Economic Development

Nafziger explains the reasons for the recent fast growth of India, Poland, Brazil, China, and other Pacific Rim countries, and the slow, yet essential, growth for a turnaround of sub-Saharan Africa. The book is suitable for those with a background in economics principles. The fifth edition of the text, written by a scholar of developing countries, is replete with real-world examples and up-to-date information. Nafziger discusses poverty, income inequality, hunger, unemployment, the environment and carbon-dioxide emissions, and the widening gap between rich (including middle-income) and poor countries. Other new components include the rise and fall of models based on Russia, Japan, China/Taiwan/Korea and North America; randomized experiments to assess aid; an exploration of whether information technology and mobile phones can provide poor countries with a shortcut to prosperity; and a discussion of how worldwide financial crises, debt, and trade and capital markets affect developing countries.

“'This textbook will be extremely useful to teachers and students. It is truly compendious in its fair assessment of a wide range of models and theories and in its sustained attention to real-world examples, underpinned by a constant reminder of the significance of problems with empirical data. Rather than applying a body of theory to the problems of developing economies, this is a textbook that begins from the diverse, uneven reality of developing countries and explores how economics have been applied, what debates have emerged, and what policy relevance these debates have. Clearly written and briskly paced, its particular value emerges by using the text in combination with the Internet resources and bibliographic support the book provides.' Christopher Cramer, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London”

'Now in its fifth edition, Nafziger's Economic Development has gone from the best in the field to the classic in the field, the most comprehensive statement and analysis of the major issues of development. It is essential for students in both economics and development studies, and an invaluable aid to instructors. Indeed, every person who wishes to be well-informed about the inequalities among countries should read the third chapter, 'Economic Development in Historical Perspective'.' John Weeks, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
'The latest edition of this first-rate text updates the copious illustrative data contained in its clear and extraordinarily comprehensive treatment of the character and problems of development. Presenting a range of perspectives, its breadth makes it a perfect choice for custom-designed introductory courses in economic development. At the same time, it is filled with valuable references to the literature and helpful websites that serve as a guide for deeper investigation of the key issues.' Lloyd J. Dumas, University of Texas, Dallas
'In the wake of the current crisis, we are reminded of the unevenness of global development and the insecurity of billions of the world's poor. Understanding the reasons for this, variability and continued vulnerability defy simple explanations. Professor Nafziger's Economic Development is one of the few texts that draws on theory, history, policy, and institutional analysis to present a rich and insightful analysis of the complexity of the development process and why the goals of development continue to remain so elusive for so many.' Howard Stein, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

'Professor Nafziger's Economic Development is the most comprehensive text available on the subject. It is written in a clear, lively, and readable fashion that makes it very accessible to students. It deals impressively with theory, policy, and institutional issues in the best traditions of political economy and draws intelligently on concrete country studies. It highlights the major contemporary debates in policy and their theoretical underpinnings. For all these reasons it will quickly eclipse other textbooks in the field.' John Loxley, University of Manitoba
'An excellent and wide-ranging textbook on development. The author's expertise and fair-mindedness are evident.' Anwar Shaikh, New School for Social Research, New York

E. Wayne Nafziger is University Distinguished Professor of Economics at Kansas State University. He is the author and editor of nineteen books and numerous journal articles on development economics, income distribution, development theory, the economics of conflict, the Japanese economy and entrepreneurship. His book, Inequality in Africa: Political Elites, Proletariat, Peasants, and the Poor (Cambridge University Press), was cited by Choice as an Outstanding Academic Book for 1989–1990. Professor Nafziger is also the author of The Debt Crisis in Africa (1993) and the editor (with Frances Stewart and Raimo Vayrynen) of the two-volume War, Hunger, and Displacement: The Origins of Humanitarian Emergencies (2000). He has held research positions at the UN University's World Institute for Development Economics Research, the Carter Center, the East–West Center and in Nigeria, India, Japan and Britain. Professor Nafziger edited the Journal of African Development from 2008 to 2010.

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