Interview with the author of “The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can be Done About It

The author is former director of development research at the World Bank and advisor to the British government’s Commission on Africa. A really interesting interview.

TCS Daily – The Bottom Billion No More?

Schulz: As bad as things are for the bottom billion, you believe it’s possible that the statistics we have to describe what is happening may in fact underestimate the decline that has happened with the world’s worst off nations. So how bad is it?

Collier: How bad is bad? Everything has to be seen relative to where the rest of the world is, since information has now globalized. If we were all still living in the 14th century then the present conditions in the bottom billion would be OK, but we are not. Both practical living conditions and more important psychological matters such as the lack of hope in these societies are unacceptable and potentially explosive.

If you have an interest in the topic of Third World development, here are two more excellent books –

Tom Faranda’s Folly: Latest read – "The Elusive Quest for Growth"

Tom Faranda’s Folly: Latest read: The Shackled Continent