Book Reviews
- Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder: This is a true to life masterpiece and astonishing account that will leave you questioning your own life and political views. Kidder provides an anthropological account of health, life, and politics in Haiti. This is a great read for anyone who is interested in Haitian culture and/or the imposition of western medical values in the developing world.
- Reinventing the Bazaar: A Natural History of Markets by John McMillan: This book provides a refreshing perspective to what defines a market and how markets work across the globe and throughout the developing world. It forces the reader to dissect his/her preconceptions of what a market is, and how it is usually defined, and then allows the reader to acknowledge how unconventional markets are just as effective if not more so. I will admit that the book starts off rather slow, but after you pass the introduction and the authors rants about the social construction of reality, the reader can delve into a great amount of theory and analysis on the evolution of markets.
Overall Great Read. - Bottom Billion by Paul Collier:I just finished reading this book in hopes of hearing some new ideas or new strategies. Collier provides a long narration of more of the same. There are development traps in the developing world that are inevitable under certain conditions….this is not new. Although, he does importantly provide the narration in a language that is easy to discuss, remember and articulate in the future. This is perhaps the most important aspect of the book for me, because as someone who is constantly thinking about development and the opportunities out there, most specifically for African countries, it did help me organize my thoughts and my preconceptions and beliefs on the field. Collier has a good synthesis of the issues in development policy, and he has written them clearly and easy to understand for everyone. This is important if the message is to be spread among the masses.
- Capitalism at the Crossroads: Aligning Business, Earth & Humanity by Stuart L. Hart. This book is about how big MNCs can make money in the developing world and do it sustainably. Through case studies and practical advice, Hart argues powerfully the unlimited opportunities for profitable business growth will to those companies that bring innovative technology and solutions to bear on some of the world’s most intractable social and environmental problems. Hart outlines the approach to be successful in very plain language with lots of lists, graphs and charts. The book is carefully illustrated and provocatively written to make the reader believe that he has the right idea and that his idea is indeed profitable. I hope this book is an influence on future business across the globe.
- The Age of Turbulence by Alan Greenspan. Greenspan’s recent book is a great introduction to the history of American economics. It provides a detailed analysis and review of the American economy since Nixon. The book is written in a rather simplistic language that can be understood by both economists and non-economists alike. The most interesting chapter in The Age of Turbulence is the one which describes Greenspan’s personal interpretation of September 11th and the economic motivations for the Iraq war. Surprisingly, this book has a neutral standpoint on the current and past administrations…Greenspan does provide critique and credit to each administration that he served EXCEPT for the current Bush administration…thereby giving reason to his resignation. This book is a must read for anyone who cares to understand the underpinnings of the US economy and actions of the Fed.
- Snow by Orhan Pamuk. Snow is a great political novel that takes place in the eastern part of Turkey during the winter time in a city called Kars. It a story of poet’s life who has been in political exile in Germany and has just returned to Kars to write about the implications of modernity in a traditional conservative, Muslim city. The author writes about love, life and the simplicity of nature…and how all three bring happiness to the poet. Pamuk’s novel is a great representation of Turkish culture. It provides a lens through which an outsider can begin to understand how a Turk might view the world.
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