The elusive quest for growth : economists' adventures and misadventures in the tropics / William Easterly.

Acknowledgments, ix -- Prologue: The quest, xi -- I. Why growth matters, 1 -- I. To help the poor, 5 -- Intermezzo: in search of a river, 16 -- II. Panaceas that failed, 21 -- 2. Aid for investment, 25 -- Intermezzo: Parmila, 45 -- 3. Solow's surprise: investment is not the key to growth, 47 -- Intermezzo: dry cornstalks, 70 -- 4. Educated for what?, 71 -- Intermezzo: withowt a refuge, 85 -- 5. Cash for condoms?, 87 -- Intermezzo: Tomb paintings, 99 . The loans that were, the growth that wasn't, 101 Intermezzo: Leila's story, 121 -- 7. Forgive us debts, 123 -- Intermezzo: cardboard house, 138 -- III. People respond to incentives, 141 -- 8. Tales of increasing returns: leaks, matches, and traps, 145 -- Intermezzo: accident in Jamaica, 193 -- 10. Under and Evil star, 195 -- Intermezzo: Favela life, 215 -- 11. Governments can kill growth, 217 -- Intermezzo: Florence and Veronica, 240 -- Corruption and growth, 241 -- Intermezzo: discrimination in Palanpur, 253 -- 13. Polarized peoples, 255 -- Intermezzo: violet for centuries, 282 -- 14. Conclusion: the view from Lahore, 285 -- Notes, 293. References and further reading, 313 -- Index, 335.

In this book Easterly shows how these solutions all violate the basic principle of economics, that people-private individuals and businesses, government officials, even aid donors-respond to incentives. Easterly first discusses the importance of growth. He then analyzes the development solutions that have failed. Finally, he suggests alternative approaches to the problem. Written in an accessible, at times irreverent, style, Easterly's book combines modern growth theory with anecdotes from his fieldwork for the World Bank.