Development Economics

ECON 157 Discussion Website

Course Website for ECON 157 Discussion Sections

TA: Taylor Mackay

Sample Book Report

I've included a basic outline for the book report, including a sample cover page that you can use as a template for your own report. The outline includes some suggestions on how to respond to each of the items listed on the assignment requirements from the syllabus.

NOTE: This outline is just a suggestion. If you've already started on the book report, don't worry if your paper doesn't have quite the same structure as what I've included. Just make sure that you sufficiently address each of the required items from the syllabus.

Sample Book Report.docx

Midterm Review

A couple of pointers for the exam:

    • Make sure to review how to perform HDI index calculations (check slides 23 and 24 from the Chapter 2 lecture powerpoint for an example) as well as the individual components of the HDI
    • Review the discussion notes on the Solow growth model- can you define each variable + term in the law of motion for the capital stock k? What does f(k) represent?
    • Review the key assumptions for each of the models discussed in Chapter 3
    • Make sure to review the 3-part definition of development and be able to discuss each component
    • If you didn't attend the optional discussion sections last week, take a look at the discussion material for Chapter Five

Make sure to review the midterm exam practice posted by Prof. Sarraf on the EEE lecture site as well.

Advice for Book Reports


See the syllabus for a detailed list of requirements for the book report. You can choose any non-fiction book on development economics, with the following restrictions:

    • No textbooks
    • No fictional books


Having trouble finding a book to read? I've included a short list of potential books to consider below:

    • The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time (2006) by Jeffrey Sachs
    • The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It (2007) by Paul Collier
    • Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism (2009) by by Muhammad Yunus
    • Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa (2009) by Dambisa Moyo
    • Poor Economics A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty (2011) by Abhijit Banerjee & Esther Duflo
    • Development as Freedom (2000) by Amartya Sen


If you'd like to explore further, consider searching for "development economics" on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. The following guidelines can help you select a book from those sites. Note that these guidelines are just suggestions-- if you'd like to read a book that doesn't meet some combination of these points, that's not necessarily a problem. You can always send me an email to confirm your book selection:

    • Is the book written by a (development) economist? Consider books by William Easterly, Jeffrey Sachs, Angus Deaton, Amartya Sen, or Esther Duflo, amonst others.
    • Does the book address one of the core topics listed in the weekly schedule on the syllabus?
      1. Poverty and Inequality
      2. Population Growth
      3. Urbanization and Migration
      4. Education and Health
      5. International Trade
      6. Foreign Aid and Investment

Barnes and Noble (click for link) has a nice list of books broadly related to development economics. Not every book on this list is a good fit for the report, however, so make sure to check the guidelines listed above!