Product Description

This book is a fascinating attempt to explain the continuous success of an ideology which has so obviously failed in practice. Despite evidence to the contrary, politicians and the development community still mostly believe that economic growth will create new jobs, that international debts will be repaid, and that through globalization we can achieve prosperity for all. This intellectual history of the concept of development examines the theories and strategies which have held sway during the last fifty years - dependency theory, underdevelopment, the "basic needs approach", structural adjustment, human development and sustainability. Given that levels of poverty and environmental degradation continue to grow in many countries North and South, Gilbert Rist asks why it was that the world continued with this project for so long.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3708667 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Review
'If you want to understand the ideological forces that have shaped North-South relations for half a century, you need this remarkable book.' - Susan George 'It presents complex debates with great clarity, provides an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the literature and should prove essential reading for students and others interested, or involved, in development.' - Marie-Dominique Perrot, IUED 'A much needed corrective to the work of the cheerleaders of the newly globalized order.... This book does an outstanding job.' - Jan Knippers Black, Journal of Developing Areas

About the Author
GILBERT RIST is a leading Swiss scholar of development and professor at the Graduate Institute of Development Studies (IUED) in Geneva. He is the author of a number of intellectually pathbreaking books highly critical of conventional development thinking in the field. The History of Development is the first published in English, and is translated by PATRICK CAMILLER.