Comments on: What to read on foreign aid http://www.owen.org/blog/3071 Thoughts from Owen in Africa Sat, 04 Sep 2010 07:26:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: dbrickey http://www.owen.org/blog/3071/comment-page-1#comment-5827 dbrickey Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:03:19 +0000 http://www.owen.org/blog/3071#comment-5827 The Selfish Altruist: written from the view--and experience--within the aid/development world. The Selfish Altruist: written from the view–and experience–within the aid/development world.

]]> By: Ruth http://www.owen.org/blog/3071/comment-page-1#comment-5435 Ruth Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:07:59 +0000 http://www.owen.org/blog/3071#comment-5435 I would add The World Bank and the Gods of Lending by Steve Berkman. It's a bit uneven, but it's a fascinating account of the way in which corruption within aid projects takes place, and the complicity and institutionalization of it within at least one major development organization, the World Bank. Very challenging for many who like to think of corruption as a relatively rare aberration, the price one pays for all the good that aid can do. I would add The World Bank and the Gods of Lending by Steve Berkman. It’s a bit uneven, but it’s a fascinating account of the way in which corruption within aid projects takes place, and the complicity and institutionalization of it within at least one major development organization, the World Bank. Very challenging for many who like to think of corruption as a relatively rare aberration, the price one pays for all the good that aid can do.

]]> By: Ian http://www.owen.org/blog/3071/comment-page-1#comment-5431 Ian Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:35:27 +0000 http://www.owen.org/blog/3071#comment-5431 I'd add "The blue sweater" by Jacqueline Novogratz. It's wholly a different type of book from the others - more of an autobiography - but at its hear it explains how she arrived at the social entrepreneurial approach to aid and development and how that approaches integrates provate sector ideas and tools into development in order to foster greater empowerment and dignity for those that aid is designed to assist. I’d add “The blue sweater” by Jacqueline Novogratz. It’s wholly a different type of book from the others – more of an autobiography – but at its hear it explains how she arrived at the social entrepreneurial approach to aid and development and how that approaches integrates provate sector ideas and tools into development in order to foster greater empowerment and dignity for those that aid is designed to assist.

]]> By: KS http://www.owen.org/blog/3071/comment-page-1#comment-5430 KS Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:09:01 +0000 http://www.owen.org/blog/3071#comment-5430 i'd get rid of the stuff that is not about aid, per se, such as the GGD indicators and also Sachs and Easterly. Once you start including readings that are more generally about how the external environment affects (or not) growth and poverty in developing countries, then we're no longer talking about a reading list on "aid" but rather one on the international political economy of development -- of which aid is one, but only one, dimension. i’d get rid of the stuff that is not about aid, per se, such as the GGD indicators and also Sachs and Easterly. Once you start including readings that are more generally about how the external environment affects (or not) growth and poverty in developing countries, then we’re no longer talking about a reading list on “aid” but rather one on the international political economy of development — of which aid is one, but only one, dimension.

]]> By: Philip http://www.owen.org/blog/3071/comment-page-1#comment-5418 Philip Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:08:43 +0000 http://www.owen.org/blog/3071#comment-5418 Thanks for picking up on this list - I'm always interested to see what recommendations people make, and I like the breakdown into different categories. It's such a big topic that getting our heads around the whole lot can be pretty difficult. I would replace Easterly's 'White Man's Burden' with his 'Elusive Quest for Growth', which I thought was a bit better at exploring the difficulties and frustrations of working in the aid industry, and was generally a better read. I would add Gregory Clark's 'A Farewell to Alms' which gives a convincing overview of the economic history of the world. It's bound to be wrong, at least in parts (what book with such a large scope isn't?) but understanding where we have come from is really important for getting a framework to think about aid. Finally, I would also add David Keen's 'Complex Emergencies'. Partly because he taught me, but also because war, famine, crime and natural disasters are a big part of what keeps people poor, and solving and coping with these problems requires us to understand them. Would you have added anything to it yourself? Thanks for picking up on this list – I’m always interested to see what recommendations people make, and I like the breakdown into different categories. It’s such a big topic that getting our heads around the whole lot can be pretty difficult.

I would replace Easterly’s ‘White Man’s Burden’ with his ‘Elusive Quest for Growth’, which I thought was a bit better at exploring the difficulties and frustrations of working in the aid industry, and was generally a better read.

I would add Gregory Clark’s ‘A Farewell to Alms’ which gives a convincing overview of the economic history of the world. It’s bound to be wrong, at least in parts (what book with such a large scope isn’t?) but understanding where we have come from is really important for getting a framework to think about aid.

Finally, I would also add David Keen’s ‘Complex Emergencies’. Partly because he taught me, but also because war, famine, crime and natural disasters are a big part of what keeps people poor, and solving and coping with these problems requires us to understand them.

Would you have added anything to it yourself?

]]>