The relevance of the issue to escape the primary commodity trap and to diversify into new products and markets is without doubt one of the major challenges for African countries. In the era of globalisation and increasing international competition it has however become much more difficult for African countries to diversify into new products and processes and to enter new niche markets successfully. This volume builds the foundation for a comprehensive strategy of policy reforms in Africa of how to escape the primary commodities dilemma. This volume will be useful for all who work in African countries as officials, executives, managers, researchers, and policy-makers, but also for all those in the world-wide donor community who actively support Africa's development concerns at the international, regional, country, local and project levels. 576pp, GERMANY. LIT VERLAG.

In volume XV of the African Development Perspectives Yearbook, the Research Group on African Development Perspectives investigates the impact of the GFC on economic reform processes in Africa. The analysis is structured in such a way so as to reflect the opportunities and dangers of policy reversals in the face of the GFC. The impact of the crisis on different types and forms of governance in the region is considered. The first question is therefore which macro-economic policy instruments have to be applied in order to overcome the crisis and to continue with sustainable development. The second question is how the GFC has affected Africa's external economic relations and if the path of opening up to the world markets is continued. The third question raised is how the crisis has affected social cohesion, impacted on poverty alleviation strategies and the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). All these questions are discussed in the various contributions which comprise general studies and country case studies. 464pp, GERMANY. LIT VERLAG.

A collection of essays examining a wide range of economic issues such as the importance of planning, the continuing reality of the debt crisis and the new parameters for regional integration in the context of the global economy. Good governance is analysed as is corporate governance with special emphasis on issues of human development. Index, bib, tables, xxi, 265pp, UK. ZED BOOKS, 1842774093

Provides the most detailed collection of data on Africa available in one volume. It contains more than 500 macroeconomic, sectoral, and social indicators, covering 53 African countries with data from 1970-2005. The book is grouped into 15 chapters: background data; national accounts; prices and exchange rates; money and banking; external sector; external debt and related flows; government finance; agriculture; power, communications, and transportation; public enterprises; labour force and employment; aid flows; social indicators; environmental indicators; and HIPC debt initiative. Includes a World Bank Africa Database Single User CD-ROM. 180pp, USA. WORLD BANK PUBLICATIONS.

New edition. In the ongoing battle against global poverty, the countries of Africa continue to present the greatest challenge. This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the issues, actors, and institutions interacting across the diverse continent. Each issue chapter is organized around three fundamental questions: Where are we now? How did we get to this point? What are the current debates? Index, bib, 283pp, USA. LYNNE RIENNER.

Argues that there is greater consensus among Africans now than at any previous time on what needs to be done to accelerate growth, reduce poverty and promote sustainable development. The positive response of Africa's international partners enhances the prospects for sustaining the progress. Africa is also benefiting from a commodity boom and increased investment in infrastructure and the extractive industry sector. But many questions remain unanswered. The most pressing question is how Africa can best benefit from the rise of the Asian giants, China and India. 48pp, SWEDEN. NORDIC AFRICA INSTITUTE.

The nineteenth annual survey of economic and social progress in Africa. The Report provides comprehensive analysis of the state of the African economy, examining development policy issues affecting the economic prospects of the continent. Bib, tables, charts, 220pp, UK. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS.

A collection of essays by both Africans and non-Africans dealing with some of the most pressing issues facing Africa in the new millennium, including: development and the democratisation process; human rights and ethnicity; corruption; education policy; gender and migration. 200pp, UK . CAMBRIDGE SCHOLARS PUBLISHING.

This short and accessible book records the reflections, opinions and recommendations which emerged from six national workshops organised between 2004 and 2007 in West and Central Africa on the synergy between researchers and decision-makers. 98pp, SENEGAL. CODESRIA.

