3A "bracingly iconoclastic" (New York Times) critique of global development that points a way toward respect for the poor and an end to global poverty
Over the last century, global poverty has largely been viewed as a technical problem that requires the right "expert" solution. Yet all too often, experts fix immediate problems without addressing the systematic oppression that created them. In The Tyranny of Experts, renowned economist William Easterly argues that the expert-approved, authoritarian approach to development has not only made little lasting progress, but has proven a convenient rationale for generations of human rights violations. Although aid agencies, such as the World Bank and the Gates Foundation, are still regarded as both well-meaning and effective, they're founded on the mistaken belief that wise technocrats from the West will be the saviors of helpless victims from the rest.
This revised edition comes at a time of even greater peril for freedom worldwide. Easterly brings in new research that carries his masterful critiques into the present. He reveals the fundamental errors inherent in the long-celebrated top-down approach and offers a new model for developing countries-a model predicated on respect for the rights of poor people-with the power to end global poverty.