher Davidson, author of After the Sheikhs: the Coming Collapse of the Gulf Monarchies *'Martinez has produced a compact, readable analysis, full of insight, of three Arab states seldom examined as a whole. Highly accessible, his book is of value to specialists, graduate students and undergraduates alike. The CERI Comparative Politics and International Studies Series is to be congratulated for bringing this book to an English-speaking audience.' * Ronald Bruce St John, International Affairs *'Luis Martinez has produced yet another fascinating and thought provoking book on political dilemmas in the Middle East. His analysis of how oil-rich authoritarian regimes can survive socio-economic and political crisis by turning the national rent into a personal asset sheds some new light on the future of authoritarianism in the region. That the key to regime longevity in Algeria, Libya and Iraq should be selective economic mismanagement is an argument that Martinez makes with great authority. This work undoubtedly provides anyone interested in political change in the Middle East with a brilliant new perspective on the challenges for democratic reform in the region.' * Frederic Volpi, Director, Institute of Middle East and Central Asia Studies, University of St Andrews, and author of Political Islam Observed *'Amid the uncertainty and upheaval unleashed by the events that have come to be described as the Arab Spring, it is important not to lose sight of the structures underlying the economic, political and social failures that have led to these events and continue to threaten the sustainability of many states in the MENA region. Martinez's book provides a refreshing analysis of the debilitating role that hydrocarbon rent has played in three major MENA oil and gas producing countries that have in the past twenty years gone through different forms and phases of instability. By grouping Algeria, Libya and Iraq together, his study draws useful contrasts for understanding the nuances of political violence, authoritarianism and failed state building - all key features of the transition currently underway in the region.' * Dr Hakim Darbouche, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. *

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Book SynopsisFor close to sixty years Afghanistan was one of the largest recipients of foreign development aid and yet it remains one of the poorest countries on the planet. The Soviet Union pro- vided Afghanistan with large-scale economic and technical assistance for nearly twenty-five years before invading in 1979 and then in- creased the volume of assistance even further during the 1980s in an effort to prop up the government and undermine the anti-Soviet insurgency. None of this aid made any lasting difference to Afghan poverty. As in so many other countries, foreign aid did not promote economic growth. Using unexplored Russian sources, this book describes and analyses the economic and technical assistance programs run by the Soviet Union from the mid-1950s through to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and places them in the context of both Soviet-era development theories and more recent ideas about the role of institutions in fostering economic growth. In some respects Soviet development theorists were actually ahead of their contemporary Western counterparts in realising the centrality of institution-building, but they proved unable to translate their theories into practical solutions. The reasons why their assistance programs failed so completely in Afghanistan remain compellingly relevant today.Trade ReviewAiding Afghanistan demonstrates that the long Soviet civil involvement in Afghanistan was so much more coherent and extensive than our own, yet still it failed. In doing so the book asks tough questions about the whole concept of "intervention." The intelligent reader looking for reasons why things went awry in our own occupation could do no better than read it. Indeed there are lessons here for all of those engaged in so-called "stabilisation activities" wherever they are. -- Frank Ledwidge, author of Losing Small Wars: British Military Failure in Iraq and AfghanistanLittle attention has been paid either by Russian or foreign scholars to Soviet attempts to re-engineer the state and economy of Afghanistan both before and during the long war they fought in that country. This important and well-researched book goes a long way towards filling the gap. The authors judge that Soviet aid policy was well-intentioned. But it failed, for many of the reasons that Western aid policies are failing in Afghanistan and elsewhere. It is a bleak conclusion. -- Rodric Braithwaite, British Ambassador to Moscow 1988-1992, and author of Afgantsy: The Russians in Afghanistan, 1979-1989A fresh look at a topic which was wildly mis-analysed during the cold war, this volume represents a balanced analysis of achievements and failures of Soviet aid to Afghanistan. The authors have something important to say concerning development aid more generally, based on shared problems between Soviet and western aid experiences. -- Antonio Giustozzi, author of Empires of Mud: Wars and Warlords in Afghanistan and editor of Decoding the New Taliban: Insights From the Afghan Field

