Underdevelopment Is a State of Mind, Updated Edition: The Latin American Case

Book Description

Originally published in 1985, Underdevelopment Is a State of Mind was one of the first studies to examine Latin America's rocky development as cultural, rather than colonial, byproduct.

Customer Reviews:

Good analysts of root causes, & indirectly the solutions.......2004-05-27

This book was first written in 1985 and revised in 2000. In a nut shell the author looks at the history of Latin America, and argues that the classic explanation of the Dependency theory of Latin America's poverty relative to the United States is wrong. For a long time many people in Latin America blamed their problems on the rest of the world, and often the United States was the source of most evil. This was victimhood on an international level.

Harrison argues that this is wrong, and shows how the legacy of the Spanish and Catholic influences has produced a culture that is anti-progressive. I was a bit surprised at how often he brings up the importance of child rearing practices. This is a very well researched book. It was well written. It was very thought provoking.

Yes ...it is !!!.......2003-12-21

I read this book a long time ago ...I actually borrowed it from a friend at the USAID office in Santo Domingo and never returned it. It was an eye opener and at the same time a confirmation for a lot of our opinions. This book is ,a very clear
description of the underdeveloped mind...the way of thinking and of viewing the world that we inherited from our spanish colonial era. Not only religion is a burden...but also the
rent-seeking ,oportunistic and corrupt ways of our politicians ....and worst of all...that we the people..don't do a thing to end this mess.

Thomas Sowell recommends it, and for good reason........2003-07-15

Unlike one of the reviewers of this book which declared this book to reek of white supremacy stench, a portrayal which couldn't be further from the truth, I found this book to be very insightful and very well reasoned. I read this book as a recommendation from Thomas Sowell (a noted black economist and author of a trilogy on cultures - and one of my favorite authors and economists) and I found that he was right on the money with his recommendation. There is no reason in the world that any population, with or without natural resources, can't progress and become developed in a generation or -at most - two (as long as they have guarantee of liberty including the iron clad right to own property without danger of seizure from the government). The author reveals very well the stumbling blocks that prevent some countries from developing regardless of the billions given in foreign aid. Culture does play a part in this and in some cases - a major part. As an example, how do two countries of a comparable economic situation (Hong Kong - no natural resources - and Mexico - with considerable reserves of oil - in the early 50s) become so diverse in their development in a scant 50 years? Culture and economic liberty are an obvious answer. Do yourself a favor and read a copy of this book. It'll open your eyes utilizing clear and basic economics as to one of the root causes to third world poverty.

A few good insights tainted by the stench of white-supremacy.......2000-08-16

The thesis of this book is that the economic disparities between the US, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Haiti result from the superiority of WASP culture. The study of the relationship between culture and progress has a long history dating back to Max Weber. This book offers nothing new except a harsher edge that gives it a stench of white-supremacy. Harrison is clearly aware of the potential for charges of racism. He makes extensive use of quotes from blacks and Hispanics to make points that would be offensive coming from a white person. This is reminiscent of the 2000 reform party's black vice presidential candidate whose job it is to state that Pat Buchanan is not a racist, not an anti-Semite, and not a homophobe. Harrison's book purports to be a book on development, rather than a justification for the disparities of wealth between the first and third worlds. Indeed, there are reasonable policy proposals in this book, as well as a decent refutation of dependency theory. However, there is nothing really new here. Economists almost universally rejected dependency theory long before "Underdevelopment is a State of Mind" was first published. Anyone even vaguely familiar with the development literature will come away with nothing more than the simplistic argument that poor people deserve to be poor because of their inferior culture. The book gives no hint as to the fundamental causes of cultural differences. Clearly culture affects economic progress. However, it is equally clear that economics affects culture. The U.S. has a culture conducive to capitalist growth in no small part because it is a wealthy capitalist nation. Any writer sincerely concerned with improving the welfare of poor people should look favorable upon immigration and cultural exchanges. With the fed raising interest rates to choke off US growth and prevent labor shortages, the U.S. can absorb vastly increased levels of immigration. The success of immigrants from very poor countries makes it clear that it is the institutional and cultural restrictions of poor countries that make them poor. They do not bring their supposed "cultural inferiority" with them. The fact that Harrison's book contains diatribes against immigration shows that his concern is with relieving his own guilt about living better than 90% of humanity rather than improving the lives of the bottom 90%.