About thirty studies were commissioned to analyse the various policies under structural adjustment programmes from the perspective of development, broadly un-derstood as involving economic growth, structural change and elimination of poverty. The results of the studies were presented at two research workshops in Abidjan in 1996. In this volume the selected papers touch on issues which have been accorded very little attention in the SAP framework and its evaluation studies, or ones which have generated the most controversy. Refs, tables, viii, 504pp, USA . INTERNAT'L DEVELOPMT RESEARCH CENT, 0889368880

Orthodox strategies for socio-economic development have failed spectacularly in Southern Africa. Neither the developmental state nor neoliberal reform seems able to provide a solution to Africa's problems. Here Andreasson analyses this failure and explores post-development alternatives. Looking at the post-independence histories of Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa, the book shows three different examples of this failure to overcome the debilitating colonial legacy. Index, bib, notes, 258pp, UK. ZED BOOKS.

Examines how domestic conflict, economic stagnation, political instability, poverty and underdevelop-ment have plagued Africa for decades. He argues that a reversal of the political, economic and social plight of Africa lies in better policies, good governance, and, more importantly, a new type of African leader and citizen. 264pp, UK. PALGRAVE.

The twentieth century can best be characterized as a century of lost opportunities for Africa. Due to both endogenous and exogenous factors, Africa now suffers from the most acute form of underdevelopment, with extreme poverty, high rates of illiteracy, political instability, economic mismanagement, atrophied infrastructure, housing shortages, civil wars, ethnic conflicts, diseases, low life expectancy and high levels of infant mortality. Bringing together a broad selection of case studies covering a wide range of key issues, this volume provides a multidisciplinary exploration of the continent's development opportunities and challenges into the twenty-first century. 426pp, UK. ASHGATE.

Africa's infrastructure sectors lag well behind those of the rest of the world, and the gap is widening. Some of the main policy-relevant findings highlighted in the book include the following: infrastructure in the region is exceptionally expensive, with tariffs being many times higher than those found elsewhere. Inadequate and expensive infrastructure is retarding growth by 2 percentage points each year. Solving the problem will cost over US$90 billion per year, which is more than twice what is being spent in Africa today. However, money alone is not the answer. Prudent policies, wise management, and sound maintenance can improve efficiency. There is the potential to recover an additional US$17 billion a year from within the existing infrastructure resource envelope simply by improving efficiency. Finally, the power sector and fragile states represent particular challenges. Even if every efficiency in every infrastructure sector could be captured, a substantial funding gap of $31 billion a year would remain. 384pp, USA. WORLD BANK PUBLICATIONS.

Thoughtful discussion of Africa's stagnant economies and civil disorders examines the dysfunctional incentives under which the continent's political and economic elites typically operate. Discusses the contemporary African state, the incentives of debt and aid, institutional racism and the causes of civil conflict. Available in both hardback and paperback. Index, notes, bib, app, xi, 159pp, USA. LYNNE RIENNER, 1588261166

Examines the historical and contemporary discourse on African development and the continent's place in the global economy. The chapters critically explore the roles played by various global and local social forces in the construction of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), offering critical insights on financing for development, the WTO and agriculture, ICTs and FDIs and the war on terrorism. NEPAD has been endorsed by the African Union, the Group of Eight and the United Nations System in order to address Africa's deficit through the forging of a global development partnership. 330pp, UK. ASHGATE.

What hope is there for Africa? Since the heady and hopeful days of decolonisation, the story seems to be one of unrelenting disaster - revolution; brutal military dictatorship; ethnic conflict and even genocide; civil war; state-threatening corruption; economic failure; and, in places, the complete breakdown of state and society. And all has been compounded by natural disasters - drought, famine and the scourge of AIDS. But there is another, less reported, story of Africa; throwing off the colonial past, embracing modernity, learning fast, gaining in pride and self-confidence and embracing the crucial management function; all this in the context of fruitful collaboration with Europe and American business and, increasingly, with the rising Asian economic superpowers. Jonathan Lawley paints a vivid and convincing picture of solid political, social and economic progress. 256pp, UK. I B TAURIS.

