The Bottom Billion

Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It

By: Paul Collier

Narrated by: Gideon Emery

Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's Summary

In the universally acclaimed and award-winning The Bottom Billion, Paul Collier reveals that 50 failed states - home to the poorest one billion people on earth - pose the central challenge of the developing world in the 21st century. The book shines much-needed light on this group of small nations, largely unnoticed by the industrialized West, that are dropping further and further behind the majority of the world's people, often falling into an absolute decline in living standards.

A struggle rages within each of these nations between reformers and corrupt leaders - and the corrupt are winning. Collier analyzes the causes of failure, pointing to a set of traps that ensnare these countries, including civil war, a dependence on the extraction and export of natural resources, and bad governance. Standard solutions do not work, he writes; aid is often ineffective, and globalization can actually make matters worse, driving development to more stable nations.

What the bottom billion need, Collier argues, is a bold new plan supported by the Group of Eight industrialized nations. If failed states are ever to be helped, the G8 will have to adopt preferential trade policies, new laws against corruption, new international charters, and even conduct carefully calibrated military interventions. Collier has spent a lifetime working to end global poverty. In The Bottom Billion, he offers real hope for solving one of the great humanitarian crises facing the world today.

©2008 Paul Collier (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"Set to become a classic. Crammed with statistical nuggets and common sense, his book should be compulsory reading." ( The Economist)
"If Sachs seems too saintly and Easterly too cynical, then Collier is the authentic old Africa hand: he knows the terrain and has a keen ear.... If you've ever found yourself on one side or the other of those arguments -and who hasn't? - then you simply must read this book." (Niall Ferguson, The New York Times Book Review)

no easy fix

Collier lays out a comprehensive survey of what has caused this situation and the challenges of bringing solutions to it. Many of his research based observations are initially counter intuitive, until you get to hear about the bizarre incentives to good as well as bad behavior. Solid narration.

Eye opening inspirational and informative

I wanted to discover the issues facing the poorest, what has worked and what hasn't and I got it.

I only wish there was a prologue that included the events that took place in the 10 years after the book was written. I feel that I have a gap in my knowledge.

Highly recommended to anyone interested in humanitarian aid, policy and what can be done about the poorest of the poor.

A must read for global citizens

A fascinating book, though not always easy to follow, that explains the financial side of national poverty. Important for every person who has ever considered donating to poor countries

Wonderful!

Great audio book. Well written. The reader is very good. I am an economics graduate student. I feel it helps me a lot in understanding how econometrical approach can be used to analyze various real world issues in economic development.

Blueprint to close the gap

I read The Bottom Billion over a year ago but saw it cheap on Audible since I own the kindle version and decided to give it another listen. Talks about the gap between the developed economies versus those with citizens from the bottom billion of the poorest people on the planet and why the gap is expanding instead of narrowing. The traps include resource trap, land locked trap, conflict trap (military coup prone), unstable neighbors trap, etc. They also are impacted by adverse migration patterns that often lead to a brain drain of the talent that could help pull the country out of the economic morass leaving for green pastures in developed countries. The traps form a perfect storm for much of Africa and explains much of the economic struggles there. Collier discusses options to help close the gap starting with the common response that has limited impact of direct aid through more impactful tactics that could truly help.

Is poverty a disease or a wound?

I really enjoyed this, primarily UN centric, treatment of the hidden realities of that group of people who rarely make the news. If you're an international traveler, these are the people that you see walking in the broiling sun, or begging on the side of the road.

Yet, the book is hopeful in offering new solutions, some that may interest business people such as low end insurance products.

Overall this book was compelling, and interesting from start to finish.

Gare Henderson

Great use of data

Great use of data. It would have been nice to have shown some of the raw data.

See How Asia Works

The book in my opinion is the opposite side of "How Asia works" the two books put together and their suggestions combined would fast track development

Worth reading

Easy to listen too.
Good book
Recommended to everyone seeking analysis on why our world is the way it is today.

Brilliant analysis of the problem, but solutions?

Collier has done an excellent job of assessing the problem: he identifies four "traps" that drop societies into poverty and expertly shows how those have played a role in leaving the world's poorest where they are at the bottom. He goes on to analyze the challenges of trade vs. aid (his answer is we need both), and how each can cause problems or help build toward solutions. However, in his final few chapters where he is putting forward his "solutions" they are so pie-in-the-sky, so far beyond the effective sphere of influence of all but a few readers who may have their hands on the levers of power, that the book is ultimately somewhat disappointing. It did not leave me empowered. It left me aware, but hopeless.

Some truths do not age with time

Clear specific actions, from the developed world perspective using the instrumentalities of developed nations to alleviate Bottom Billion problems.

Which earns it my 5 star rating.

Bottom Billion nations might be economically poor in relative terms, but despite this adversity, they have produced some of the greatest minds that have been applied to global problems.

A Made for Nigeria, Made by Nigerians, Socio-economic Blue-print.

I have used that phrase (because it is shorter than Bottom Billion) to wish for a forum where the great minds of the bottom billion countries could come together and develop a Socio-economic development CHARTER using this book as a frame of reference.

Regardless of geographical location, nationality, ideology or faith, lack of development (poverty by any other name) is first and foremost a HUMAN BEING problem.

Afterall, who knows the problems of the bottom billion, and the way out, better than those who live it daily... like I do.

Loved it as it answered a lot of questions but...

Well written, well narrated, answered lots of questions but also made me think of plenty more. I would like to see the next book provide individual suggestions for each country as to what should be done in/ for each to pull them out of poverty.

Brilliant book if you study Development Economics

Ive been doing a bit of reading (or listening) around devlopment economics and most of the books I have read have reietrated the same points over and over again. This book however adds a new twist on allot of accepted ideas. 100%, would recommend.

Thought provoking and inspirational

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would recommend this audiobook.

There are some striking observations about poverty and the four 'traps' which leave a section of the worlds population in the 'bottom billion' with little chance of escaping. It explains how the plight of the bottom billion affect us all and consider the factors that maintain the current position then examines why this is the case - e.g. assessment of development aid, why this is so important and yet is only part of the solution; assessment of international government policies and why they tend to hinder rather than help progress. Finally the book has many profound suggestions which could help close the gap for the bottom billion and minimise the prospect of the four traps.

It is well researched with plenty of examples to back up the hypothesis.

What did you like best about this story?

Lots of interesting examples of how the world views the bottom billion, and how certain key players (e.g. Governments, Aid industry, Global businesses) behave in a way that is sometimes counter-intuitive.

What about Gideon Emery’s performance did you like?

Easy to listen to- informative and at a good pace.

Any additional comments?

An inspirational book with great ideas to change the world. Astounding to think this was written in 2007 - change seems to be slow since then with much of what is written here still applicable today.

Intriguing

While some things in the book have been overtaken by events over the past 10 years, it is still a good read. A few things however are not factual. Also, the author seems to be clouded by his opinions.