5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must buy for anyone interested in the developing world or foreign policy., August 7, 2008
This review is from: Fixing Fragile States: A New Paradigm for Development (Hardcover)
This well written book offers an innovative perspective on the
world's most troubling places. It is a must buy for anyone interested
in economic development, the war on terrorism, and the biggest
challenges in foreign policy today.
By analyzing why some countries succeed and others struggle with
poverty and violence, he proposes a new paradigm for nation building,
one anchored in social cohesion and local capacities. In doing so, he
critiques the approach typically adopted by policymakers, NGOs, and
academics.
In contrast to most other analysts, the author starts by examining a
country's sociocultural dynamics and then combines these with an
in-depth look at economic, business, and political conditions. He
argues -- successfully in my opinion -- that development must be
rooted in internal dynamics, in which a society works together to
advance itself. Too many internationally-driven efforts to help
failed and fragile states depend on external resources and direction,
and actually often end up undermining local communities' ability to
progress.
The book summarizes the history of successful states, both in the
rich world and in places like India, China, Turkey, Botswana, and
Chile, that come from less developed regions, but which have managed
to steadily grow. It then dissects the causes behind weak states'
problems, focusing on the interaction between feeble governments and
fractured societies. It ends up with a "framework" of ten broad
policy recommendations.
The book then shows in seven case studies -- on Pakistan, the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Somaliland, Azerbaijan,
Bolivia, and West Africa -- how these ideas can be implemented. It
offers an excellent introduction to each of these places, and why
they have struggled so miserably. Each of these chapters have their
own policy recommendations, customizations of the broader ideas set
out earlier. Readers will learn a lot about the world just be looking
at these.
The many maps and diagrams, and the well edited style makes this book
very readable. I cannot think of a better way to understand some of
the world's most pressing problems than by buying this book.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fixing Fragile States, September 8, 2008
This review is from: Fixing Fragile States: A New Paradigm for Development (Hardcover)
During the 7 1/2 years I have been working to reduce organized political violence, especially in thge third world, I haveread over 150 books related to this subject. "Fixing Frgile States" is one of the best.
Written from the perspective of an action-oriented international businessmanwho has lived in Asia and Africa, the book presents new insights about the causes of instability in fragile states, and what to do about them. The author presents concrete prescriptions for action and then detailed examples of problems and solutions. It is must reading for anyone involved in trying to help people in such countries to avoid the death and suffering that comes with war and to build stability and prosperity.
Milt Lauenstein
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