What about “The Beautiful Tree” by Prof James Tooley? It’s compulsory reading for anyone who thinks that the way to solve educational problems in developing countries is to through spending more money, without careful programme design
Several factors that make the above possible have been ignored. Many causes of poverty may be truthfully addressed by the study of economics, not all. Foundational issues are ignored at our peril. Too often seekers of truth or good are blinded by their zeal and honestly believe that with excessive motivation and sufficient funds they can conquer these ills. We often hear “this system can work, it just hasn’t been done right before”. Those are the words of an idealist that will not allow himself to learn or admit he is wrong. Without a system that can evolve to meet the needs of society, growth is limited and ultimately doomed to failure. The fertile ground factors are examined in the very insightful but onerous book “Guns, germs and steel”.
An overview of history should be plain to illuminate the successes and failures of social and political systems, and yet so many refuse to accept success in favor of utopia.
I would recommend Riane Eisler’s “Caring Economics: The Real Wealth of Nations” which emphasizes the need to expand the traditional economic map and value caring activities and create a framework for these in a new economy. It integrates a gender perspective, too, in the wealth and poverty dynamics.
Both Books show there is a simple solution to poverty, simply tax the value of land and natural resources.
Both books show that by capturing land & resources rents as a source of government revenue allows enterprise to flourish and the value of labour to be retained by those that tiol. It is the disparity of a small elite owning the rents of land and natural resources that ensures poverty will always be with us. As a monopoly so the rents of land and natural resources always rises, capturing the surplus income on any society rich or poor. Taxing that monopoly value will return it all and remove that burden from the majority of the population.
“Fast Living” How the Church Will End Extreme Poverty by Dr. Scott Todd
The book presents statistics that highlight how much has already been accomplished to reduce the amount of people living in extreme poverty and how the rest of the work can and will be accomplished. http://www.live58.org/about/58-the-book/
“When Helping Hurts” by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert
The book provides foundational concepts and clear principles for helping the poor without hurting them. It then presents proven interventions and relevant applications for churches to use when ministering to the poor both at home and abroad, including advice about short-term missions programs. http://www.whenhelpinghurts.org/
I would absolutely add to this list “Capitalism at the Crossroads: Next Generation Strategies for a Post-Crisis World” by Stuart L. Hart, Chair of Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell School of Management. It is an eye opener and calls for a sharply defined sustainability path that includes growth opportunities amongst the bottom four billion of the economic pyramid. This book is readable, educational, and paradigm shifting.
Thanks for including Paul Polak’s Out of Poverty - I give copies of this book away to my friends. A few I would recommend:
“From Subsistence to Exchange”, Peter Bauer (Ms. Moyo dedictes her book to him)
“Making Poor Nations Rich”, Benjamin Powell, Ed. (Subtitled, Entreprenuership and the Process of Economic Development”).
“Helping People Help Themsleves”, David Ellerman (very much a philosophical look at the roots of “helping”, with an identified key factor being the concept of “Autonomy-Respecting Help”)
While not specifically having to do with the economics of poverty, I would also highly recommend Jane Jacobs, The Economy of Cities” and “Cities and the Wealth of Nations” for an understanding of the roots of development, and their relation to innovation at a very personal level.
1. “Portfolios of the Poor” by Daryl, Jonathan and Stuart
2. “Next Generation Business Strategies For The Base Of The Pyramid : New Approaches For Building Mutual Value - Ted London, Stuart L Hart
As another way into understanding aid and poverty, I’ve written a novel (Mr. Something) based around those themes. If you’d be interested in doing a review, I’d love to send you a copy.
Cheers
Jay
Personally I recommend C.K. Prahalad’s The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, and the book Social Entrepreneurship, The Secret to Starting a Business Worth Living For.
This list is incredible—I am looking forward to pending lots of time pouring into this material. Also, to the people that left comments recommending books, thank you as well.
COMMENTS
BY Richard Lucas
ON January 19, 2012 09:43 AM
What about “The Beautiful Tree” by Prof James Tooley? It’s compulsory reading for anyone who thinks that the way to solve educational problems in developing countries is to through spending more money, without careful programme design
BY Justin Broadbent
ON January 19, 2012 11:28 PM
Several factors that make the above possible have been ignored. Many causes of poverty may be truthfully addressed by the study of economics, not all. Foundational issues are ignored at our peril. Too often seekers of truth or good are blinded by their zeal and honestly believe that with excessive motivation and sufficient funds they can conquer these ills. We often hear “this system can work, it just hasn’t been done right before”. Those are the words of an idealist that will not allow himself to learn or admit he is wrong. Without a system that can evolve to meet the needs of society, growth is limited and ultimately doomed to failure. The fertile ground factors are examined in the very insightful but onerous book “Guns, germs and steel”.
