Reminded me that I have alot to learn. Here's my full review and other nonfiction faves: http://laurareviews.blogspot.com/sear... Nonfiction ( )

The book begins very well and is quite interesting until the purpose of the book becomes apparent - not ending poverty but rather calling out the U.S. and it's wealthier citizens to pay up.

The repeated call for the U.S. to pay .7% of its GDP without addressing why it is that other G8 countries' GDP is so low relative to the U.S. is glaring omission. The 'fairness' claim falls flat when one considers that the domestic economic polices of European countries suppress their GDP thus making .7% of their GDP much less in terms of actual dollars. Sach's argument makes one believe that all countries' annual GDP is being achieved within similar domestic economic frameworks. But this is not so.

The U.S. has a very competitive domestic economic framework based on the concept of incentive. These same incentives have been depressed in Europe through domestic taxation and certain expectations of the citizens. Therefore, using a % of GDP as the basis of what is 'fair' is incorrect as we would need to account for GDP reducing policies of the welfare states in the G8.

Basically, by re-distributing their wealth through domestic economic and tax policies and creating disincentives for pursuing high growth and high income, European countries have made it impossible to give more but are still allowed to claim some sort of higher moral ground.

Before the U.S. is coerced into giving more of its GDP, other countries ought to look hard at their own reasons why their GDP (and thus their own giving ) isn't higher to begin with.

And finally, you would think that such a highly educated author would know it is better to use honey than vinegar when asking for money. If he isn't 'asking' but rather 'taking' then I guess he needn't be respectful. I'm not which method he has in mind.

His arguments for massive help are clear and thorough. Why he transitions from such thorough analysis to shallow claims upon the United States' treasury just because 'they have it' boggles. He needs to work on this part of his argument if he is going to be successful. The 'give us the money - we'll do good works with it' just isn't going to work in a world full of corruption - which he glosses over. ( )

A very interesting book, one that can and should inform voters to require of their governments that extreme poverty disappear from the world.
I posted a longer review at http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgxshts... ( )

Sachs puts forth a logical argument and achievable goals for ending extreme poverty within the next two decades. He is well researched and knowledgeable on his subject, and does a good job of making the information accessible to the average reader. I highly recommend it. ( )

i was really excited when i started reading this book. jeffery sachs clearly knows what he's talking about and has some great ideas. but i couldn't finish it. quickly, the book descends into ego and becomes a brag list of all of the economies that sachs has single-handedly saved. i'm sure the good (maybe even great) ideas are in there, but they're overpowered by his big head. ( )

Though Jeffrey Sachs is considered by some to be a paradigmatic neoliberal, I nonetheless think this is a great book, and now look forward to reading Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine, as Sachs admits throughout the book to having strongly advocated for economic "shock" policies (for Bolivia, Poland, etc.).

I find his idea of "clinical economics" very interesting, though under-developed. What scares me about it is that approaching politics and society through the lens that a) is drawn from curing disease is problematic, and b) human society, action and interaction is fundamentally from the chemical/biological processes that occur in the human body.

Nonetheless, the majority of Sachs' recommendations as to how economists should reconsider their practice are quite sensible. ( )

http://howtolivethegoodlife.wordpress... ( )

Great book. Everyone in the first world should read this. The world should be a better place for all. ( )

This work begins by recounting the history of extreme proverty and by elucidating the current state of poverty in our world today. Sachs then goes on to outline a method for eliminating this situation, and takes the reader through several case studies of different countries grippling with poverty on their own terms. Endorsing a method of differential diagnosis to carefully assay the needs and failures of each country, Sachs shows the kind of approach he has in mind and how he has augmented this approach with lessons from his past.

Sachs's message is inspiring, but the caveat is in the book title. Economic possibilities of our time remain just that, possibilities, unless there is a groundswell of support for the ideas outlined in his book. Personally I felt his arguments were pretty solid, and clearly many nations are not doing their part, creditors and debtors alike. However it remains to be seen whether or not these plans reach fruition. I hope they do.

