Poor Economics

To cut to the chase: this is the best book about the lives of the poor that I have read for a very, very long time * Economist * A page-turner about the micro-economics of aid policy might not sound too probable, but that's what [Banerjee and Duflo] have written, and it is a truly remarkable book . . . unmistakably contemporary, written beautifully * Guardian * It is the rich and humane portrayal of the lives of the very poor that most impresses. [The authors] show how those in poverty make sophisticated calculations in the grimmest of circumstances … Books such as these offer a better path forward * Financial Times * Overturns many received ideas about what it's like to be poor -- Hari Kunzru * Observer * A compelling and important read … an honest and readable account about the poor that stands a chance of actually yielding results * Forbes * Marvellous, rewarding … the sheer detail and warm sympathy on display reflects a true appreciation of the challenges their subjects face * Wall Street Journal * A remarkable work: incisive, scientific, compelling and very accessible, a must-read * Financial World * Banerjee and Duflo assemble a fascinating assortment of interventions from across the globe in their book … It is engaging and informative * Business World (India) * A marvellously insightful book by two outstanding researchers on the real nature of poverty -- Amartya Sen It has been years since I read a book that taught me so much -- Steven D. Levitt