2 comments about Escape from Empire: The Developing World's Journey through Heaven and Hell.

1. The pedigrees of the blurbers of this book give some sense of its mission--economists with impressive positions for the most part in the 'BRIC' (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries. The book is basically an argument for a renewal of Keynesian developmentalism, which to some degree these countries are returning to. Amsden offers a history in three parts. First there was European colonization, which opposed any industrial growth in its realms. Then there was the post-World War II American Empire, which allowed countries to find their own path of growth. Then this system went into crisis and was replaced by the straitjacket of neoliberalism, which stifled growth. This isn't bad as far as it goes, although Amsden tends to gloss over some of the weaknesses of the developmental period. She goes on about the virtues of import substitution without really examining some of its limits, and why it turned into such a dead end in Latin America compared to South Korea. I particularly liked her description of the economics of colonialism. There is still considerable confusion and sentimentality about this period in the West. Her description of the way experience with industrialization provides cumulative knowledge is also valuable. But her perspective is too top down for my taste, a perspective where all that matters are some decisions made by government bureaucrats and economists. And her insights into the developmental process are so concise as to be practically aphoristic--the book could have been usefully expanded by a hundred pages so that she could clarify with more specific examples how these processes work.



2. Got it quickly, in time for class, and less than half what the Bookstore wanted.

No comments about Ending Poverty: Changing Behavior, Guaranteeing Income, and Transforming Government.

No comments about Remaking the Chinese Leviathan: Market Transition and the Politics of Governance in China.

No comments about Community Economic Development Handbook: Strategies and Tools to Revitalize Your Neighborhood.

4 comments about Dependent Development: The Alliance of Multinational, State, and Local Capital in Brazil.

1. The book is real silly. The writing style of the author suggests that he really doesn't know what he's talking about. He uses words that unnecesarrily cumbersome. He also uses them out of context. This is my review. A real silly book that is difficult reading.



2. Just the quickest of all notes: a very good book, a classic. Not "silly with cumbersome words," as described by another reviewer. You must pay attention to what you are reading here, hence not for all readers



3. An important case study of Brazilian economics and dependent develpoment. By no means an easy read, but more than well worth the time.



4. While a challenging read, Evans offers us an invaluable look at Brazil's shift from "classic dependence" to "dependent development". This is not a look at class struggle but rather an in-depth look at the internal make-up of the Brazilian elite. Evans shows us that Brazil's economy at the beginning of the Twentieth Century based on primary exports, though profitable, was simply too volatile and too susceptible to pressure from emerging competitors. What followed was a shift towards industrialization and a place in the semi-periphery, based on "a delicate combination of social forces and historical circumstances". The nature of the subject matter is complex but the importance of Evans' leftist take on the evolution of the Brazilian economy is too important to have this put you off. For those interested in the Brazilian case, or those curious as to how a state makes the shift from the classically dependent periphery to the less dependent semi-periphery, this book is a valuable addition.

No comments about Aging Gracefully: Ideas to Improve Retirement Security in America.

No comments about The Big Con: Crackpot Economics and the Fleecing of America.

1 comments about Rainwater Catchment Systems for Domestic Supply: Design, Construction and Implementation.

1. This book reviews the art of roof and ground catchment systems for rainwater. The water collected can be used for household or other purposes. The designs are aimed for individuals with limited access to electricity and/or civic water utilities. The text includes drawings, photographs and step-by-step instructions.
   
   One might say the book is really written for the 'aid worker' since it also considers ethnic and gender issues that would be 'obvious' to the future owners of the the systems.
   
   If you want to build something for yourself, you might be interested in reading "Rainwater Collection for the Mechanically Challenged", by Richard Heinichen and Suzy Banks. Another book is "Gardening Without Water: Creating Beautiful Gardens Using Only Rainwater" by Charlotte Green. The first is really for the mechanically inclined.

5 comments about Staying Alive: Women, Ecology and Development.

1. how to extand that women have a relationship with environment



2. how to extand that women have a relationship with environment



3. that women have a ralationship with environment. and i want to know how they extand with this



4. Ahistorical, subjective, and repeatedly misinformed, this book sets out to critque the creeping sinister form that is development, and celebrate the virtuosity of the feminine principle. Shiva uses evidence which is at certain points weak, and at others just plain wrong. Her arguments to back up the essentialism of ecofeminism are totally unconvincing, and as both a feminist and an enviornmentalist, I felt my intelligence insulted by this text.



5. The book may seem different from your perspective. However, it might be good to know what underlies the whole story in the book. From my point of view, the author's claim has nothing to do with political action but genuin intuition of humanity which can be said a sort of wisdom for our survival towards future. It encourages us to be aware that the ongoing value system under capitalism is not necessarily conforming to our actual feelings or experiences. If your suffering, fear and suppression seem related to the current social system, the book is worth reading because it helps you remember what gives you the sense of being alive, responsibility for and love towards the future of the world. Disillusioned of lots of tragedies happening to the world, we have started wondering which to call real, the inner sense of happiness or the material world.
   
   I dare say, it is not critique that can change the world but sharing of anyone's failure within us. Only such an idea of sharing can lead us to the inner and direct experience that the other half of the failure has always existed in us. This is the only way and chance for us to make a step towards future. In that sense, what the author considers as a problem is not the masculine principle but the imbalance in which the feminine principle is being suppressed. Driven much so far by the masculine principle, we -both women and men- have been so bound to fear caused by dualistic and mechanistic views on life that we could not pay much attention to the self-destructive aspect of our society. The author, Shiva, simply but strikingly argues that the feminine principle of EACH one of us to be recoverd if we really want to remember what the meaning of life is, namely the reason why we have come here to such a beautiful place called "the Earth".

2 comments about Environmental Economics: An Elementary Introduction.

1. Of the four textbooks on the subject I've been through, this one scores the best credit. Within ecological economics there are two schools of thought. One is basically environmentalist in the sense that views the causes of environmental degradation, as being the economic system AS SUCH. Herman Daly is propably the most wellknown representant of this school. The other school deals with environmental problems as being a 'problem of getting the prices right'. This book is mostly concerned with the latter approach. Several aspects of this book ranks it above average. These are: 1) Although the book primarily deals with the market-approach, it actually covers all aspects of environmentalism, ranging from standard economics to deep ecology, treating each of the in a sober manner, 2) the book is very goos at pinpointing the problematic aspects of different theories, 3) The conclusions are supported by empirical evidence, presented in a readable and realevant manner 4) it really covers the breadth of the field, leaving you with a great overview of the topics you can specialize in, 5) it avoids some of the most common misunderstandings of the field, e.g. by specificly stating the difference between non-property resources and common property resources. All In all: It is a very recommendable book for those who are about to be introduced to the field of ecological economics.



2. I bought this book when I was doing my Master's in Economics. Back then it helped me learn a great deal about environmental economics on my own (without a teacher). It is written in accessible language (not your typical cryptic economics text book), full of examples and honest in the way it presents the information -form this point of view the problem is this way, from that point of view the problem is this other way.
   I now also hold a Master's in Environmental Studies and a PhD in Geography specializing in Energy and Transportation issues. For the past few years I have returned to it again and again for reference. While the edition is old (1993), it is still a great basic introduction and has good references for where to go next if you are looking for more depth or a more advanced treatment of the subject.