"This is an interesting book on an important set of issues – the nature and determinants of invention and innovation – applied to the development process. It is equally useful for assessing growth possibilities for the already developed nations as many of their advisors and policy-makers simply extrapolate from past success rather than evaluate and learn from it. The book provides an extensive summary of the debates on the importance and determinants of technological change for development, putting increase emphasis on the role of the state and of institutions in development, especially for the most lagging countries ."Michael Bradfield, Professor of Economics, Dalhousie University"This book achieves two elusive goals. First, it creates a novel framework from two bodies of scholarship; the economics of innovation and learning, and development economics. From this framework and using new empirical data collected in a variety of African and Asian countries, the authors enrich our understanding of how latecomers learn and innovate to create wealth through knowledge accumulation. In addition, the book points to the heterogeneity of knowledge and capabilities accumulation that distinguish latecomers and in turn suggests a new way of understanding latecomer economies. This thoughtful and path making book deserves to be read by all innovation and development scholars, policy makers and students alike."Prof. Alice Amsden, MIT