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

A must-read for anyone who has tired of the emotionalism of the Geldof-Bono aid brigade. Michela Wrong, New Statesman Books of the Year An important book. Max Hastings, The Guardian Important and provocative. Sunday Times Important new book... compelling. New Statesman d Set to become a classic... his book should be compulsory reading for anyone embroiled in the hitherto thankless business of trying to pull people out of the pit of poverty. The Economist Collier's is a better book than either Sachs's or Easterley's for two reasons. First, its analysis of the causes of poverty is more convincing. Second, its remedies are more plausible. Niall Ferguson, International Herald Tribune This extraordinarily important book should be read by everyone who cares about Africa, but who recoils from the egotism and self-indulgence of Comic Relief and Live Aid. Max Hastings, Sunday Times Review It is time to dispense with the false dichotomies that bedevil the current debate on Africa. 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 Powerful...This important book wants citizens of G8 countries to fight for change. Heather Stewart, Economics Editor, The Observer This is an arresting, provocative book. If you care about the fate of the poorest people in the world, and want to understand what can be done to help them, read it. If you don't care, read it anyway. Tim Harford, Financial Times columnist and author of The Undercover Economist A splendid book... 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. Martin Wolf, Financial Times [a] significant contribution... a good and helpful book. Collier uses his basic insight to challenge the conventional wisdom of both Left and Right. Edward Hadas, TLS A path-breaking work providing penetrating insights into the largely unexplored borderland between economics and politics. George Soros Paul Collier brilliantly anatomises the true causes of Africa's post-colonial failure. Niall Fergusson, Sunday Telegraph Paul Collier's book is of great importance. He has shown clearly what is happening to the poorest billion in the world, why it is happening and what can be done to open up greater opportunities for them in a world of increasing wealth. His ideas should be at the centre of the policy debate. Sir Nicholas Stern, Head of the UK Government Economic Service A good and helpful book. Collier uses his basic insight - that the poor are in a very different situation from the rest of the world - to challenge the conventional wisdom of both the Left and the Right. Edward Hadas, TLS A powerful book. New Zealand Herald

"The best book on international affairs so far this year."--Nicholas D. Kristof, The New York Times

"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. As Collier rightly says, it is time to dispense with the false dichotomies that bedevil the current debate on Africa. 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

"Workable development ideas are hard to find, but Professor Collier may have identified the next frontier for positive change."--Tyler Cowen, The New York Times

"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

"One of the most engaging and provocative books on development to appear in a long time. His analyses and proposals--delivered, by the way, in prose unusually good for an author who happens to be an economist--are sound and should be embraced by people who care and can do something about the poorest of the world." --Ernesto Zedillo, former president of Mexico and director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization

"This is an arresting, provocative book, written by an expert in plain English. If you care about the fate of the poorest people in the world, and want to understand what can be done to help them, read it. If you don't care, read it anyway."--Tim Harford, Financial Times columnist and author of The Undercover Economist

"Paul Collier's book is of great importance. He has shown clearly what is happening to the poorest billion in the world, why it is happening and what can be done to open up greater opportunities for them in a world of increasing wealth. His ideas should be at the centre of the policy debate."-Sir Nicholas Stern, Professor at the London School of Economics, Former Chief Economist of the World Bank, and author of The Stern Report on Climate Change

"This is a path-breaking work providing penetrating insights into the largely unexplored borderland between economics and politics."--George Soros

"With compassion annealed by smarts; irony softened by warmth; and a commitment to penetrate to the core of things, Collier picks up the tools of economics and forthrightly applies them to the politics and economics of the developing world. Accessible and refreshing, this books provides a blunt and no-nonsense look at a major issue of our times."--Robert H. Bates, Eaton Professor of the Science of Politics, Harvard University

"Professor Collier has a superb and provoking synthesis of the forces and circumstances trapping a billion people in desperate conditions and poverty. For those of us who feel called to serve in the world's most crushing situations, Paul's book is stark affirmation that being there matters. And that it is time for the world community to act in coherent and different ways to bring essential change and hope for the generations to come."--David Young, Senior Vice President, Integrated Ministries and Strategy, World Vision International