Outside Looking in - (New Europe: Interdisciplinary) by Kofi K Apraku (Hardcover)

About the Book

Mr. Apraku gives the reader an outsider's analysis of the good and bad elements that make up the U.S. The author, a Ghanian who has spent the last 18 years studying and teaching in the U.S., brings his personal experiences as an emigré to this examination of American capitalism and democracy. He looks at the strengths and weaknesses inherent in the American democratic system. Many non-Westerners, including Africans, do not know enough about the western democracy of the American economic system they are being asked to adopt as a panacea to their economic, political, and social problems. This book should be especially appealing to scholars in international and economic development, developmental economics, political economics, and African studies.

Book Synopsis

Mr. Apraku gives the reader an outsider's analysis of the good and bad elements that make up the U.S. The author, a Ghanian who has spent the last 18 years studying and teaching in the U.S., brings his personal experiences as an emigré to this examination of American capitalism and democracy. He looks at the strengths and weaknesses inherent in the American democratic system. Many non-Westerners, including Africans, do not know enough about the western democracy of the American economic system they are being asked to adopt as a panacea to their economic, political, and social problems. This book should be especially appealing to scholars in international and economic development, developmental economics, political economics, and African studies.

Review Quotes

?It is not often that those on the inside can be objective about the mechanics of government; the ethics, humanity, and humility of politics; and the dignity of person afforded everyone regardless of race, gender, of religious preference. Outside Looking In affords those on the inside a necessary perspective on society.?-MultiCultural Review

?Offering a personal account of his more than 20 years of living in he US, Apraku provides an outsider's view of what is good and bad about American society. He describes America's greatest strengths and ideals, such as freedom, liberty, hard work, individualism, achievement, success, and its competetive spirit. Conversely, he argues that these strengths are the causes of America's greatest weaknesses--crime, alcoholism and drugs, stress, depression, emotional instability, breakdown of the family, child abuse, apathy, greed, and corruption...Each stop is a journey unto itself, yet readers will want to complete the entire trip. A significant work of cross-cultural comparison. All levels.?-Choice

"It is not often that those on the inside can be objective about the mechanics of government; the ethics, humanity, and humility of politics; and the dignity of person afforded everyone regardless of race, gender, of religious preference. Outside Looking In affords those on the inside a necessary perspective on society."-MultiCultural Review

"Offering a personal account of his more than 20 years of living in he US, Apraku provides an outsider's view of what is good and bad about American society. He describes America's greatest strengths and ideals, such as freedom, liberty, hard work, individualism, achievement, success, and its competetive spirit. Conversely, he argues that these strengths are the causes of America's greatest weaknesses--crime, alcoholism and drugs, stress, depression, emotional instability, breakdown of the family, child abuse, apathy, greed, and corruption...Each stop is a journey unto itself, yet readers will want to complete the entire trip. A significant work of cross-cultural comparison. All levels."-Choice

About the Author

KOFI K. APRAKU, formerly Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, is orginally from Ghana. He is the author of African Emigres in the United States (Praeger, 1991).