The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It

In the universally acclaimed and award-winning The Bottom Billion, Paul Collier reveals that fifty failed states--home to the poorest one billion people on Earth--pose the central challenge of the developing world in the twenty-first century. The book shines much-needed light on this group of small nations, largely unnoticed by the industrialized West, that are dropping further and further behind the majority of the world's people, often falling into an absolute decline in living standards. A struggle rages within each of these nations between reformers and corrupt leaders--and the corrupt are winning. Collier analyzes the causes of failure, pointing to a set of traps that ensnare these countries, including civil war, a dependence on the extraction and export of natural resources, and bad governance. Standard solutions do not work, he writes; aid is often ineffective, and globalization can actually make matters worse, driving development to more stable nations. What the bottom billion need, Collier argues, is a bold new plan supported by the Group of Eight industrialized nations. If failed states are ever to be helped, the G8 will have to adopt preferential trade policies, new laws against corruption, new international charters, and even conduct carefully calibrated military interventions. Collier has spent a lifetime working to end global poverty. In The Bottom Billion, he offers real hope for solving one of the great humanitarian crises facing the world today.
"Terrifically readable."
--Time.com
"Set to become a classic. Crammed with statistical nuggets and common sense, his book should be compulsory reading."
--The Economist
"If Sachs seems too saintly and Easterly too cynical, then Collier is the authentic old Africa hand: he knows the terrain and has a keen ear.... If you've ever found yourself on one side or the other of those arguments--and who hasn't?--then you simply must read this book."
--Niall Ferguson, The New York Times Book Review
"Rich in both analysis and recommendations.... Read this book. You will learn much you do not know. It will also change the way you look at the tragedy of persistent poverty in a world of plenty."
--Financial Times more

Price Range:$5.24 to $12.76 | 5 stores
Product Rating:

52 Reviews
Info:
Set Price Alert Save to Wish List
Tags:
Textbooksrus, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, HotBookSale.com, Barnes and Noble

ComparePrices

title,desc	merchant	price	seeit
Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest... Development - Economic Development Business & Economics - In the universally acclaimed and award-winning The Bottom...	Barnes & Noble	$16 $12.76 Coupon 1 coupon available Code:No Code Required Detail: Free Shipping on orders of $25 at Barnes & Noble Expires:Jun-30-2010 Restriction:see site for more details	See it
Bottom Billion : Why the Poorest... Used	Textbooksrus 29 reviews	$11.21 Coupon 1 coupon available Code:No Code Required Detail: Pay $.99 Standard Shipping on any item $10 or more at Textbooksrus. Expires:Dec-31-2009 Restriction:See site for details.	See it
The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest... In the universally acclaimed and award-winning The Bottom Billion, Paul Collier reveals that fifty failed...	23 reviews	$5.24 Free Shipping	See it
The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest... Pages: 224, Paperback, Oxford University Press, USA	Amazon 11,393 reviews	$10.85 Coupon 1 coupon available Code:No Code Required Detail: FREE Shipping on orders over $25 at Amazon. Expires:Dec-31-2010 Restriction:Some restrictions apply. See site for details.	See it
Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest... Development - Economic Development Business & Economics - In the universally acclaimed and award-winning The Bottom...	Barnes and Noble 20 reviews	$12.76	See it

*Shipping costs are based on an estimate of the lowest shipping rate available within the contiguous US, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Only merchants with this product in stock are listed (Merchants with this product back ordered have been removed from this list).

Do you see a pricing error? Please let us know by filling out a simple form: Click here

MoreStores

Write a review

ProductReviews91/100 (52 Reviews)

Recent Reviews

4/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Jan-14-2009; The Bottom Billion; The Bottom Billion really helped me understand the difficulties facing the poorest countries in the world. Collier presents four basic traps that capture the poorest countries in poverty. He presents solid ideas backed up with hard...; read full review | report as inappropriate

2/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Dec-29-2008; He loves his research.; Collier loves his research. He also loves the research of people who have studied under him. Finally, he loves the research of people he works with. While I have no doubt that his research has produced some fruitful insights into...; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Dec-28-2008; Collier on TEDTalks video podcast; I saw Paul Collier's talk via TED website. Watch that for a 20 minute preview of this book.He nonchalantly reveals that aid for developing countries is too often a myth by revealing the conflict of interest that comes with each...; read full review | report as inappropriate

4/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Dec-21-2008; Very broad - Great for the unfamiliar; This book is very general. The generalizations go too far at times. However, it is very informative and provides a very basic outline of the poorest of poor nations and the 'traps' that make them unable to progress. It is great for...; read full review | report as inappropriate

Selected Reviews

4/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Jan-14-2009; The Bottom Billion; The Bottom Billion really helped me understand the difficulties facing the poorest countries in the world. Collier presents four basic traps that capture the poorest countries in poverty. He presents solid ideas backed up with hard...; read full review | report as inappropriate

3/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Dec-16-2008; Bottomed Out; Collier's book summaries his findings of years in research on state failure and poverty. In the Bottom Billion he offers three main points. First, the development problem of the world should focus on the poorest billion people and not...; read full review | report as inappropriate

2/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Dec-29-2008; He loves his research.; Collier loves his research. He also loves the research of people who have studied under him. Finally, he loves the research of people he works with. While I have no doubt that his research has produced some fruitful insights into...; read full review | report as inappropriate