Dr. Marshall Murphree is a prominent scholar in the yields of common property theory, rural develop-ment, and natural resource management. After graduating from the London School of Economics with a doctorate in social anthropology, he returned home to Zimbabwe to work as a missionary before joining the University of Zimbabwe, where he became director, and subsequently Professor Emeritus, of the Centre for Applied Social Sciences. This collection presents a range of contributions to the May 2007 conference held to honour Murphree's work, and it conveys his central concerns of equality and fairness. The focus is on marginalised people living in poor and remote regions of Zimbabwe, but also includes important discussions about the policy implications of regional tenure regimes, and the place of local resource management in global conservation politics. 212pp, ZIMBABWE. WEAVER PRESS.

Poses a simple question: what can be done about Africa's profound underdevelopment? With policymakers and general readers in mind, it proffers solutions to a number of current contentious issues in Africa, from the Darfur crisis in the Sudan, African Unions Diaspora strategies, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) to the political crises simmering in the author's own country, Nigeria. Index, 129pp, UK. ADONIS & ABBEY.

A study of development practice in Africa showing how economic renewal requires that practice moves beyond structural adjustment reform and instead promotes greater effectiveness of a region's public institutions. Each chapter examines the relationship between democracy, institutions and the economy, attempting to define appropriate developmental roles that different institutions can play in promoting solid economic development. Index, notes, tables, vii, 310pp, UK. PALGRAVE.

The strategies that business managers pursue can have far-reaching impacts on communities and the environment, particularly in countries with severe poverty and weak governance. This book argues that pursuing a values-based approach to business strategy, coupled with a willingness to innovate and collaborate, can help companies ensure that their impact is a positive one. 359pp, JAPAN. UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY PRESS.

The debate on the interface between democracy and development has revolved around whether or not democracy promotes development or, conversely, whether or not socio-economic development produces an environment that allows democracy to thrive and be sustained in the longer term. In many African countries the immediate aftermath of political independence ushered in authoritarian forms of governance, yet unlike East Asia, African authoritarianism did not trigger economic growth. Instead it has been marked by underdevelop-ment and utter poverty. This volume tackles the issues in the interface between democracy and development, and argues is that if democracy is to be both socially relevant and responsive, it should encourage socio-economic development to lay down a structural configuration of power and distribution of resources that is conducive to sustainable democracy. Index, bib, 377pp, SOUTH AFRICA. ELECTORAL INSTITUTE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA.

Éclairer et influencer le processus de prise de décision politique par la recherche est une préoccupation de plus en plus importante pour les chercheurs d'Afrique et le Centre de Recherche pour le Développement International. Cependant, la collaboration entre chercheurs et décideurs est complexe, multiforme et souvent difficile à mettre en oeuvre. Les cloisonnements et la frilosité des acteurs, une recherche souvent produite sans considération pour ses utilisateurs potentiels, expliquent en partie la faiblesse de l'utilisation par les acteurs du développement économique et industriel des résultats de la recherche. Cette publication élaborée dans un style accessible à tous, rassemble lessence des réflexions et des propositions qui ont émergé dun cycle de six ateliers nationaux organisés entre 2004 et 2007 en Afrique de l'Ouest et du Centre sur la thématique de la synergie entre chercheurs et décideurs. IN FRENCH. 108pp, SENEGAL. CODESRIA.

A study focusing on the prevailing conditions in Asia and Africa under various macroeconomic and sectoral themes in order to provide in depth explanations for the divergent development experiences of the two regions. BNS, 492pp, UK. ASHGATE PUBLISHERS, 074563647X

A ground up survey of the way Africans live today, and how they deal with the multitude of problems which plague the continent. The author looks at the children with guns, sex workers, dealing with HIV/AIDS and how hope and dignity permeates everyday life. Index, bib, tables, gloss, xi, 260pp, UK. ZED BOOKS, 1842771078

Portraits of five different NGOs describing their work in Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Told by the organisation's founders and senior managers these stories describe personal motivation and political choices in the real world of development. Bib, xxv, 177pp, ZIMBABWE. WEAVER PRESS.