Excellent aproach to the relationship culture - development.......1999-05-27

In this book, professor Harrison makes and excellent aproach among the relationship among culture and development. With great sense of the state of development in Latin America and mainly Central America, Harrison argues that the cultural values and attitudes shape development patterns. A must read book for students, academicicians and politicians interest in the development of nations...

Average customer rating:

Underdevelopment Is A State of Mind
Lawrence E. Harrison
Manufacturer: Harvard U.P.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0YPFC

UNDERDEVELOPMENT IS A STATE OF MIND: THE LATIN AMERICAN CASE

Average customer rating:

UNDERDEVELOPMENT IS A STATE OF MIND: THE LATIN AMERICAN CASE

Manufacturer: University Press of America Maryland
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IB84FE

Book Description

To truly understand the current interest in the development of Islamic banking and finance in South-East Asia, and how it is different from the conventional banking system, the author believes one must firstly understand the religious relationship originating from the Qur'an, and then trace the historical geographic and political developments of Islam over recent centuries. Only on this basis can the reader, without prejudice or cynicism, begin to appreciate the subject matter of Shari'ah Law and Islamic Jurisprudence that confronts the title of this book. With this platform established in the first part of the book, readers will begin to learn of the financial products and services offered, appreciate the challenges in their development, and ultimately recognize the significant opportunities that Islamic banking and finance can provide both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Book Description

Examines the concept of individual criminal responsibility for violations of international humanitarian law, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Such crimes are very rarely committed by single individuals, but mostly by organizations or groups of cooperating persons. For a just determination of their guilt and responsibility, a fair assessment of the mutual relationships and cooperation forms of those individuals is indispensable. This book provides the framework for that assessment, as well as giving guidance on international criminal law concepts such as 'common purpose', 'superior responsibiltiy', and 'duress'.

Book Description

How deep we can see inside Nature's smallest secrets? Will it be possible someday in a near future to investigate living structures at atomic level? This area of study is very interdisciplinary, since it applies the principles and the techniques of biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and engineering to elucidate the structures of biological macromolecules, of supramolecular structures, organelles, and cells. This book offers updated information on how much information we are able to obtain in the exploration of the inner details of biological specimens in their native structure and composition.

The book deals with the implementation of laser beam and stage scanning systems incorporating confocal optics or multiphoton microscopy; the advent of new electro-optical detectors with great sensitivity, linearity, and dynamic range; the possibility of 2D fast image enhancement, reconstruction, restoration, analysis and 3D display, and the application of luminescence techniques (FLIMT, FRET combined with the use of quantum dots), which gives the possibility to investigate the chemical and molecular spatio-temporal organization of life processes; Electron Microscopy and Scanning Force Microscopy (SFM), are also presented, which has opened completely new perspectives for analyzing the surface topography of biological matter in its aqueous environment at a resolution comparable to that achieved by EM.

Book Description

This book emphasizes a broad spectrum of features in solution chemistry, reaching from recent developments in the empirical characterization of solvent-solute interactions up to modern theoretical descriptions of liquid-state systems, from solid-liquid interfaces to preferential solvation in mixed solvents. Accordingly, this collection presents the most important, though strongly different approaches to the understanding of the mutual influences between solute and solvent. Descriptions of actual and practically useful applications of these concepts are included.

