"Left Behind is full of good ideas…stimulating, a call to heal the divisions in our societies by bringing justice to the left behind." —The Sunday Times
"In Left Behind, economist Paul Collier tells a convincing tale of how market fundamentalism created inequality. He offers welcome solutions to global and regional disparities… full of vivid case studies exemplifying Collier’s theoretically simple but practically daunting proposition… a thought-provoking and refreshingly open-minded book."—Jacobin
"Being left behind is a curse on people, places, and even whole countries. Paul Collier brings his astonishing range of global experiences and interdisciplinary knowledge to forge a guidebook for catching up. He challenges the belief that the market is a trustworthy remedy and catalogues the many collective strategies that have worked in the past and can work again. Great wisdom lies herein."—Sir Angus Deaton, Nobel Laureate for Economic Sciences
"Paul Collier has written another brilliant, must-read book for anyone interested in human progress. I greatly enjoyed this book, you will too."—Baroness Dambisa Moyo, Author of Dead Aid
"Brilliant, orthodoxy-upending …this book is a compelling and practical manifesto for a better future. It is not only required reading but demands action."—Andy Haldane, Chief Executive, Royal Society of Arts
"Another tour de force from the acclaimed author of The Bottom Billion. Reading the book left me with a sense of optimism and hope that those who get left behind need not stay that way."—Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization
"A wide-ranging account of why societies have gone so badly wrong in the early 21st century by emphasizing individualism, and an ambitious – but essential – agenda for tackling some of the problems."—Professor Diane Coyle, Author of GDP: A Brief but Affectionate History
"In this brilliant, passionate, angry book, Paul Collier makes a deeply unfashionable but completely convincing case for hope. Drawing on a wide range of fascinating/persuasive/hugely interesting case studies from across the world Collier shows that with appropriate support left behind places can “spiral up” – rebuilding their communities and their economies through respect, hard work and good governance. In the process he draws on the latest research to show us what good states look like and how they operate. A manual for the future for all of us."
—Rebecca Henderson, John and Natty McArthur University Professor, Harvard University
“Practical lessons for how neglected places can be drawn back into the mainstream. Collier’s vision of a more inclusive and prosperous world is alluring. This book tells us how we might get there.”—Raghu Rajan, professor of finance, Booth School of Business, University of Chicago
"Paul Collier shows how centralized authority and economic orthodoxy have hollowed out communities and deepened the divide between prosperous and neglected places. Ranging across politics, economics, and moral philosophy, he offers a compelling vision for renewal. This tour de force book points the way to a political economy of shared prosperity and common purpose."—Michael J. Sandel, Author of The Tyranny of Merit
2024-05-28
A political and economic plan for bringing inclusive prosperity to places suffering from poverty and despair.
As a development economist, Collier, author ofThe Bottom Billion,The Plundered Planet, and other notable books, attends to how countries and regions, locked in a spiral of economic decline, can reverse their fortunes. Drawing on research and his consultancy experiences, he proposes a “middle way” between a market fundamentalism, which believes that “the market knows best” and that government should “follow wherever private investment leads,” and international assistance by such entities as the World Bank, which takes a one-size-fits-all approach to development. While a thriving economy is the goal, Collier mainly focuses on the importance of governmental and grassroots leadership that can bolster locally emergent economic activity, engage in rapid learning, and foster a shared identity. “Social psychology…provides insights into how a left-behind community can catch up by forging new common purposes,” he writes. Of critical importance for governments is the capacity to tax and the presence of a security apparatus that thwarts corruption. These conditions enable growth-inducing policies that elevate peoples’ lives. The author offers a variety of examples to illustrate these ideas. Some countries and regions, such as Tanzania, Estonia, Singapore, and the Basque region of Spain, have achieved success in (re)building their economies. Others, such as Malawi, Afghanistan, South Africa, and Somalia, have faltered and continue to suffer from widespread poverty and dysfunctional governments. Throughout the book, Collier meanders from example to example, staying only just long enough to make a point, and from idea to idea, never fully coalescing the argument. Surprisingly, given his academic discipline, the author avoids delving into alternative approaches to economic development—although he devotes a chapter to the perils of relying on natural resources.
Hopeful advice for overcoming the uneven development endemic to capitalism and the governments in thrall to it.
