|
|
|
|
|
|
Resources |
|
|
|
Africa's Survival
| Article
# : |
15787 |
|
|
Section : |
BOOK WORLD
|
| Issue
Date : |
1 / 1989 |
3,976 Words |
| Author
: |
George Ayittey
George Ayittey is a black African from Ghana. He is a
frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal and a
columnist for the African Letter. He teaches economics at
Bloomsburg University. |
HOW CAN AFRICA SURVIVE?
Jennifer Seymour Whitaker
New York: Harper & Row, 1988
264 pp., $19.95
That Africa is in the throes of a deep economic crisis is well known. Most African leaders and intellectuals, however, tend to overstress its external causes, neglecting the domestic causes that have been significant, if not preeminent, in many African countries. Occasionally, a book appears offering a balanced and insightful analysis. Jennifer Whitaker's is one such book, and it stands far above most contemporary theses on Africa.
She sets out "to tell the whole story, as far as that is possible, of how African economics got stuck." Though this may sound ambitious, Whitaker does tell the story extremely well in readable, non-technical language. Why things went so wrong in Africa is carefully documented and discussed. Since this is the first step in a search for solutions, this book will be valuable to African leaders, policymakers, foreign aid donors, and well-wishers concerned about the future survival of Africa.
What has Gone Wrong?
Concerning what has gone wrong in Africa, Whitaker concedes that "this question has innumerable different answers."
Africa is out of phase with the times. Before the African countries begin their industrial revolutions, they are already at a disadvantage. Since independence in the
... (1997 of 23855 Characters)
Read Full Article
|
|