Quantitative Treatments of Solute/Solvent Interactions (Theoretical and Computational Chemistry)

Average customer rating:

Quantitative Treatments of Solute/Solvent Interactions (Theoretical and Computational Chemistry)

Manufacturer: Elsevier Science
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General & Reference | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books

Solutions & Colloids | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Statics | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Engineering | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Science | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 044482054X

Book Description

The primary objective of this volume, the first in a new series entitled Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, is to survey some effective approaches to understanding, describing and predicting ways in which solutes and solvents interact and the effects they have upon each other. The treatment of solute/solvent interactions that is presented emphasizes a synergism between theory and experiment. Data obtained experimentally are used as a basis for developing quantitative theoretical models that permit the correlation and interpretation of the data, and also provide a predictive capability. The latter being of course a key motivation for these efforts. Linear solvation energy relationships have been quite successful in this respect and accordingly receive considerable attention. Other effective approaches, including computational ones, are also being pursued, and are discussed in several chapters. This is an area that is continually evolving, and it is hoped that the present volume will convey a sense of its dynamic nature.

Average customer rating:

Solute-Solvent Interactions
J. and Ritchie, C. Coetzee
Manufacturer: Marcel Dekker
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Textbook Binding
ASIN: 082471105X

Average customer rating:

Solute-Solvent Interactions.
J.F. and Ritchie, Calvin (eds), Coetzee
Manufacturer: Dekker
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KI327K

Chemical mechanisms of toxic solute interactions with soil constituents

Average customer rating:

Chemical mechanisms of toxic solute interactions with soil constituents
C. T Johnston
Manufacturer: ENVIRONICS DIVISION, Air Force Civil Engineering Support Agency, Civil Engineering Laboratory
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006QIOHY

Average customer rating:

Solute-Solvent Interactions.

Manufacturer: 0
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ICJ7S6

Book Description

Presenting a unified approach, this book focuses on the theoretical concepts and methods necessary for understanding the physics and chemistry of the fluid state. Important ideas are presented concisely and illustrated with examples from simple molecular liquids and more complex soft condensed matter systems such as polymers, colloids, and liquid crystals.

Download Description

Presenting a unified approach to the liquid state, this book focusses on the concepts and theoretical methods that are necessary for an understanding of the physics and chemistry of the fluid state. The authors do not attempt to cover the whole field in an encyclopedic manner. Instead, important ideas are presented in a concise and rigorous style, and illustrated with examples from both simple molecular liquids and more complex soft condensed matter systems such as polymers, colloids, and liquid crystals. After a general chapter introducing the liquid state, the book is in four parts devoted to: thermodynamics; structure and fluctuations; phase transitions, interfaces and inhomogeneous fluids; and, finally, transport and dynamics. Each chapter introduces a new set of closely related concepts and theoretical methods, which are then illustrated by a number of specific applications covering a broad range of physical situations.

Customer Reviews:

Lots of Information.......2004-08-30

I have these five books, and the wealth of information they give is well worth the price.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting, but incorrect........2007-02-12

As typical of Milada Broukal books, this book is sufficiently varied and interesting, but wildly inaccurate and misleading with much of its information.

What A World 2 : Amazing Stories from Around the Globe

Average customer rating:

What A World 2 : Amazing Stories from Around the Globe
Milada Broukal
Manufacturer: Pearson ESL
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OHTW26

Amazon.com

From January 1 till December 31, the calendar pages in The Illustrated Almanac present the best facts associated with science, technology, invention, and natural history that Raymond L. Francis could dig up for any given day. Take February 18, for example: In 901 the scholar-mathematician Thabit Ibn Qurra died at 65 in Baghdad. Francesco Redi was born in 1626 and later proved that maggots come from flies, not spontaneous generation. In 1913 Frederick Soddy coined the term "isotope;" in 1930 Clyde William Tombaugh first discovered Pluto; and in 1994 U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno dedicated the Big Cypress camp in the Florida Everglades to benefit children and the environment. The other 365 days (remember leap year) are equally interesting.

