Poor Numbers: How We Are Misled by African Development Statistics and What to Do about It (Cornell Studies in Political Economy) Paperback – Illustrated, 24 Jan. 2013

I already read the book. Somebody took it from me and I just wanted to have on for my own library

for anyone interested in the topics, this is a must read. of course, you don't have to agree with everything he says to appreciate a well-informed opinion.

An excellent analysis of the fraility of statistics as a basis for making rational economic and other policy decisions by governments.to improve investment and other decisions. Shame on the World Bank and IMF for the poor decisions they have imposed on African countries over the past 30 years. Structural adjustment should be imposed on them.

Product delivered quicker that requested, reasonable price and in great physical quality.

I've done a masters in Economic History and International Development at London School of Economics and I found Jerven's book Poor Numbers: How We Are Misled by African Development Statistics and What to Do about It (Cornell Studies in Political Economy) to be a well-written overview of a pressing issue that no one has ever talked about before.The subject matter is weighty and data-centric. The author's clear and compelling writing style, as well as entertaining anecdotes from his research trips throughout sub Saharan Africa, make this a first-rate read both for experts and novices curious about international development, aid and global inequality. Jerven does an excellent job of answering the subtitle's question: "How We Are Misled by African Development Statistics and What to Do about It."The impact from this book should be huge - from the World Bank, to the aid sector and commercial banking.Hope he writes more soon. Kudos!

I decided to read Poor Numbers after it appeared on Bill Gates list of best books of 2013 and certainly do not regret doing so. The Author, Morten Jerven is an associate professor at the Simon Fraser University and specialises in African Economic Development. Whilst the book is more of a scholarly tome than normal popular books on development I think the subject benefits greatly from the rigorous, yet still accessible, approach Mr Jerven takes.The book discusses the source and reliability of a range of statistical measures used primarily to measure African economic development but in doing so I think it raises questions about a whole range of economic statistics and how these are applied for global comparison purposes.The book is divided into four main chapters. The first presents a realistic appraisal of the current state of African GDP statistics. The second covers a brief historical survey of the evolution of national income accounts in Sub-Saharan Africa. The third discusses the link between statistics and state capacity. Chapter 4 provides a detailed appraisal of the institutional, political and financial framework in which today’s African statistical offices operate. Finally Mr Jerven concludes with a number of policy remedies to address the current state of economic statistics in Africa.The scholarly approach certainly does not make this a quick read and on the surface would only appeal to those interested in African development. However, the thorough, but not laborious approach and Mr Jerven’s compelling writing makes this an essential read for anyone interested in economic development in general and offers a cautionary tale for those using and manipulating any aggregated data set.A superb and necessary book on the subject.

Fine. But what did you expect?

data by African statisticians has for a variety of reasons always been considered less than perfect. However too much political correctness has to date prevented a more objective assessment of why the data is often poor. Poor Numbers is both a first-hand and academic discussion of the very real problems confronting under-resourced statistics departments across the Continent, but it is also very clear that callous government neglect of such a vital public sector function, wide-spread lack of pride in their work, all the way to down-right intentional short-cuts that generate crap data or dreamed-up figures lie at the heart of many of Africa's policy malaises today. The solutions to many of the problems are credible, studiously presented without polemic. Not a text that will ever be a bestseller due to its topic, but a significant contribution to a structural problem bedevilling African development today.

Un livre à lire pour sortir du mythe des donnés "fiable à 100%".Je le conseille pour tous les passionnés de veille de l'information.

I've done a masters in Economic History and International Development and I found Jerven's book  Poor Numbers: How We Are Misled by African Development Statistics and What to Do about It (Cornell Studies in Political Economy)  to be a well-written overview of a pressing issue that no one has ever talked about before. The subject matter is weighty and data-centric. But the author's clear and compelling writing style, as well as entertaining anecdotes from his research trips throughout sub Saharan Africa, make this a first-rate read both for experts and novices curious about international development, aid and global inequality. Jerven does an excellent job of answering the subtitle's question: "How We Are Misled by African Development Statistics and What to Do about It." Hope he writes more soon. Kudos! Poor Numbers: How We Are Misled by African Development Statistics and What to Do about It (Cornell Studies in Political Economy)

おそらく、同じことが中国でも起きている。どちらが先か分からないが。日本はやっていないと言えるのかという心配も心を過る。ひょっとして金融資本主義に根深く巣食う病なのかもしれない。邦訳が出ていたので残念至極。