Despite extensive theoretical consideration over the past several decades, the discipline of public administration still suffers from an inability to meet on-the-ground administrative challenges in developing countries. Using Southern African nations as an example, the authors argue that emerging societies are poor today thanks to the overreliance on non-local models. Practitioners must consider local cultures in developing effective administrative practices. They must absorb the experiences of people who know first-hand the conditions in these countries. Written particularly for undergraduate and graduate students in public administration, political science, and comparative and development public administration. Index, bib, tables, map, 190pp, USA. KUMARIAN PRESS.

Argues that reduced mortality and lower fertility are key requirements if sub-Saharan Africa is to enter a development trajectory that makes possible increasing per capita incomes and reductions in poverty. 40pp, SWEDEN. NORDIC AFRICA INSTITUTE.

Designed to assist and support people who plan, develop, and deliver literacy programmes and initiatives for adults. Using a mix of theory and practical real-life examples, the book sets out some of the main concepts of literacy and approaches to adult literacy education used through-out the world. These are then used to show the wide variety of different ways to develop and manage adult literacy programmes. Extensive African examples throughout. Index, bib, 289pp, UK. OXFAM PUBLICATIONS.

There has been much recent celebration of the success of African 'civil society' in forging global connections through an ever-growing diaspora. Against the background of such celebrations, this book sheds light on the diasporic networks - 'home associations' - whose economic contributions are being used to develop home. Despite these networks being part of the flow of migrants' resources back to Africa that now outweighs official development assistance, the relationship between the flow of capital and social and political change are still poorly understood. This examines the networks of migrants that have been created by making 'home associations' international. It argues that claims in favour of enlarging 'civil society' in Africa must be placed in the broader context of the political economy of migration and wider debates concerning ethnicity and belonging. Index, bib, tables, 258pp, UK. ZED BOOKS.

Essays presenting a wide array of perspectives on the problems and prospects of developing Africa, analysing socio political experiences, the media, the AU and integration. Contributors include Molefi Kete Asante, Ali A. Mazrui, and Charles C. Okigbo. Index, bib, xi, 249pp, USA. ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, 0742527468

This book challenges the misdirected policies of the last 30 years. It offers alternative concepts and paradigms of development for policy makers and peoples' movements on wide-ranging issues. It invites readers to 'dare to think differently'. UK. PAMBAZUKA (formerly FAHAMU).

Reflection on the global South's shared but diverse experiences of poverty and exclusion in the world of capitalist globalization. It probes the reality of 'underdevelopment' in an unequal world, driven by western power and capitalist profit-seeking and supported by inequalities within the countries of the 'Third World' themselves. Seeks to rethink the ways of linking a class-based struggle with the progressive demands of gender equality and identity politics. He looks towards a synthesis of democratic, socialist, and anti-imperialist sensibilities and invites scholars and activists alike to involve themselves in the kind of intellectual activism that can underpin local, national, regional and global struggles.144pp, UK. ZED BOOKS.

An overview of economic thought, political formations and social issues applied to Africa. The author argues that the promise of development was taken to heart by millions throughout the world, but after half a century it remains unfulfilled for millions in Africa. Bib, index. xxxii, 415pp. USA. iUNIVERSE.COM, INC, 0595188109

The debates over what African economic integration and development actually entails continue across international economic organizations, national governments and NGOs. Despite the glare of media attention and the position this issue has on international political agendas, few comprehensive accounts exist that fully examine why this process will be inevitable in the 21st century and how integration of national economies can be attuned to attaining the socioeco-nomic goals and aspirations of member countries. 222pp, UK. ASHGATE.

In this endnote address delivered at the 11th General Assembly of CODESRIA, held in Maputo in 2005, Sundaram notes that over three decades of economic stagnation, contraction and increased poverty have taken a huge toll on Africa’s economic, social and political fabric; and pro-active efforts are urgently required in order to build new capacities and capabilities for development. He argues that much of the ostensible conventional wisdom regarding African development and poverty is often both erroneous and harmful; and calls for greater policy space for African governments to choose or design their own development strategies, as well as implement more appropriate development policies. IN ENGLISH & FRENCH. 76pp, SENEGAL. CODESRIA.

