Provides a great overview to a vast subject area. Full of essential readings form all areas of development

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Product Description

"The Companion to Development Studies" is an essential one-stop reference for anyone with an interest in development studies. The editors of this new volume have brought together an impressive range of international experts in the field to present an interdisciplinary and comprehensive overview of contemporary development studies. With more than one hundred chapters dealing with both theory and practice, "The Companion" is an accessible guide for students and a direct route into the key issues of development studies. Divided into ten sections covering all the important areas in the field, including gender, violence and insecurity, environment, and agents of development, this timely new text provides easy-to-use summaries of all the major issues encountered in this fast-changing area.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #205015 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 576 pages

Review
An important reference source for anyone with an interest in development studies. The editors brought together an impressive range of international experts. Students in all levels of graduation in development studies, geography, politics, international relations, sociology, anthropology and economics will find this book useful. -- Educational Book Review The sheer breadth of subject matter brought together by the editors in a single volume is an achievement...a very welcome arrival. -- The Times Higher ...highly readable book...the reader is exccellently guided through the otherwise inpenetrable jungle of development theories. The Companion should defiitely be considered 'required reading' for development practitioners. ...there can be no doubt that this excellent publication will convert into a classic reference. -- Journal of Development Studies 20030205

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Customer Reviews

Essential background reading in development studies
The 'Companion to Development Studies' is a very good resource for students who need to get a short and detailed overview of a particular area of development studies. The chapters provide an overview of key authors, key points in the debate and contentious issues. The topics dealt with in the chapters are very up-to-date and written by experts in the field. Highly recommended for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Unhappy in Midterm season
Hi just wanted to let you know that this book is okay in some parts but most of the author's write in such a convoluted way that it gives you a migrane just trying to understantd the meaning behind thier points. The index is EXTREMELY unhelpful as almost none of the abbrieviations are there and the key concepts are missing as well. This is extremely difficult when trying to use this book to study. Also isn't it a little presumptuous to call it "THE Companion to Developmental Studies" because, for me, this book is lacking.

The difficulty with development studies
One of the problems with the idea of and studies on development is that because it is hostage to various ideologies and philosophies, since WWII it has become a vast and unwieldy subject. The value in this book is that each piece of it contains a valuable microcosm of writing on a wide range of topics included under the umbrella of development, by some of the best writers in each area, which go on to provide further reading sources if you wish to expand your knowledge. The clear way in which it is set out and the expertise of the writers helps to clarify what can be a confusing jungle of ideas and models - I wish it had been around when I was an undergraduate!