The Illustrated Almanac of Science, Technology, and Invention: Day by Day Facts, Figures, and the Fanciful

Average customer rating:

The Illustrated Almanac of Science, Technology, and Invention: Day by Day Facts, Figures, and the Fanciful
Raymond L. Francis
Manufacturer: Plenum Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OS59WW

Book Description

Joining the successful John Muir Library Series, this is an elegant new edition of Muir's enduring celebration of the Sierra Nevada mountains he dedicated his life to saving - a classic work that becomes a model for three generations of nature writers. Muir's ebullient spirit and love of nature infuse these accounts of visiting Yosemite Valley, Kings Canyon, sequoia groves, and Mount Whitney. Also included are visits to two famous Cascades peaks, Mount Shasta and Mount St. Helens.
Blending keen observations of flora, geography, and geology, the natural forces that shape the landscape, and the changing seasons, Muir paints a timeless portrait of the wilderness he called "the Range of Light, the most divinely beautiful of all the mountain chains I have ever seen."
With a naturalist's eye and a poet's sensitivity, he extols "the richness of the life it cherishes, the depth and grandeur of its sculpture, its magnificent forest-crowned ridges, the summit-peaks so clear and high in the sky, glaciers still at work in the shadows of the peaks, thousands of lakes and meadows [that] shine and bloom, canyons to a depth of from 2000 to 5000 feet, in which flow and sing a band of beautiful rivers." He also recalls a variety of adventures, from scaling Mount Ritter to a near-fatal glacier crossing.

Download Description

There are two trees in the Sierra forests that are never blown down, so long as they continue in sound health. These are the Juniper and the Dwarf Pine of the summit peaks. Their stiff, crooked roots grip the storm-beaten ledges like eagles' claws, while their lithe, cord-like branches bend round compliantly, offering but slight holds for winds, however violent. The other alpine conifers--the Needle Pine, Mountain Pine, Two-leaved Pine, and Hemlock Spruce--are never thinned out by this agent to any destructive extent, on account of their admirable toughness and the closeness of their growth. In general the same is true of the giants of the lower zones.

Customer Reviews:

SLOW.... moves like melting snow, on a cold day. .......2007-10-10

At one time, perhaps when few were able to travel, this book would have been a gem. If you enjoy detailed descriptions, incredibly well written, you will enjoy this book. But for me, I will just continue to revere John Muir for the inspirational human he was!

Sensuous detail and immediacy.......2006-03-12

The question is not whether Muir is a terrific writer-but how he got that way, and secondarily, why it is important. The Mountains of California was his first book, published in 1894, and was an instant success. This book contains not just some of the best nature writing, but for its vividness, immediacy and vision some of the best writing in English in any genre. Modern Library's edition is quite special with its introduction to Muir by Bill McKibbon and about 50 illustrations, though I wished there were better maps for following the footsteps of Muir's many great narratives among the fabulous natural wonders of the Sierras.

Muir succeeds in his writing in ways that Emerson and Thoreau fall short. Emerson's nature is an internal construct, almost a habit of mind. Thoreau conveys something of the immediacy of Muir in selected writing (and he, like Muir, actually immerses himself in nature itself), but his writings and especially his journals seem chaotic at times and lack a unifying vision.

Muir, on the other hand, always draws the reader forward from one vision to another, each one more fantastic than the previous.

My favorite passages are his descent into the Merced Glacier (in "the Glaciers"), and his description of being on the high slopes during a major windstorm when he climbs a swaying pine to get an even better look. His description of the Giant Sequoia is a work of great subtlety and richness--I seriously doubt you will find a more enchanting description of the two California Species of Sequoia anywhere.

This work abounds with rich and sensuous passages that are descriptions of actual experiences in over a decade of exploring, mostly alone, in the high Sierras. The strength of Muir's writing is based on the depth of his emotional experience of nature-his very personal relationship to the whole and many specific animals, trees and features of the landscape. You would say that it's mystical except for the fact that it's very sensual and very concrete. Muir employs religious language though he never becomes ethereal or abstract as Emerson sometimes does. The reader is always right in the immediate moment of the present listening to Muir's voice. And that suggests another reason why this writing is great. Muir's Scottish heritage (he was born in Dunbar Scotland in 1838) has provided him with a rich, luxurious and slightly exotic vocabulary for describing all the natural wonders that he sees, feels, and hears. It's a voice like no other in American writing.