This innovative study illuminates the possibilities and pitfalls of regional efforts to promote African development. Comparing the two most prominent initiatives of the past quarter century, Ikome accounts for the shift from an inward-looking strategy of collective self-reliance to one embracing economic globalisation and good governance. His analysis of the continents currently most prominent initiative, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), steers well clear of the mindless pessimism and uncritical optimism that too often dominate debates on these subjects. An important investigation of the international dimensions of Africa’s development challenges. Bib, notes, 208pp, SOUTH AFRICA. INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL DIALOGUE.

This interdisciplinary collection provides comprehensive analyses - at the international, national, and local levels - of the theoretical issues revolving around the complex process of globalization, while offering detailed examinations of new models of economic development that can be implemented in sub-Saharan Africa to enhance economic growth, self-sufficiency, and sustainable development. These models are accessible to politicians, public policy analysts, scholars, students, international organiza-tions, nongovernmental actors, and members of the public at large. 484pp, USA. UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER PRESS.

A critical examination and appraisal of the status, methodology and likely future trends of the emerging sub-discipline of Governing Development within the broader discipline of political science. Selected contents: Good governance: Select world perspectives; In the matter of good governance: A non-Western perspective; Towards Good Governance in Africa. 282pp, GERMANY. BARBARA BUDRICH PUBLISHERS.

Africa is a paradox that continues to baffle development scholars. With the largest stock of natural resources in the world, immense areas of unused arable land and water and a young population, it should have significant economic growth and development - yet, it remains the least developed region in the world and faces increasing marginalisation. A collective effort of leading African social science research and academic institutions seeking to advance the debate, this volume includes scholarly studies on the diverse challenges facing Africa today. Index, 514pp, USA. AFRICA WORLD PRESS.

An examination of the interaction between humans and the environment in Africa focusing on the political and social factors which generate these interactions. Index, refs., tables, figs. 530pp, UK. ASHGATE PUBLISHERS, 0754631540

An informative analysis of underdevelopment in Africa using public choice theory and providing practical and effective policies for economic growth and development. Topics include the failure of development theory, the state and legacy of perverse economic policies, and structural adjustment programs. Index, bib, xvii, 338pp, USA. AFRICA WORLD PRESS, 1592212077

Drawn from a CODESRIA conference on 'Intellectuals and Nationalism', the essays of this book look at different responses to the African predicament from prominent writers like Soyinka, Ngugi, and Achebe, the military men in power and the students who defy repression. It suggests that intervention by international agencies who claim to promote 'democracy' and 'empower the youth' may reinforce authoritarian attitudes and structures, and gives voice to the outrage, ridicule, revolutionary ardour and reformist caution of those directly affected. Index, 178pp, UK. ZED BOOKS.

Comprehensive guide to applying the Oxfam livelihoods approach in practice, with a facilitator's handbook and filmed case studies from five Southern African countries. 362pp, diagrams, flow charts, VIDEO running time approx. 50 mins, VHS, UK. OXFAM PUBLICATIONS, 0855984686

Using a regional approach, with chapters on South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Mauritius, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Libya, this volume examines the contextual factors that are vital for understanding the development of human resources across the continent. Index, refs, map, xxiii, 196pp, UK. ROUTLEDGE.

Looks at the growth in microfranchising as a tool to generate wealth among poor communities in Africa. The book traces the evolution of the concept of microfranchising, from its foundation in Western models to its implementation in African countries today. It provides practical steps from the world's leading experts on how to set up a microfranchise, from recruiting franchisees, to building a brand and a supply chain. It gives case studies of successful microfranchises, told by the enterprises themselves. It continues with a theoretical analysis of the place of microfranchising within global social entrepreneurship. It ends with a look at the future for microfranchising, with recommendations for development. Index, tables, figs, 215pp, UK. GREENLEAF.

