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Easterly argues that for all the money, theorizing, and research that have been poured into the effort to raise the standard of living in developing areas, little progress has been made because everyone ignores the first principle of economics: people act in response to incentives. If we wish to take education into the developing world, what are the incentives to which we expect potential learners will respond? A fun read, full of great quotes like “The prime suspect for mucking up incentives is government” (217).

Absolutely masterful. Sen argues forcely that freedom is not only the primary end of development programs, but must also be the primary means for reaching this end. The implications of the argument are as profound as they are far reaching; another great book for instructional technologists looking to understand their place in the larger development world. Is freedom the primary end of education? Can it be the primary means?