How Asia Works

By Joe Studwell

Going from agriculture straight to laissez-faire economies doesn’t work. But it is pursued nevertheless, sometimes with pressure from Washington and a misguided IMF. I’m very interested in harmful ideas and this might be one of the big ones. This book explains why it’s so harmful and what must be done instead.

As Noah Smith puts it

The basic thesis of “How Asia Works” is that what works for development (going from poor to rich) is NOT the same as what works for rich countries. It’s about industrial policy, and what works vs. what doesn’t work.