She empirically backs up her claims, using compelling statistics such as the fact that poverty in Africa rose from 11% to 66% between 19, when flows of aid to Africa were at its peak. If you are interested in African politics, international relations, trade or foreign aid, this book is such a good route into Economics and a great way to help you form your own controversial opinions about current economic issues.ĭead Aid, by Dambisa Moyo, explores the malignant nature of aid, thus challenging traditional views which accredit foreign aid with reducing poverty through stimulating economic growth in some of the world’s most deprived states. The fact that this book is written for the general public, instead of just academics makes it much quicker and more enjoyable to consume. Her opinion is blatantly evident throughout the text, making identifying bias easy for a less experienced audience. Some books of this nature tend to be very dry, yet the author’s sheer rage shines through, helped in part by her personal experiences and aggressive writing style. What makes this book a pleasure to read is Moyo’s enthusiasm. These sections are structured very clearly, making it an easy book to devour in one sitting or to skim through if particular areas interest you more. The theories presented in these last few chapters sparked such imagination that I ended up including them in my final personal statement – especially the chapter entitled “The Chinese Are Our Friends”. She then presents alternatives to the current system, providing interesting thinking points and springboards for further reading and discussion. To do this, it looks at the historical evidence, real-life Sub-Saharan examples and draws on Moyo’s own experiences – making it a riveting and more personal read. Controversially, it presents an argument that aid is damning African countries into poverty, rather than helping them. In general, this book deals with the issues associated with foreign aid. By coating a new and blatantly terrifying subject in something I was interested in, it made the introduction to economics much easier to stomach. Moyo simultaneously manages to speak in-depth and so precisely about a topic I was eager to learn about, as well as addressing some wider, more general concepts in economics. Having never studied economics before applying to read PPE, I felt daunted by the prospect of “reading around a subject” – where do I start? I knew that I was particularly interested in the economics of development and foreign aid, and so I picked up Dead Aid which tackles this debate. What drew me to this book initially was that it dealt with an economics topic about which I was genuinely passionate. Review by Anna (Philosophy, Politics and Economics)
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