San Antonio College Library

"This survey of microfinance seeks to bridge the gap in the exisiting literature on microfinance between academic economists and practitioners." "The authors move beyond the usual theoretical focus in the microfinance literature and draw on new developments in theories of contracts and incentives. They challenge conventional assumptions about how poor households save and build assets and how institutions can overcome market failures. The book provides...

"Through country case studies the contributors to Urban Futures explore what works, and discuss the issues and principles of different aspects of urban development in relation to poverty." "Overall the book offers a framework for understanding poverty, and a methodology for research, that will help all those working towards the eradication of extreme poverty in the context of projected urban demographic growth."--Jacket.

"Globalization is characterized by persistent poverty and growing inequality. Conventional wisdom has it that this global poverty is residual: as globalization deepens, the poor will be lifted out of destitution. The policies of the World Bank, the IMF and the WTO echo this belief and push developing countries ever deeper into the global economy." "Globalization, Poverty and Inequality provides an alternative viewpoint. It argues that for many - particularly...

"Why do governments turn to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and with what effects? In this book, James Raymond Vreeland examines this question by analyzing cross-national time-series data from throughout the world. Vreeland argues that governments enter into IMF programs for economic and political reasons, and he finds that the programs hurt economic growth and redistribute income upward. By bringing in the IMF, governments gain political leverage...

As the politics of energy grow bleak, visionary entrepreneurs in the biofuels industry may well become society's next great hope. Rudolf Diesel designed his engine to run almost anywhere, using almost any fuel, and renewable fuels made from vegetable and other oils (foreseen by Diesel in 1912) are finally coming into their own. In this book, Greg Pahl delves into the history of the biofuels industry. He assesses its recent successes and current shortcomings,...

"In One Economics, Many Recipes, leading economist Dani Rodrik argues that neither globalizers nor antiglobalizers have got it right. While economic globalization can be a boon for countries that are trying to dig out of poverty, success usually requires following policies that are tailored to local economic and political realities rather than obeying the dictates of the international globalization establishment. A definitive statement of Rodrik's...

"Examines the underlying mechanisms through which the law, judiciary, and legal profession influence the economy. Analyzes enforcement, contracts, and property rights--the concepts collectively defining rule of law--and examines their roles in the real estate and financial sectors. Extended China analysis assesses the importance of the rule of law"--Provided by publisher.

"Against Extinction tells the history of wildlife conservation from its roots in the 19th century, through the foundation of the Society for the Preservation of the Wild Fauna of the Empire in London in 1903 to the huge and diverse international movement of the present day. It vividly portrays conservation's legacy of big game hunting, the battles for the establishment of national parks, the global importance of species conservation and debates over...

The urgency of reducing poverty in the developing world has been the subject of a public campaign by such unlikely policy experts as George Clooney, Alicia Keyes, Elton John, Angelina Jolie, and Bono. And yet accompanying the call for more foreign aid is an almost universal discontent with the effectiveness of the existing aid system. In Reinventing Foreign Aid, development expert William Easterly has gathered top scholars in the field to discuss...

"Survival for a Small Planet brings together dozens of the leading experts from around the world in a 'post-WSSD' analysis of the prospects for sustainable development on all the major policy fronts including security, finance, urban governance, radical partnerships, migration, health, access to resources and the role of markets. The group of authors examines the contributions that governments, business and civil society can each make to improve our...