3.5
The White Man's Burden
ByPublisher Description
From one of the world’s best-known development economists—an excoriating attack on the tragic hubris of the West’s efforts to improve the lot of the so-called developing world.
"Brilliant at diagnosing the failings of Western intervention in the Third World." —BusinessWeek
In his previous book, The Elusive Quest for Growth, William Easterly criticized the utter ineffectiveness of Western organizations to mitigate global poverty, and he was promptly fired by his then-employer, the World Bank. The White Man’s Burden is his widely anticipated counterpunch—a brilliant and blistering indictment of the West’s economic policies for the world’s poor. Sometimes angry, sometimes irreverent, but always clear-eyed and rigorous, Easterly argues that we in the West need to face our own history of ineptitude and draw the proper conclusions, especially at a time when the question of our ability to transplant Western institutions has become one of the most pressing issues we face.
"Brilliant at diagnosing the failings of Western intervention in the Third World." —BusinessWeek
In his previous book, The Elusive Quest for Growth, William Easterly criticized the utter ineffectiveness of Western organizations to mitigate global poverty, and he was promptly fired by his then-employer, the World Bank. The White Man’s Burden is his widely anticipated counterpunch—a brilliant and blistering indictment of the West’s economic policies for the world’s poor. Sometimes angry, sometimes irreverent, but always clear-eyed and rigorous, Easterly argues that we in the West need to face our own history of ineptitude and draw the proper conclusions, especially at a time when the question of our ability to transplant Western institutions has become one of the most pressing issues we face.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe White Man's Burden Reviews
3.5
“What I appreciated most about this book was its historical background. I learned several things I had not known before. For instance, I did not realize that the roots of the Palestine-Israel conflict could be traced back to British promises of the same land to different groups of people. I had previously believed the conflict began mainly because of Germany and the Nazis, so this broader historical context was new and important for me to understand.
I also learned that Haiti had been occupied by the United States for a period of time, something I was completely unaware of before reading this book. I appreciated discovering these kinds of historical details because they helped deepen my understanding of global history and international relations.
I felt more neutral about the author’s discussion of organizations such as the World Bank, the IMF, and other aid agencies. The book explains why many people are critical of these institutions, but the author seemed personally supportive of the IMF and portrayed it as beneficial. While that is his perspective, I was not fully convinced by his arguments, especially given the widespread criticism the IMF receives around the world.
What I disliked most about the book was the way certain sensitive topics were discussed. The author used the term “slavery” in a very casual manner and even compared productivity in Haiti during slavery to productivity afterward, suggesting that production was higher under slavery. I found this comparison deeply troubling and inappropriate.
I was also disturbed by the section on healthcare and the idea of “trading off” lives to save others. The author approached the issue from an economic perspective, implying that resources should sometimes be directed away from people who are close to death in favor of others. I found this argument shocking because I believe that all human lives have equal value and should not be reduced to economic calculations.
Finally, I disagreed with many of the author’s recommendations. In my opinion, he does not fully understand the complexities of development, and I do not believe that many of his proposed solutions would be effective in practice.”
“I don’t think I have ever cried while reading a book before. This was one of my favorite books. I would highly recommended giving it a read. William Easterly does an amazing job of explains the failures, successes, and necessary improvements of foreign aid.”
About William Easterly
William Easterly is a professor of economics at New York University and a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development. He was a senior research economist at the World Bank for more than sixteen years. In addition to his academic work, he has written widely in recent years for The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Forbes, and Foreign Policy, among others. He is the author of the acclaimed book The Elusive Quest for Growth: Economists' Adventures and Misadventures in the Tropics. He has worked in many areas of the developing world, most extensively in Africa, Latin America, and Russia.
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