Maybe more people reading this book will help speed that along, because even if you don't agree with Sachs solution his book will definitely convince you that extreme poverty is an issue that affects us and is highly deserving of our attention. Then, finally, we can all sit down and hammer out an answer. ( )

I was rather disappointed by this book. In a nutshell you wouldn't learn from it anything you wouldn't already know from reading the Economist or the Financial Times. The level of the analysis seems rather shallow (possibly due to the author's legitimate objective of reaching a wide audience) when analysis is not completely replaced by anecdotes that (in my opinion rather irritatingly) paint Sachs himself as a Forrest-Gump-like character that pops up at every economically significant recent historical event. The only points that I found informative are: 1) how little Western countries actually devote to official development assistance and how manipulative they are in presenting their efforts as much more substantial than Sachs claim they are. 2) how the confidence that (self styled) statesmen often have on the 'political impossibility' or certain courses of action is often quite misguided. ( )

this and Muhammad Yunnus Banker to the Poor are two must read economic developement books.
only complaint is that Bono from U2 opened up. I hate U2. ( )

http://www.maciejmajewski.pl/czytam/2... ( )

This is a truly awful book. My ambitions in life revolve around designing for the developing world so I am extremely passionate about this area. In looking at design I look at many different areas. I look at anthropology, technology, geography, politics, etc. Economics alone cannot begin to describe poverty.

I suppose that maybe the target audience for this book is supposed to be those that are completely unaware of the economic situation involving the West and the rest. However, even in this case I think this book does a disservice to those readers because it simplifies everything. I understand some level of simplicity is needed to begin to tackle such a large issue but Sachs often misses the point.

With every chapter I wanted to read on even less. I did not make it past probably page 150. The book started going downhill after I saw the tables concerning Africa's GDP over the last hundred years. Sachs measures well-being solely by economics and this is absolutely ignorant. Growth is relative. It is possible for villages, towns or even countries to subsist rather well with low GDP. The real force at work is globablization. While I take a value-neutral stance on this term, it is evident that it onslaught--while largely poorly moderated by the IMF and World Bank--has devasted the LDCs. Sachs pays little attention to this.

The book is rife with ambiguous and vague language like "some parts of the world achieved modern economic growth while others did not" (pg. 29) What is 'modern growth'? He speaks of this as an achievement which is a bold assumption. Are we to believe that every country should strive for what the West has 'achieved'? A quick look at books like "Natural Capitalism" or anything discussing over-consumption, sustainability or the various other ignored forms of capital (i.e. social, natural, manufactured...) will reveal that Sachs gives a poor standard of achievement. On the same page, Sachs states that "all regions were poor in 1820." What?! That isn't possible. How can any 'economist' make such a claim? Are we now to believe that world was simply 'poor' before the industrial revolution? Again, he ignores the relativity of poverty. Of course all regions were poor by today's standards but is that a good comparison?

This book offers nothing. If one wants to learn about what he is feabily trying to illustrate, look at other books on development, globalization, sustainability and foreign aid. This is a highly subjective and poorly researched book. I suppose if you want the Al Gore, "Inconvenient Truth" approach to poverty then this will be good for you. Littered with misinformation, useless charts, subjective analyses and broad generalizations. But, I would like to think the average person can do better than this. Don't sell yourself short. ( )

Interesting, eye-opening book.
I knew the US wasn't giving much aid, but didn't realize it was sooo low ... I thought we were at about 1-2% but are not even half of that!
For me, I have to say that I already felt like the US needed to help and needed to do more. this book simply makes me feel it even more stronger than I did before.
It also gives me some hope - there is a chance to make a difference, and in teh grand scheme of things, it will take relatively little to do it as well! To think, that we could see extreme poverty gone in our lifetime! That is truely amazing to me. ( )

Good book that took you through the in and outs of economic assesment. Im not good with economics at all, but I understood what Dr. Sachs was talking about. There were questions I still had that he didn't address fully. ( )

Way too optimistic, reviving outdated theories of the '50s and '60s, forgetting all about the reality of sin, corruption, unrighteousness both of the rich and of (leaders of) the poor and forgetting almost all about participation, empowerment and advocacy. See also http://www.rijneveld.eu/2006/05/kerk-... (Sorry, in Dutch!) ( )

An expert opinion on how to help lift the third world out of poverty without giving away our wealth! ( )

This is a very good thought-provoking book by an economic expert. Much of his analysis is excellent, and I particularly like the way he dispels many of the myths about poverty, particularly in Africa. I'm not so sure about his conclusions, though. He believes that poverty can be alleviated within the existing capitalist free market economic system. Many in the world would suggest that capitalism has failed the poor and we need some new creative thinking. ( )