Reviews the progress, prospects and challenges of meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Africa. Each chapter corresponds with one of the eight goals of the Millennium Declaration. While most North African countries are on track to achieve the above goals by 2015, few countries in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to succeed in this. As well as reviewing progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals, the authors also analyse the obstacles and challenges that stand in the way of achieving the goals. These include internal, economic and cultural obstacles as well as external and environmental factors such as reduc-tions in funding, problems in accessing global markets and the implications for Africa of climate change. 288pp, SOUTH AFRICA. AFRICA INSTITUTE OF SOUTH AFRICA.

Covers development issues and their relationship to democratisation, especially in Africa. bib, index, xiii, 167pp, KENYA. MOI UNIVERSITY PRESS, 9966854150

2000 DELAY Paperback

Argues Neoliberalism has shaped African development for nearly thirty years. As such, it is not an economic 'shock' or a 'structural adjustment', but rather a historic shift in Africa's development politics and policy. This book explores the ways in which African countries have experienced the neoliberal project, highlighting how this project has gone beyond economic liberalisation and towards a bolder social transformation. As an ideology, neoliberalism projects an end-point not simply of a market economy but of a market society. After thirty years of projects, aid disbursement, technical assistance, and conditionality, this book maps out the extent to which African states have cleaved to neoliberal directives. 192pp, UK. ZED BOOKS.

Contributors show the important continuities with the original nineteenth-century scramble. However, while the previous scramble was between major European powers, today the continent provides a battleground for competition between the US, the European Union, China and other emerging players such as India and South Africa. This book raises significant general questions relating to the nature of emerging global competition between the US and China; the centrality of the struggle for oil and minerals and resulting militarisation; the international battle to capture Africa's markets; the marginalisation of African capitalism; and, the ambiguous benefits that investment and production by multinational companies bring to African communities. Arguing that exploitation of the continent by comprador African elites remains central, the book concludes by raising important questions about the prospects for development in Africa. 468pp, SOUTH AFRICA. UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL PRESS.

This book explains that efforts to reverse Africa's continuing underdevelopment have failed to date because they have not been consciously aimed at enabling Africa to turn its vast natural resources into wealth; here, Malunga proposes a five step strategy enabling the continent revolutionize and improve the system. 148pp, USA. UNIVERSITY PRESS OF AMERICA.

Full report. The Commission for Africa finds the conditions of the lives of the majority of Africans to be intolerable and an affront to the dignity of all mankind. We insist upon an alteration of these conditions through a change of policy in favour of the weak. Report of the Commission for Africa. Created by decision-makers from across the globe - among them Tony Blair, Trevor Manuel and Michael Camdessus - it is a call to action for the nations meeting at the 2005 G8 summit to end extreme poverty in the world's most immiserated continent. The full report sets out the arguments and recommendations of the Commission's plan for a strong, prosperous Africa. An important source document in Britain's chequered and unequal relationship with the continent. Notes, bib, tables, maps glossary, 461pp, UK. COMMISSION FOR AFRICA.

2005 NO ISBN Paperback

The Commission for Africa finds the conditions of the lives of the majority of Africans to be intolerable and an affront to the dignity of all humankind. We insist upon an alteration of these conditions through a change of policy in favour of the weak. Two sections of the report of the Commission for Africa. Created by decision makers from across the globe among them Tony Blair, Trevor Manuel and Michael Camdessus it is a call to action for the nations meeting at the 2005 G8 summit to end extreme poverty in the world's most immiserated continent. This book sets out the arguments and recommendations of the Commission's plan for a strong, prosperous Africa. An important source document in Britain's chequered and unequal relationship with the continent. App, glossary, 184pp, UK. PENGUIN BOOKS LTD(UK).

2005 0141024682 Paperback

Goes beyond the usual measurement in terms of economic achievement and widens the scope to include the impact that history of ideas, political theory, sociology, social and political philosophy, and political economy have had on development in Africa. Argues that is on account of the failures of the economic development theory, with its tepid prescriptions for sustainable development and poverty reduction that theories of development must now be expanded from mere economic analysis to include considerations of history, sociology, political economy and anthropology. 274pp, SENEGAL. CODESRIA.

