H o w T o E n d P o v e r t y

Owing to sheer luck, I picked up a book from the book-store yesterday "The end of poverty : How we can make it in our lifetime". I do not regret the Rs.380 that I have spent on it. First, I got into the book-store because there was a pretty girl inside, but the pretty girl started talking on the phone with somebody who I understood was her fiance, so I turned my attention to the book aisle.

The book is extremely well-written with good analyses and graphs, and is beautiful in its insights. It highlights the impact of geographical location (sea-coast and navigable rivers), geopolitics (economic barriers and trade sanctions) and female literacy, among other things, in affecting the drive towards economic development. Jeffrey Sachs is a Professor at Columbia University and an economist of great appeal. He has done good work in identifying the key problems hampering the economical development in Africa - in the form of endemic diseases HIV and Malaria, and not so much in government failures as others have often done. Along with several other people, he has been very instrumental in selling this idea to the world. He was also key in framing the Millenium Development Goals for the United Nations. He also serves as an economic advisor for several third world countries including India.

It is also good to see this book being criticized, most notably by Amir Attaran and Vandana Shiva. Ms. Vandana has, infact, spoken out on my own fears as I have expressed in the previous post.

Thank you Mr. Jeffrey Sachs for a very good reading. (I am still reading the book) Highly recommended for everyone. Things like these should be included in the compulsory curricula of high schools and technical schools.