The early part of the book focuses on definitions and theories of development, providing a historical account of the evolution of development theory and practice in the last few decades – through the impasse in development studies in the 1980s to the consolidation of the neo-liberal consensus across the world. Subsequent chapters analyse key development strategies – the role of the state and of international trade – in the context of a number of contemporary problems, including the spread of HIV in Africa, the use of GM technology in agriculture and the role of education, population growth and urbanization. In doing so, Kambhampati highlights the interdependence between the causes and consequences of development, emphasizing why the development problem has been hard both to identify and to solve.

Development and the Developing World will be an essential text for undergraduate and graduate students coming to the subject for the first time and taking courses in development studies, globalization and international relations.