Essays that combine the expertise of political leadership with economic, creative, environmental and academic analyses in examining the continuing developmental challenges and opportunities facing African development in the 21st century. African is a continent on a pilgrimage to stabilise and renew partnerships with the developed and developing world. Includes analyses from the Nigerian Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, former Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor and Architect Elsie Owusu among others. 220pp, UK. AYEBIA.

Argues that dogmatic faith in either state planning or markets is not sufficient; rather it is the quality of state involvement that is at stake. Taking Botswana and Uganda as case studies and contextualising them within their respective histories and political economies, the papers compare and contrast the features that distinguish their development records and style of activity in promoting development. The book argues some elements of the developmental state model exist in both countries and that these have contributed to the relative successes of the two countries. 186pp, SENEGAL. CODESRIA.

Investigates some of the most prominent sustainable development issues facing the continent. Sustainable development currently dominates the agenda of govern-ment programmes and projects. The developmental challenges posed by population increases, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and urbanisation trends, inter alia, re-quire government institutions and other development agencies to improve performance and delivery. Index, 206pp, SOUTH AFRICA. JUTA PUBLISHERS.

A study identifying the options for providing modern and improved renewables based energy to low income rural areas. The five case studies are drawn from Botswana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. BNS, 416pp, UK. ZED BOOKS, 1842775189

Questions traditional explanations for the low economic growth levels of sub-Saharan African countries by showing that majority state ownership of enterprise is a sufficient condition for inward-oriented policies and that this variable is a better predictor of such policies than other current explanations in the development literature. BNS, 275pp, USA. PRAEGER, 0275975592

Argues that global capitalism, under World Trade Organization rules and economic power of the Atlantic world, is attempting to revolutionize the developing countries' economic structures and institutions. But Africa was ill-prepared to face the international free trade imperialism of the 1850s and is now more unprepared to survive in the global economic order. In careful detail Tetteh Kofi and Asayehgn Desta examine the economic conditions in Africa during the pre-colonial and colonial periods and provide bold strategies crucial for African development. Index, notes, bib, 388pp, USA. AFRICA WORLD PRESS.

Reviews Africa's past experiences of social policy, focusing on healthcare, education, the labour market and social welfare. Contributors argue that the lessons for rebuilding Africa are obvious: economic development and social policy are mutually inclusive, and active social policy promotes national cohesion. Selected contents: Social Policy and the Quest for Inclusive Development: Ruling Ideas and Social Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Assessment of Nationalist, Keynesian and Neoliberal Paradigms; A.G. Garba; Social Policy and Development in East Africa: The Case of Education and Labour Market Policies, C.S.L. Chachage; Education, Employment and Development in Southern Africa: The Role of Social Policy in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, F.T. Hendricks; The Socio-Political Structure of Accumulation and Social Policy in Southern Africa, P. Bond. 260pp, UK. PALGRAVE.

Explores why Africa has not managed to achieve sustainable, self-regenerating development. The work situates problems in the practices employed by national political elites, donors and lenders to African development, and book offers a studied alternative that can positively change Africa's development direction - The Participatory Social Learning Approach. 284pp, USA. UNIVERSITY PRESS OF AMERICA.

Through global reconfigurations, South-South cooperation now compliments the existing North-South development paradigm. This volume explores the dynamic processes that have resulted in the reposi-tioning of Africa, from the periphery of world politics and economics on to the centre stage. However, not all academics and policy makers from around the globe believe that this transition has indeed taken place. The authors critically assess the compelling factors that undergird the title of the book while allowing space for a debate on this relatively new subject of academic discourse. It includes innovative contributions on the BRIC constellation, medical tourism between Africa and India, Indian Ocean region and the littoral states, and civil society perspective on South-South cooperation from an African perspective. 272pp, UK. PALGRAVE.

