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Poor Economics

A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty

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Poor Economics

By: Abhijit V. Banerjee, Esther Duflo
Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
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About this listen

Billions of government dollars, and thousands of charitable organizations and NGOs, are dedicated to helping the world’s poor. But much of their work is based on assumptions that are untested generalizations at best, harmful misperceptions at worst.

Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo have pioneered the use of randomized control trials in development economics. Work based on these principles, supervised by the Poverty Action Lab, is being carried out in dozens of countries. Drawing on this and their 15 years of research from Chile to India, Kenya to Indonesia, they have identified wholly new aspects of the behavior of poor people, their needs, and the way that aid or financial investment can affect their lives. Their work defies certain presumptions: that microfinance is a cure-all, that schooling equals learning, that poverty at the level of 99 cents a day is just a more extreme version of the experience any of us have when our income falls uncomfortably low.

This important book illuminates how the poor live, and offers all of us an opportunity to think of a world beyond poverty.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2011 Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo. (P)2011 HighBridge Company Business Development Business Development & Entrepreneurship Economics Poverty & Homelessness Social Sciences Business Capitalism Africa Government

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Critic reviews

“Reads like a version of Freakonomics for the poor.” ( Fast Company)
“A must... for anyone who cares about world poverty. Poor Economics represents the best that economics has to offer.” (Steven D. Levitt, author of Freakonomics)
“A marvelously insightful book by two outstanding researchers on the real nature of poverty.” (Amartya Sen, winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics)
All stars
Most relevant  
Interesting read with lots of research which gave me a view inside the lives of poor people. Not all chapters are interesting, but I really gained insights about how the poor deal with medical costs and how micro credit works in practice and helps some of them, but definitely not all. I would recommend this book to anyone who's interested in practical economy, medical staff and anyone who's interested in how poor people deal with their lives.

Lots of new insights into poverty

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The authors lucidly explain how we can make difference in the lives of poor by observing them, listening to them and working with them closely without the run of mill solutions which hardly work. Small and incremental changes can result in big gains in future if we invest in right people with right resources at the right time.

simple and effective economics

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I found the ideas presented in the book to be enlightening. It's not all doom for developing countries

Enlightening reading

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This book presents some amazing stories and statistics in an easy to understand format. Each chapter is a different topic and keeps you interested, makes it easy to dip in and out of. Some fascinating theories that I've not heard or read elsewhere. A must read!

fascinating read

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I really enjoyed the book. It provides a multifaceted review of the global poverty problem and reviews implications of empirical evidence of various interventions. A must read for anyone interested in development issues.

Great read!

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The authors give a balanced inside into the life of poor people around the world. It is balance and seems to be fact driven; away from usual biases.

This book was recommended to me by a stranger who was caring it in an eatery. After I enquired about it and refused to let him gift it to me, he insisted I must promise him to read it.
He was right for insisting.

The audiobook is very well read, and pleasant and easy to listen too.


I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in getting a more nuanced view of the topic.

Excellent & enlightening work

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It was welll thought out and interesting. If concentrated on India too much. All good.

Good and very interesting

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This is not a review of the audible book which is interesting from the beginning so I gave it 5 stars for the benefit of the doubt.



However, beware that the reference material did not end up in My Library as claimed by audible - this is critical to the book so please make sure you contact them!

No reference material

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Often I struggled to think what I was really taking away from the book or learning, until the conclusion, which I think were good. I just wish the rest if the book was more concise and clearer I think.

skip to the final chapter

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I'm not sure I fully understood this book before reading so I'm probably not the best person to review. Just make sure you understand the contents before starting.

Long and detailed. Must have a keen interest first

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