Of course, the reason it is important is because of what Muir spawned through his vision and experience-he was the true creator of the conservation movement leading to modern environmentalism. I should say that this work is all luxurious description and scientific discussion and rarely becomes didactic or preachy-as modern environmental writers sometimes do. It is not fashionable to think that one person of vision can create so much;but it's hard to conclude otherwise about Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, after reading this work.

What inspiration..........2003-11-11

As a Birder, I spend a lot of time travelling outdoors.I also have a large collection of Bird and Nature books and spend a great amount of time in them.For pure enjoyment;I found this one of the finest.Muir was as one of America,s greatest partakers in and writers of Nature and Enviroment and was in every way as much a giant as the Sequois and Mountains he wrore about.I read this Classic a short time before I visited Yosemite National Park and having done so,encreased my enjoyment and appreciation immeasurably.
After many years of reading,I have come to the conclusion ,that I tend to like books about people I would liked to have known,or to spend some time with.What an experience it would have been to have known and travelled with Muir. While that is impossible;at least we have his writings and can dream.

Muir, from Shasta to San Diego, but mostly in the Sierras........2002-03-22

Some say this is Muir's finest work. As the only other Muir book I've read (at this writing) is Travels in Alaska, I cannot comment on this, other than to say that I enjoyed this book a great deal.
From almost any vantage point in California, whether near or on a distant horizon, there are mountains. A fact not lost on Muir, whose sense of wonder and love of life endear him to his readers.
"God's glacial-mills grind slowly, but they have been kept in motion long enough in California to grind sufficient soil for a glorious abundance of life ... In so wild and so beautiful a region [was spent my day], every sight and sound inspiring, leading one far out of himself, yet feeding and building up his individuality."
Muir was the consummate man in nature. Anyone who is indifferent to Muir's writing may simply be indifferent to wonderment itself. I have no doubt that if Muir were placed in a room with the great kings and generals and tycoons and empire builders of history, he would appear singularly as a man among men. Unimpressed with their pomp and bluster over rotting empire, he might soon command more attention than they, and many would be happily listening to Muir in spite of their self importance. Why? He would have the most interesting insights, offered poetically and in a most humble and charming way. ... (in fact Muir was sought out by the great politicians and philosophers of his day).
If you like mountains, if you like California, if you like trees and glacier-fed streams, you will like this book.

the world of muir.......2001-09-27

muir describes the sierras with detail and love. he is one of the few authors who is content just to be in and describe a landscape. and what a description!. he describes the evolution of glaciaral lakes to the hights of mount ritter and the migrations of deer and native peoples. a great book i recoment it to anyone who loves the outdoors.

An excursion to California over the prairie, Rocky Mountains, and Great Sierra Nevada (The Far Western frontier)

Average customer rating:

An excursion to California over the prairie, Rocky Mountains, and Great Sierra Nevada (The Far Western frontier)
William Kelly
Manufacturer: Arno Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

An excursion to California over the prairie,: Rocky Mountains, and great Sierra Nevada. With a stroll through the diggings and ranches of that country

Average customer rating:

An excursion to California over the prairie,: Rocky Mountains, and great Sierra Nevada. With a stroll through the diggings and ranches of that country
William Kelly
Manufacturer: Chapman and Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000873C96

Average customer rating:

The Sierra Nevada: A Mountain Journey
Tim Palmer
Manufacturer: Island Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

Essays & Travelogues | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Book Description

A natural history of the Sierra Nevada that brings the range, the people, and the surrounding communities to life.

"Cool, clean, holistic, ... exquisite poetry of light, space, and rock ... the whole effect is exhilarating." The Washington Post

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books