A passionate indictment of the development policies being wrought by America in Nepal. Drawing heavily on the life stories of individual Nepalese, the author argues that both the economic winners and losers in this game are victimized by the structures and assumptions of Western development. He examines such issues as the growth of pot culture and prostitution, the growing poverty of the Nepalese poor, the subordination of Nepalese elites to Westerners, and the history of development policy in Nepal. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

K.R. Narayanan’s life graph reflects in many ways the fruition of the promise of ‘equality of status and opportunity’ that the Constitution guaranteed every citizen; from humble beginnings in a remote village to a distinguished career as an academician, diplomat, politician and, finally, India’s first Dalit President, Narayanan embodied modern India’s indomitable spirit. As President, as diplomat and as a citizen of India, Narayanan believed strongly in the ideas and principles that the nation was built upon—nationalism, democracy, economic progress, religious tolerance and social justice—and these found memorable expression in his speeches and writings over the years. In the Name of the People brings together Narayanan’s most important writings spanning five decades, from his first published article in 1954 to the Republic Day speech of 2000. In these pieces, he covers a diverse range of topics, from Indo–US ties and India–China relations to human development, Islam in India and women in politics; from the benefits of the parliamentary system and the need to build democracy from the grassroots to the role of education and technology in development and the importance of a sustainable environment. Also included are personalized accounts of Ambedkar, Gandhi and Nehru, and a good representation of Narayanan’s key presidential speeches. Informed, perceptive and well-argued, the pieces in In the Name of the People constitute one of our greatest statesmen’s reflections on independent India, and are especially striking in their continued relevance to the life of the nation.

By the winner of the 1988 Nobel Prize in Economics, an essential and paradigm-altering framework for understanding economic development--for both rich and poor--in the twenty-first century. Freedom, Sen argues, is both the end and most efficient means of sustaining economic life and the key to securing the general welfare of the world's entire population. Releasing the idea of individual freedom from association with any particular historical, intellectual, political, or religious tradition, Sen clearly demonstrates its current applicability and possibilities. In the new global economy, where, despite unprecedented increases in overall opulence, the contemporary world denies elementary freedoms to vast numbers--perhaps even the majority of people--he concludes, it is still possible to practically and optimistically restain a sense of social accountability. Development as Freedom is essential reading.

The World Bank and other multilateral development banks (MDBs) carry out their mission to alleviate poverty and promote economic growth based on the advice of professional economists. But as Sarah Babb argues in Behind the Development Banks, these organizations have also been indelibly shaped by Washington politics—particularly by the legislative branch and its power of the purse. Tracing American influence on MDBs over three decades, this volume assesses increased congressional activism and the perpetual “selling” of banks to Congress by the executive branch. Babb contends that congressional reluctance to fund the MDBs has enhanced the influence of the United States on them by making credible America’s threat to abandon the banks if its policy preferences are not followed. At a time when the United States’ role in world affairs is being closely scrutinized, Behind the Development Banks will be necessary reading for anyone interested in how American politics helps determine the fate of developing countries.

Why do some countries' economies struggle to develop, even when they are the focus of so much research and international funding? While recognizing that the obstacles facing poor nations are many and complex, Rabie proposes that the roots of most obstacles are sociocultural; thus, sociocultural transformation and economic restructuring can only be successful when treated as interconnected, mutually beneficial objectives. A Theory of Sustainable Sociocultural and Economic Development outlines an innovative model capable of identifying the major obstacles hindering poor nations' development in general, and the sociocultural and political obstacles in particular, placing them in their proper historical contexts, and addressing them comprehensively.

One of the most urgent challenges in African economic development is to devise a strategy for improving statistical capacity. Reliable statistics, including estimates of economic growth rates and per-capita income, are basic to the operation of governments in developing countries and vital to nongovernmental organizations and other entities that provide financial aid to them. Rich countries and international financial institutions such as the World Bank allocate their development resources on the basis of such data. The paucity of accurate statistics is not merely a technical problem; it has a massive impact on the welfare of citizens in developing countries. Where do these statistics originate? How accurate are they? Poor Numbers is the first analysis of the production and use of African economic development statistics. Morten Jerven's research shows how the statistical capacities of sub-Saharan African economies have fallen into disarray. The numbers substantially misstate the actual state of affairs. As a result, scarce resources are misapplied. Development policy does not deliver the benefits expected. Policymakers' attempts to improve the lot of the citizenry are frustrated. Donors have no accurate sense of the impact of the aid they supply. Jerven's findings from sub-Saharan Africa have far-reaching implications for aid and development policy. As Jerven notes, the current catchphrase in the development community is "evidence-based policy," and scholars are applying increasingly sophisticated econometric methods-but no statistical techniques can substitute for partial and unreliable data.

An engaging read, this text imparts best practices for using the Perforce Software Configuration Management system--written by a Perforce insider.