‘For the past few decades, the idea of development has been dominated by policies demanding Thatcherite-style remedies, alongside earnest pleas by charities and celebrities to deliver never-ending amounts of foreign assistance. Neither have worked. Sixty years after the independence era began, the challenge to make African economies more diverse and industrious remains. At times controversial, Tom Young issues a compelling case for the West to take a more honest approach to the continent. There is no doubt that his argument needs to be heard.’

– Ian Taylor, Professor in International Relations and African Political Economy, University of St Andrews

‘A book urging us to re-examine the ways in which the West offers economic assistance to African nations could hardly arrive at a more opportune moment…It’s a difficult and troubling subject, and Young’s solution to the manifest problems won’t please everyone. But now, more than ever, alternatives to the status quo need a public airing.’

– Geographical Magazine