Why read The History of Development?

Book cover of The History of Development: From Western Origins to Global Faith

Book description

In this landmark text, Gilbert Rist provides a comprehensive and compelling overview of what the idea of development has meant throughout history. He traces it from its origins in the Western view of history, through the early stages of the world system, the rise of US hegemony, and the supposed…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The History of Development as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Kathleen R. Smythe

Author

I loved Rist’s book because it totally changed the way I thought about the idea of development. It made it more complicated and far more sinister than I had been led to believe. His definition alone is provocative: development destroys social and environmental systems. But there is much more here to get one thinking.

He starts by saying that development is a plastic word with so many different meanings that it can apply to almost anything. He traces its use in the West and then its application as a universal ideal through foreign policy and international institutions (like the United…

From Kathleen's list on The best books that explain why African History matters to us all.