From the reviews: "The book, a collection of 16 chapters grouped into three parts, gives a thorough and interesting review and discussion of contemporary development issues from a global perspective. ... Although the book is targeted at readers in the field of social sciences, it is well written in a clear and simple manner so that it can find appeal to a wide audience, ranging from policy makers, academics to students and development practitioners." (Shephard Siziba, Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture, Vol. 45 (4), 2006)