Creating Capabilities

The Human Development Approach

By: Martha C. Nussbaum

Narrated by: Naomi Jacobson

If a country's Gross Domestic Product increases each year, but so does the percentage of its people deprived of basic education, health care, and other opportunities, is that country really making progress? If we rely on conventional economic indicators, can we ever grasp how the world's billions of individuals are really managing?

In this powerful critique, Martha Nussbaum argues that our dominant theories of development have given us policies that ignore our most basic human needs for dignity and self-respect. For the past 25 years, Nussbaum has been working on an alternate model to assess human development: the Capabilities Approach. She and her colleagues begin with the simplest of questions: What is each person actually able to do and to be? What real opportunities are available to them?

The Capabilities Approach to human progress has until now been expounded only in specialized works. Creating Capabilities, however, affords anyone interested in issues of human development a wonderfully lucid account of the structure and practical implications of an alternate model. It demonstrates a path to justice for both humans and nonhumans, weighs its relevance against other philosophical stances, and reveals the value of its universal guidelines even as it acknowledges cultural difference. In our era of unjustifiable inequity, Nussbaum shows how - by attending to the narratives of individuals and grasping the daily impact of policy - we can enable people everywhere to live full and creative lives.

©2011 Martha C. Nussbaum (P)2012 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“This small book provides a strong foundation for beginning to think about how economic growth and individual flourishing might coincide.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“A remarkably lucid and scintillating account of the the human development approach seen from the perspective of one of its major architects.” (Amartya Sen, winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economics)

“A marvelous achievement: beautifully written and accessible.” (Jonathan Wolff, University College London)

Development student finds her favorite theory

I loved the approach to Sen and development. It is a must read book for anyone in the field of development!

Nussbaum at the cusp of fairness and capabilities

Nussbaum discusses the capabilities approach as a framework for nation building, explaining a possible theory of its significance for human development, the social sciences, and society at large. Creating Capabilities: The Human Development Approach evaluates the prevailing literature, theories, and alternatives in terms of their contributions to the concept of justice. Some consider corporatism the best means of mediating between development, government, and the individual; however, Nussbaum successfully clarifies the distinction between principles and their application. Individual capabilities, as a foundation for nation building, form the common ground shared by government, health and human services, and economics. Capabilities are not a distraction from nation building—it is the very work of this book to dispel the disconnect between socioeconomics and human development.

The book is good but the narration not that good.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

the narration, I feel like it was a computer and I the ideas where difficult to follow.

How could the performance have been better?

The writer Martha C. Nussbaum should be the narrator, I have hear her voice in podcast is much more engaging.

Any additional comments?

I couldn't finished. Bought the written book instead.

Overall Amazing book with very great evidence and just overall format

The only negative to nussbaum’s writing in the case is the holes left open with different religions stemming from non western cultures and how they relate to this approach. As well the voice was slightly too computer like for me but overall very good!