The Myth of Development: The Non-Viable Economies of the 21st Century (Development Essentials) - Softcover

'This book is essential reading -because of the originality of its point of view, the timeliness of its analysis and the startling propositions which it puts forward... Bristling with new ideas, the author provides us with an intelligent way into understanding better the world's present disorders' - Le Monde Diplomatique 'This is an original and thought-provoking book for the new Millennium, which rejects one of the most widely-held beliefs of the Twentieth Century that development is an inevitable process for Nation States... Highly readable, The Development Myth is a useful tool for understanding the enormous problems for survival that will have to be faced by the poverty-stricken, exploding urban populations of the wrongly called ?developing countries? - Javier Perez de Cuellar (United Nations Secretary-General 1982 - 1991) 'This provocative and well-written book may stimulate discussion and promote sound survival and development policies' - Choice

Face reality. Be honest about what is happening to the majority of people in Third World countries. The message of this courageous book is that the benefits of development, so long promised over the past fifty years, have not come about for most people. Nor are they going to. The necessary investment is not available and modern technology actually dispenses with labour rather than providing jobs for the growing multitudes in the cities of the South. Many countries, and large parts of their cities in particular, are already collapsing into 'ungovernable chaotic entities' under the control of warlords and mafias. State-driven and market-led development models have both failed. Many countries are mistakenly called 'developing' -- they would, in fact, be better described as 'non-viable national economies' (NNEs). What is to be done? The 'wealth of nations' agenda must be replaced by a 'survival of nations' agenda. In order to prevent increasing human misery and political disorder, many countries must abandon dreams of development and adopt instead a policy of national survival based on providing basic water, food and energy, and stabilizing their populations.