An overview of history should be plain to illuminate the successes and failures of social and political systems, and yet so many refuse to accept success in favor of utopia.
BY Jeanette Patindol
ON January 22, 2012 02:27 AM
I would recommend Riane Eisler’s “Caring Economics: The Real Wealth of Nations” which emphasizes the need to expand the traditional economic map and value caring activities and create a framework for these in a new economy. It integrates a gender perspective, too, in the wealth and poverty dynamics.
BY Peter Smith
ON January 23, 2012 02:52 PM
Progress & poverty by Henry George, 1879. http://www.henrygeorge.org/pcontents.htm
The silver Bullet by Fred Harrison, 2008. http://www.fredharrison.com/?cat=3
Both Books show there is a simple solution to poverty, simply tax the value of land and natural resources.
Both books show that by capturing land & resources rents as a source of government revenue allows enterprise to flourish and the value of labour to be retained by those that tiol. It is the disparity of a small elite owning the rents of land and natural resources that ensures poverty will always be with us. As a monopoly so the rents of land and natural resources always rises, capturing the surplus income on any society rich or poor. Taxing that monopoly value will return it all and remove that burden from the majority of the population.
BY Jay
ON January 28, 2012 09:50 AM
“Fast Living” How the Church Will End Extreme Poverty by Dr. Scott Todd
The book presents statistics that highlight how much has already been accomplished to reduce the amount of people living in extreme poverty and how the rest of the work can and will be accomplished.
http://www.live58.org/about/58-the-book/
“When Helping Hurts” by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert
The book provides foundational concepts and clear principles for helping the poor without hurting them. It then presents proven interventions and relevant applications for churches to use when ministering to the poor both at home and abroad, including advice about short-term missions programs.
http://www.whenhelpinghurts.org/
BY Auren Kaplan
ON February 1, 2012 06:41 PM
I would absolutely add to this list “Capitalism at the Crossroads: Next Generation Strategies for a Post-Crisis World” by Stuart L. Hart, Chair of Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell School of Management. It is an eye opener and calls for a sharply defined sustainability path that includes growth opportunities amongst the bottom four billion of the economic pyramid. This book is readable, educational, and paradigm shifting.
BY prakash
ON February 28, 2012 09:36 PM
Thanks for great info.
BY Rachel
ON March 2, 2012 07:54 AM
“Pathologies of Power” by Paul Farmer is also eye-opening.
BY Shouvik
ON March 5, 2012 03:04 AM
Please don’t miss out “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” Paulo Freire ( though not from the economics point of view”
BY Diane Biet
ON March 6, 2012 02:38 PM
I read 7 out of your list of 10 and so far, I couldnt agree more… Thanks for the list.
BY Charlie Glynn
ON March 16, 2012 04:33 PM
Thanks for including Paul Polak’s Out of Poverty - I give copies of this book away to my friends. A few I would recommend:
“From Subsistence to Exchange”, Peter Bauer (Ms. Moyo dedictes her book to him)
“Making Poor Nations Rich”, Benjamin Powell, Ed. (Subtitled, Entreprenuership and the Process of Economic Development”).
“Helping People Help Themsleves”, David Ellerman (very much a philosophical look at the roots of “helping”, with an identified key factor being the concept of “Autonomy-Respecting Help”)
While not specifically having to do with the economics of poverty, I would also highly recommend Jane Jacobs, The Economy of Cities” and “Cities and the Wealth of Nations” for an understanding of the roots of development, and their relation to innovation at a very personal level.
BY Akshat Shukla
ON May 3, 2012 12:07 AM
I’d recommend
1. “Portfolios of the Poor” by Daryl, Jonathan and Stuart
2. “Next Generation Business Strategies For The Base Of The Pyramid : New Approaches For Building Mutual Value - Ted London, Stuart L Hart
BY Jay Baker
ON July 24, 2012 02:57 AM
As another way into understanding aid and poverty, I’ve written a novel (Mr. Something) based around those themes. If you’d be interested in doing a review, I’d love to send you a copy.
Cheers
Jay
BY Alain Kongo
ON October 12, 2014 12:07 PM
Personally I recommend C.K. Prahalad’s The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, and the book Social Entrepreneurship, The Secret to Starting a Business Worth Living For.
A good review of the book can be found Here.
BY Ruth Hochman
ON August 23, 2016 10:57 AM
This list is incredible—I am looking forward to pending lots of time pouring into this material. Also, to the people that left comments recommending books, thank you as well.
BY Ruth Hochman
ON August 23, 2016 10:58 AM
*spending*