Pathways Out of Poverty

Fields (labor economics, Cornell U.) and Pfefferman (a former chief economist for the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank) tout the role of private firms in the reduction of poverty. They present 12 chapters in all, some of which present data that is argued to demonstrate that economic growth and private investment don't lead to wealth disparity. Others look at case studies from Korea, China, India, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Final contributions analyze the factors that make a "good investment climate." Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Gary S. Fields is professor in the Department of Labor Economics and chair of the Department of International and Comparative Labor at Cornell University.

Guy Pfeffermann was for the past fifteen years Chief Economist of the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank. He teaches at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.