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Book SynopsisIn the wake of 9/11 and the 'War on Terror', transnational Muslim NGOs have too often been perceived as illegitimate fronts for global militant networks such as al-Qaeda or as backers of national political parties and resistance groups in Palestine, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Yet clearly there is more to transnational Muslim NGOs. Most are legitimate providers of aid to the world's poor, although their assistance may sometimes differ substantially from that of secular NGOs in the West. Seeking to broaden our understanding of these organisations, Marie Juul Petersen explores how Muslim NGOs conceptualise their provision of aid and the role Islam plays in this. Her book not only offers insights into a new kind of NGO in the global field of aid provision; it also contributes more broadly to understanding 'public Islam' as something more and other than political Islam. The book is based on empirical case studies of four of the biggest transnational Muslim NGOs, and draws on extensive research in Britain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan and Bangladesh, and more than 100 interviews with those involved in such organisations.Trade Review'For Humanity or for the Umma? is a path-breaking study of Muslim NGOs. Avoiding the hype and following the theory and the evidence, Peterson produces a richly textured and nuanced appreciation of how these religious NGOs navigate the worlds in which they are embedded. At once careful and creative, hers is a study that not only shines a light on the complexity of Muslim NGOs, but also points a way toward understanding religious NGOs in an age of emergency and the relief-development nexus.' -- Michael Barnett, University Professor of International Affairs and Political Science, George Washington University, and author of Empire of Humanity: A History of Humanitarianism'This book will consolidate Marie Juul Petersen's already secure reputation as an important researcher. With the help of unique field material, from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait as well from countries that are easier to study, she shows that contemporary Islamic charities are mixtures of professionalism and piety as heterogeneous as their Christian counterparts, with a cultural dimension too often overshadowed by political controversy.' -- Jonathan Benthall, Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Anthropology, University College London'This empirically detailed and theoretically astute study demonstrates Marie Juul Petersen's standing as one of the leading scholars of Islamic NGOs in the world today.' -- Cecelia M. Lynch, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Irvine

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Book SynopsisThe overwhelming challenge that South Africa faces, and has to date failed to address, is unemployment, which falls especially on African youths who were promised a better future after 1994. If the current unemployment challenge is not addressed, it will be impossible to sustainably lift many millions of people out of poverty. How South Africa Works reviews the country's major economic achievements over the past two decades. Through numerous interviews with politicians, business leaders and analysts, it examines the challenges and opportunities across key productive sectors -- including agriculture, manufacturing, services, and mining -- illustrative of the policy challenges that leaders face. It scrutinises the social grant and education systems to understand if South Africa has established mechanisms for people not only to escape destitution but be ready to be employed, and identifies steps that some of South Africa's most notable entrepreneurs have taken to build world-class enterprises. Recognising the essential challenge to cultivate more employers to employ people, How South Africa Works concludes by offering an agenda and active steps for greater competitiveness for government, business and labour.Trade ReviewWhatever our ideological departure points, 'How South Africa Works' illuminates the importance of debate in growing our economy and achieving radical socio-economic transformation. -- Jessie DuarteAre the economic imperatives for employment and growth reconcilable with those for transformation and redress? What are the tough choices confronting a developing economy to lift itself out of poverty into a globally competitive player? Read more from Herbst and Mills to find out the answers. -- Sipho Pityana, Chairperson, AngloGold AshantiSouth Africa 20 years after transition is a complex and multidimensional country. Competing alliances and juxtapositions have changed the dynamics of the 'new South Africa'. 'How South Africa Works' helps to understand the evolving paradigm and provides potential solutions. It is a welcome and unemotional addition to the debate -- a worthwhile read! -- Gareth Ackerman, Chairperson, Pick n PayAs we enter the third decade of our democracy, the disjuncture between South Africa's potential and its performance has never been as stark. 'How South Africa Works' is an urgent call to all South African leaders to revisit yesterday’s assumptions and to abandon the politics, policies and practices that are stifling growth and with it, for millions, the hope of a better tomorrow. -- Mark Lamberti, Group CEO, Imperial Holdings LimitedSouth Africa is a complicated place. Held back by its history, it is challenged to break out of a motionless present to build a brighter future for the generation still to be born. This is an enormous task that all South Africans must debate and embrace. 'How South Africa Works' is a courageous and timely contribution to that debate and needed course of action. -- Moe Shaik, Development Bank of South AfricaThe great strength of this book is that the analysis is supported by a wealth of in-depth interviews: Herbst and Mills illustrate how South Africa could work so much better if its considerable human potential were to be liberated by economic reform. -- Mike Spicer, WesgroJeffrey Herbst and Greg Mills present intriguing findings about how South African businesses are squaring up to local and global challenges, putting a vivid, human face to South African entrepreneurship. Their proposals provoke much-needed debate on how to improve South Africa’s economic performance. -- Kenneth Creamer, economist, University of the WitwatersrandJeffrey Herbst and Greg Mills have written an exceptionally timely book. Notwithstanding the country's significant political and economic advances, high rates of unemployment threaten those gains and, indeed, the freshly woven social fabric of the 'Rainbow Nation' itself. The volume meticulously examines this crisis and thoughtfully engages virtually everyone in a position to either contribute to its resolution, or obstruct that progress. Even those who will find themselves disagreeing with the remedies prescribed in How South Africa Works will nevertheless need to grapple with the comprehensive case made by the authors. -- J. Peter Pham, Director, Africa Center, Atlantic Council, and Editor-in-Chief, Journal of the Middle East and AfricaA brilliant book that lays out the problems and solutions for the South African economy with clarity. -- Ray Hartley, Editor, Rand Daily MailJeffrey Herbst and Greg Mills succinctly argue in 'How South Africa Works' that economic decline is not inevitable and that South Africa can compete on the world stage. This book is a must-read for those concerned about South Africa's economic future and how it may develop. -- Alex Vines OBE, Head, Africa Programme, Chatham House, London

