Has anyone read this book yet?

[MrFun]

If you have, what are your thoughts on this book? I have read the jacket of the book when I found it, and I'm thinking I might like to buy it.

THE BOOK

[Winston]

I have read this thread in its entirety. I have no intention of financially contributing to its author.

[MrFun]

Why's that, Winston?

[Winston]

I bumped it for you, what more could you ask for?

Not that it seemed to help much..

[MrFun]

bumping threads

[Imran Siddiqui]

The Amazon blurb:

asterly, an NYU economics professor and a former research economist at the World Bank, brazenly contends that the West has failed, and continues to fail, to enact its ill-formed, utopian aid plans because, like the colonialists of old, it assumes it knows what is best for everyone. Existing aid strategies, Easterly argues, provide neither accountability nor feedback. Without accountability for failures, he says, broken economic systems are never fixed. And without feedback from the poor who need the aid, no one in charge really understands exactly what trouble spots need fixing. True victories against poverty, he demonstrates, are most often achieved through indigenous, ground-level planning.

Um... how does 'accountability and feedback' work with the idea that the West should act like it knows what is best for everyone? Isn't any 'accountability and feedback' designed to do just that (make the countries report that they are doing what they are supposed to be doing?)

[MrFun]

Maybe the writer of the blurb used the wrong words in summarizing the author's argument.

[VetLegion]

You included no information about the book, not even a title, and you require us to click through annoying Apolyton's redirection scheme, just to find out. Tough chance.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by VetLegion
You included no information about the book, not even a title, and you require us to click through annoying Apolyton's redirection scheme, just to find out. Tough chance.

It's not my fault you're lazy.

[VetLegion]

I'm not lazy. I want bang for my buck when I click a thread

[MrFun]

Originally posted by VetLegion
I'm not lazy. I want bang for my buck when I click a thread

You get money for everytime you click on a link? I want to know how this works!

[Mercator]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Um... how does 'accountability and feedback' work with the idea that the West should act like it knows what is best for everyone? Isn't any 'accountability and feedback' designed to do just that (make the countries report that they are doing what they are supposed to be doing?)

Did you mean "shouldn't act"? Because that blurb says, "Easterly (...) brazenly contends that the West has failed (...) because (...) it assumes it knows what is best for everyone."

In any case, what the West wants does not equal what the developing countries need. Nor does what the ruling class of developing countries wants equal what those developing countries need.

You need accountability to make sure that they actually do what they say they do, and feedback to find out if it actually works. Since he worked at the World Bank, I'd guess he would say institutions like the World Bank are the independent third the developing countries have to be accountable to.

"Easterly thinks it is time to start listening to people other than corrupt dictators and self-congratulatory bureaucrats in assessing international-aid projects."

[Lawrence of Arabia]

I have not read this book. but i did read his other one "adventures and misadventures i nthe tropics. it is uterly awesome.

i think I might get this one.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

I just ordered it.

[Last Conformist]

If MrFun can't even be arsed to to mention the name of the book in the thread, I sure as hell aint buying it.