What accounts for Africa's average economic stagnation and for the wide regional variations in developmental fortunes? The author argues that differences in economic performance both in Africa and across the developing world can be linked to differences in historical state legitimacy. Index, bib, app, notes, tables, maps, figs, xii, 244pp, USA. LYNNE RIENNER, 158826131X

Using a variety of tools from various disciplines, examines factors limiting sustainable development in Africa. Contributors recommend, among several proposals: legitimizing the African state and empowering citizens as the main agents of sustainable development; replacing the exploitative postcolonial state structure with limited and non opportunistic governments and economic systems in which individual rights are guaranteed based on public choice; recognizing the centrality of public health to sustainable development, especially by embarking on an aggressive program to radically reduce and ultimately eliminate the threat of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in sub Saharan Africa. Index, 254pp, USA. AFRICA WORLD PRESS.

Argues that Africa still finds itself in the clutches of poverty and underdevelopment. The expected benefits from economic restructuring have not been realized and the debt burden continues to weigh heavily on African economies, constraining the possibilities of growth. Problems that have existed since the 1960s remain and links with the global economy continue to increase but fall short of requirements. Against this background it is not surprising that the vast majority of African states will not meet the Millennium Development Goals. As the dividends from globalization elude Africa in the 21st century, it becomes clear that it is a series of failed states, rogue states and even stateless states. Contributors include: William Zartman, Lawrence Flint, Edward Kannyo, Mbaya J. Kankwenda, Anthony V. Obeng, Augustin Kwai Fosu, Chantal Dupasquier, Patrick N. Osakwe, Siyanbola Tomori and Michael A. Adebiyi. 352pp, UK. ASHGATE.

Wide-ranging review of the major successes and failures of development policy over the past 20 years. In 1985 Earthscan published another landmark book about Africa, Lloyd Timberlake's Africa in Crisis. Twenty years on, Africa is still beset by many of the challenges it faced in 1985. However, many of the underlying causes and processes that might lead to more sustainable development are much better understood at the beginning of the 21st century. This new book distils the complex issues surrounding Africa as it enters the 21st century. African and Western scholars provide a fascinating 'map' of: urban and rural livelihoods; fresh water fishing; health and the HIV/AIDS crisis, conflict and efforts at peace-making; Africa's role in the global econ-omy; growth of regional cooperation; the evolution of Africa's political institutions. Index, maps, 352pp, UK. EARTHSCAN.

The fact that Africa continues to lag behind all regions of the world on every indicator of development is hardly contentious. However, there is fierce debate on why this should be the case, despite national and international efforts to reverse this situation. While this book does not attempt to answer this question per se, it addresses a largely ignored, but important issue, which might provide some insights into the matter. This issue is the link between culture/tradition and socio-economic development. 240pp, UK. ASHGATE.

Scrutinises the World Bank's agenda-setting documents of the past fifteen years, from its examinations of African 'crises' and East Asian 'miracles', to its perspectives on the state's changing developmental role, the Bank's environmental and participatory strategies, and the institution's changes since Paul Wolfowitz took over from James Wolfensohn as the Bank president in 2005. A wide range of academic scholars and activists, including economists, philosophers, environmentalists, political scientists, geographers and civil society radicals, examine the efforts of the World Bank to construct a path through poverty and power, and ask if reform of the Bank is possible or rejection probable. Index, 581pp, SOUTH AFRICA. UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL PRESS.

Drawing on the existing knowledge of African development from previous publications, this takes an in-depth look at 26 economic and social development successes in Sub-Saharan African countries, twenty from individual countries and six that cut across the region. These stories manifest at the project, provincial, sub-national, national, or regional level and across themes, programs, and sectors. Individual case studies also examine the role of the key stakeholders-the government, donors, or private investors-in facilitating and promoting the achievement. The studies are classified into four categories: overcoming or avoiding massive government failure, rebuilding or creating a government, rationalizing government involvement in markets, and listening to the people. 496pp, USA. WORLD BANK PUBLICATIONS.