This book collects the most recent and authoritative contributions to the field of development economics and provides a wealth of pedagogical materials that make it ideal for classroom use. As countries such as China and India are experiencing tremendous economic growth, other parts of the world such as Sub-Saharan Africa remain mired in poverty and unable to raise standards of living. This volume helps readers understand why poor countries are poor and why designing policies to reduce poverty is such a challenging task. The book is divided into eight parts and the main themes include economic growth, poverty and inequality, human capital, globalization and foreign aid. The reader focuses on the most recent and up-to-date contributions to the field of development economics. The articles chosen for the book: (1) are understandable to students with limited background in economics; (2) are all written by well-respected development economists or by authoritative scholars and reporters, including Amartya Sen, Jeffrey Sachs, Muhammad Yunus, Hernando de Soto, Dani Rodrik, William Easterly, Joseph Stiglitz, Abhijit Banerjee and Daron Acemoglu; (3) include the most recent contributions to the area of development economics, reflecting the latest research and the most promising ideas in the field; (4) acquaint students with the wide variety of points of view that generate the controversies and lively debate typical of development economics. Each part begins with an extensive introduction and a preview of each selection; review and discussion questions follow each reading, and at the end of each part there are suggestions for further reading. Contemporary and highly accessible, 'The Development Economics Reader' is an invaluable resource for all students of the discipline.