How Africa Works - by Joe Studwell (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The acclaimed author of How Asia Works brings his "pithy, well-written and intellectually vigorous" (Financial Times) reporting to Africa, revealing essential, promising lessons about the engines of economic growth across the continent

In the 1980s, countries across Asia stunned the world with meteoric economic growth--but when eyes turn to Africa today, it is often to lament corruption, violence and poverty rather than to scout the next developmental frontrunners. Yet some African nations, even in the face of challenging geography and the crippling legacies of colonialism, have found remarkable success. In How Africa Works, Joe Studwell draws on extensive research and travel across the continent to explore what's worked and what hasn't, and shows how the rapidly rising population--seen as alarming by so many--will be foundational to Africa's flourishing.

Highlighting the insights and achievements of African leaders rather than the international community that presumes to know better, Studwell shows that there is a clear developmental path many successful nations have followed. He puts the spotlight on four countries that have seen exceptional economic growth--Botswana, Mauritius, Ethiopia and Rwanda--and that demonstrate the promise as well as the particular challenge of the African context. Prosperity is well within reach, thanks to huge leaps forward in education and favorable demographics, but embracing winning polices and sidestepping misguided foreign interests will be key. Studwell's book is essential, optimistic reading for anyone looking to understand the next chapter of global development.

Review Quotes

Praise for How Africa Works:

"Joe Studwell underscores the critical role of agriculture in development and highlights how African nations have leveraged smart policies to drive sustainable growth. How Africa Works challenges outdated narratives and makes a compelling case for the continent's economic potential."--Bill Gates

"As Africa's cities are flooded by young job seekers, many observers worry that unemployment and social strife will be the result. Joe Studwell presents a different, optimistic case. Informed by the East Asian experience as well as Africa's own turbulent and violent history, his account weaves a more hopeful narrative built on recent improvements in governance, education, and manufacturing potential."--Dani Rodrik

Praise for How Asia Works:

"Pithy, well-written and intellectually vigorous . . . Studwell's thesis is bold, his arguments persuasive, and his style pugnacious. It adds up to a highly readable and important book."--Financial Times

"I found the book to be quite compelling. . . . Studwell's book does a better job than anything else I've read of articulating the key role of agriculture in development. . . . A good read for anyone who wants to understand what actually determines whether a developing economy will succeed."--Bill Gates, "Top 5 Books of the Year"

"A landmark work."--Asia Times (Bangkok)

"Provocative. . . . How Asia Works is a striking and enlightening book . . . A lively mix of scholarship, reporting and polemic."--The Economist

"A solid blend of the descriptive and the prescriptive, with plenty of lessons that will be of interest to Asia hands, investors and policymakers."--Kirkus Reviews

"Perhaps my favorite economics book of the year. Quite simply, it is the best single treatment on what in Asian industrial policy worked or did not work, full of both analysis and specific detail, and covering southeast Asia in addition to the Asian tiger 'winners.' . . . Definitely recommended, you will learn lots from it, and it will upset people of virtually all ideologies."--Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution

About the Author

Joe Studwell is Senior Visiting Fellow at the UK's Overseas Development Institute (ODI). A freelance journalist for over twenty years, he has a PhD from University of Cambridge and is the author of The China Dream, Asian Godfathers and How Asia Works. He lives in Cambridge.