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Book SynopsisThe Red Star and the Crescent provides an in-depth and multi-disciplinary analysis of the evolving relationship between China and the Middle East. Despite its increasing importance, very few studies have examined this dynamic, deepening, and multi-faceted nexus. James Reardon-Anderson has sought to fill this critical gap.The volume examines the 'big picture' of international relations, then zooms in on case studies and probes the underlying domestic factors on each side. Reardon-Anderson tackles topics as diverse as China's security strategy in the Middle East, its military relations with the states of the region, its role in the Iran nuclear negotiations, the Uyghur question, and the significance and consequences of the Silk Road strategy. A comprehensive study of the changing forces driving one of the world's most important strategic, economic and cultural relationships.Trade Review‘A rigorous and thought-provoking new book . . . deserves to be regarded as an authority, both for students of China’s rise and for those who are concerned that the Middle East may become a focal point for a future superpower conflagration.’ 'A balanced, perceptive and thought-provoking book that advances our understanding of the evolving relationship of China and the Middle East.’ 'Reardon-Anderson has assembled the definitive edited volume on China-Middle East relations. Interdisciplinary, rigorous, and fusing the combined talents of its many illustrious contributors, it deserves to be read by a very wide range of scholars, diplomats, and foreign correspondents.' -- Christopher Davidson, Reader in Middle East Politics, Durham University, and author of 'Shadow Wars: The Secret Struggle for the Middle East'‘This book is a comprehensive study of China’s strategic vision and policies. It is a valuable resource for academics and policy planners with an interest in China and the Muslim world.’ -- The Muslim World Book Review'Highly interesting . . . a sober and much needed contribution.' 'Insightful . . . unique and important.' ‘The essays on the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative provide refreshingly detailed and experienced perspectives. . . . Most of the essays in The Red Star & the Crescent are written by China experts rather than Middle East experts, and the book is all the stronger for that. The Chinese perspective comes through clearly and there is plenty of detail.’'A comprehensive overview of China's relations with an area which is much neglected but increasingly important to it - the Middle East. The merit of this work is the diversity of authors, from Chinese to regional to external perspectives - and the depth of their expertise.' -- Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Studies and Director, Lau China Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science

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Book SynopsisThe Indian Ocean's strategic importance to China cannot be underestimated, given the oil, African minerals and container traffic that pass through it. Yet, until now, China has been absent from the region since Admiral Zheng He sailed his fleet through in the fifteenth century, exploring and mapping the waters in a bid to extend the Celestial Empire's trading and tributary system. Beijing's re-entry into the Indian Ocean after 600 years is part of Xi Jinping's 'Belt and Road' megaproject. He is investing trillions of dollars in infrastructure projects around the Ocean rim, including a military base in Djibouti. This has touched off a new and dangerous confrontation. Ranged against China is an informal alliance of India, the US, France, Australia, and, predictably, Japan--Beijing's arch-rival in the Asia–Pacific. Bertil Lintner unearths this dramatic story, profiling the key players, examining the economic and naval balance of power, and scrutinising New Delhi and Beijing's intense competition for the allegiance of small island nations. China is in the Indian Ocean for the long haul, and the entry of big-power politics into this sensitive maritime region will shape its future for decades to come.Trade Review‘Meticulously chronicled . . . [an] illuminating view from the field.'‘Lintner’s decades of reporting from all over Asia lend him shrewd insight into the region’s geography and politics.’ -- Foreign Affairs'Enlightening.'‘Lintner’s book offers more than an account of Chinese efforts to extend its economic, diplomatic and military presence to the far-flung islands of the Indian Ocean. It is a primer on the history and politics of the Indian Ocean rim largely ignored by the mainstream media.' -- Global Asia'A detailed and intriguing account of the rising Chinese superpower's Indian Ocean manoeuvres in a budding new cold war among atolls and island states. This is an indispensable reference tool for anyone interested in this region and in the future of our global order.' -- Lars Ellström, author of 'Road to Kashgar: Notes from a Walk through China''Four-fifths of the container traffic between Asia and the rest of the world, and three-fifths of the world's oil supplies, pass through the Indian Ocean. The new great game takes place here. This book is a comprehensive and enthralling guide to the Ocean's geopolitics, China's designs for the future of the region and the precarious search for balance. Highly recommended.' -- Bruno Maçães, author of 'Belt and Road: A Chinese World Order'

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