Can We Solve Poverty?

In this book, James C. Scott examines the failures of centrally managed social plans and the destructive consequences of high-modernist ideologies. Scott argues that states often impose simplistic visions on complex societies, ignoring local, practical knowledge and leading to disastrous outcomes. He identifies four conditions common to all planning disasters: administrative ordering of nature and society, high-modernist ideology, authoritarian state power, and a prostrate civil society. The book critiques various utopian projects, including collective farms, compulsory villagization, and urban planning, and advocates for a more nuanced approach that respects local diversity and practical knowledge.

In 'Coming Apart,' Daphne Rose Kingma provides a refreshing perspective on relationships by arguing that relationships are not always meant to be forever. She suggests that relationships serve as vehicles for personal growth and development, and their endings are often a natural part of this process. Kingma explains that people choose relationships based on their developmental needs, which are rooted in childhood experiences. The book offers practical advice and a process for working through the ending of a relationship, including a personal workbook to help readers heal and move forward. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the lessons learned from each relationship and finding joy and appreciation in the experiences shared with partners.

In 'Poverty, by America', Matthew Desmond uses history, research, and original reporting to expose how affluent Americans, both knowingly and unknowingly, contribute to the persistence of poverty. The book details how corporate and governmental policies exploit the poor, driving down wages and forcing them to overpay for essential services like housing, cash, and credit. Desmond argues that the root of poverty lies not in the behavior of poor people but in the systemic exploitation by the wealthy. He also emphasizes the intersection of race and poverty, particularly affecting Black Americans, and calls for readers to become 'poverty abolitionists' to build a more economically just society.

In this book, Anne Case and Angus Deaton explore the alarming rise in 'deaths of despair'—including suicides, drug overdoses, and alcoholism—among middle-aged white Americans. They argue that these deaths are linked to economic inequality, the weakening position of labor, the growing power of corporations, and a healthcare system that redistributes working-class wages to the wealthy. The authors provide a comprehensive historical, social, and economic analysis, highlighting the need for reforms to ensure that capitalism serves the broader population rather than just the elite.

In this book, William Easterly critiques the West's economic policies towards the world's poor, arguing that these policies have led to more harm than good. Easterly, drawing from his decades of experience in international development, advocates for a more nuanced approach that focuses on small, incremental solutions rather than grand, macro-level plans. He emphasizes the importance of accountability, independent evaluation of aid programs, and understanding the domestic conditions of the countries receiving aid.