'This is a unique book. It provides not only a valuable overview of global and regional trends but also a very interesting and provocative lens through which to view Third World development in the next 10–15 years. The authors are distinguished and it is refreshing to see the regional response chapters written by scholars from the regions. The conclusion is written with Barbara Stalling's characteristic clarity and elegance and offers a strong and potentially controversial thesis. Researchers and students alike will find this an invaluable addition to their reading on the political economy of the contemporary Third World.' Peter Evans, University of California, Berkeley