Book Review

By | May 9, 2015

Book Title: The End of Poverty: Economics possibilities for our time.

By: Jeffrey Sachs

ISBN: 1-8420-045-9

Publisher: Penguin Press

Publication: December 2005

Author explains why, over the past two hundred years, wealth has diverged across the world and why the poorest nations have so far been unable to improve their lot. Poverty is not uniformly distributed around the world.

The book has 18 Chapters with graphics that shows important information like a yearly world average per Capital Income, or a County Classification. Through those chapters, the author explain the basic infrastructures and human capital show some detailed examples of this. Over those 18 chapters, Sachs builds his case carefully, offering a variety of case studies, detailing small-scale projects that have worked and crunching large amounts of data. His basic argument is that the preconditions of basic infrastructure (roads, power, and ports) and human capital (health and education) are in place, markets are powerful engines of development. Sachs provides a critical analysis of current failed development aid policies of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in the eastern block and the Third World. The author keeps his tone even whether discussing failed states or thriving ones. His first three chapters remind the reader of another sweeping analysis of global development expanding the theme of clinical economics providing analysis carefully of it. Through his analysis, he discovers that every country and its situations require unique solutions. The author brings simplified examples at the family and the village levels that demonstrate clearly how a modest investment from outside can make a substantial difference in incomes and human well-being. In addition, Dr. Sachs explain some agricultural and environmental issues. This book is an example of creativity approaches to development and solving poverty. This book furthers the arguments toward broad and sweeping reforms of development aid, while it raises questions about how this should happen at the community level.

Questions:

             1.- Could the world end poverty within the next 20 years?

2.- Does the author give example of poverty solution?

3.- What does extreme poverty mean?

4.- Is there a solution to poverty?

5.- Explain briefly how this book can help to avoid poverty?

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