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  • The Tyranny of Experts

  • Economists, Dictators, and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor
  • Written by: William Easterly
  • Narrated by: Chris Ciulla
  • Length: 15 hrs and 9 mins

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The Tyranny of Experts

Written by: William Easterly
Narrated by: Chris Ciulla
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Publisher's Summary

In this "bracingly iconoclastic” book (New York Times Book Review), a renowned economics scholar breaks down the fight to end global poverty and the rights that poor individuals have had taken away for generations.

In The Tyranny of Experts, renowned economist William Easterly examines our failing efforts to fight global poverty, and argues that the "expert approved" top-down approach to development has not only made little lasting progress, but has proven a convenient rationale for decades of human rights violations perpetrated by colonialists, postcolonial dictators, and US and UK foreign policymakers seeking autocratic allies. Demonstrating how our traditional antipoverty tactics have both trampled the freedom of the world's poor and suppressed a vital debate about alternative approaches to solving poverty, Easterly presents a devastating critique of the blighted record of authoritarian development. In this masterful work, Easterly reveals the fundamental errors inherent in our traditional approach and offers new principles for Western agencies and developing countries alike: principles that, because they are predicated on respect for the rights of poor people, have the power to end global poverty once and for all.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2014 William Easterly (P)2021 Basic Books

What the critics say

"A provocative book that will rile the development world.... A timely blast against the complacency of those who think progress and prosperity can be detached from politics." (Guardian [UK])

"Easterly's message is simple: Before you offer a helping hand, look hard at the core beliefs that brought you good fortune." (Washington Post)

"Thought provoking." (Economist)

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