Discussion at the Summer Gathering 2007
In April 2007, Giles Bolton’s Poor Story promised to uncover “How Globalisation and Good Intentions Have Failed the World’s Poor”. Publisher Ebury Press kindly donated copies for students attending P&P’s Summer Gathering 2007 to review.
Here are their reviews:
“Poor Story has somehow managed to be both lucid and enjoyable; and an excellent analysis of the issues surrounding aid, trade and global governance today. It is highly recommended reading for anyone thinking of going into a career in development … Activists and aspiring activists: read it and be inspired!” Read the full review
“…none of this is truly as radical as the blurb suggested … the lack of sufficient content in some areas lets it down. This book should be seen as introduction to Africa’s problems represented in an accessible way with some good relevant points.” Read the full review
Add your views on Poor Story, or share other books that you’ve found informative, entertaining, elucidating or infuriating! Email us.
Giles Bolton also contributed to our online debate: Trading our way out of injustice?.
Read the full reviews
Katharine Blacklaws from Leeds writes:
“The very title “Poor Story” does not create a great first impression, the tag line: ‘An insider uncovers how globalisation and good intentions have failed the world’s poor’ likewise gives a pessimistic introduction that this book is about poor-old-pathetic Africa, failed by rich nations. However blurb is much more encouraging suggesting some good critical analysis of the topic with some realistic answers, which proved to be the case in some areas of the book.
“Bolton wins our respect as a straight talking development worker who knows Africa through personal experience.”
The introduction is hard hitting and to the point, Bolton wins our respect as a straight talking development worker who knows Africa through personal experience. The first section introduces us to real Africans living in poverty and by continually referring back to them throughout the book keeps the subject matter human instead of dispassionately factual. There is a reasonable background history of Africa’s colonial history, which despite a sparse content clearly shows how many problems Africa inherited at independence and how these are still significant. Chapter 3 empowers the reader to imagine himself as president of an African country, which competently demonstrates how good intentions only get you so far with such big problems showing we cannot just blame African leaders for bad governance.
It is the second section: Aid, where Bolton really shines as this is his area of expertise. An accessible, methodical account of the lack of accountability and inefficiency within the system of national and international aid breaks the illusion that we’re already helping Africa sufficiently or that we can sleep guilt free because we give to charity regularly. As well as showing how too many different agencies makes administration unnecessarily complicated for Africa. However, we are encouraged to remain optimistic about aid providing the process can be improved.
“…provide a good base for understanding unfair trading policies”
The section on trade gives an innovative approach of representing Africa’s problems as linked to us in the West and affectively shows how globalisation and tariffs impact us all and does not benefit consumer fairly either. The information is more scattered than the previous section, though important points such as the double standards of the West preaching Free Trade to Africa while still using protectionism at home are coherent and provide a good base for understanding unfair trading policies, a subject in which many people will appreciate clarification.
It is the section on globalisation that really lets the book down, the reasons why Africa’s voice is small, i.e. that the affluent West refuses to give them a bigger voice should be obvious to even a novice of the subject. There is a brief mention of how large businesses have huge influence with governments but a true critique of the power of multi-national corporations is lacking.
“a true critique of the power of multi-national corporations is lacking.”
The final section gives an encouraging check list of how the individual can try to affect change instead of feeling powerless, such as writing to an MP, participating in a demonstration, as well as the importance of supporting ethical products. Though as with the last section, none of this is truly as radical as the blurb suggested and considering the audience this book is likely to attract, will probably already be known to the reader.
“Poor Story” is mostly well structured and easy to read, with well linked sections and chapters that flow nicely into each other. The phrasing is unpretentious and direct with a style that is at times emotionally moving, sometimes humorous, which keeps the reader engaged. Bolton tries to give a balanced approach but for a book about Africa he focuses on only a few countries consequentially, the good and bad are polarised and a clear idea of any middle ground is lost.
“The phrasing is unpretentious and direct with a style that is at times emotionally moving, sometimes humorous”
Though Bolton does encourage further research, notably missing from the book is a real tackling of the issue of corruption; despite a ‘cut out guide’ it doesn’t provide any concrete information. Referencing also needs improvement, the reason for omitting the 8th development goal can only be put down to error.
The book is personal, shown by various narratives of Bolton’s experiences of Africa and the intermingling of anecdotes with the topic makes the book very engaging. For the most part it is an enjoyable read, but the lack of sufficient content in some areas lets it down. This book should be seen as introduction to Africa’s problems represented in an accessible way with some good relevant points.”
Lianna Hulbert from Cambridge reports:
“‘Poor Story’ claims to explain ‘how globalisation and good intentions have failed the world’s poor’. Focusing on Africa, where Bolton, the author, has spent the bulk of his career, the book is divided into 5 sections: Poverty; Aid; Trade; Globalisation and Change. Explaining all of these and their effect on the continent’s poor is an ambitious task. And a book on Africa’s poverty and the failures of efforts to tackle it could easily have been a depressing and difficult read. However, Poor Story has somehow managed to be both lucid and enjoyable; and an excellent analysis of the issues surrounding aid, trade and global governance today. It is highly recommended reading for anyone thinking of going into a career in development.
!He is a perceptive and fun guide to the (sometimes complex) webs of trade subsidies; international aid institutions and charity aid projects … Bolton would be an entertaining guest at any dinner party.”
Bolton has worked for several years in the development sector for DFID, from London; and then in Kenya and Rwanda. He is a perceptive and fun guide to the (sometimes complex) webs of trade subsidies; international aid institutions and charity aid projects, weaving together explanations and fact boxes with anecdotes from his personal experience in a chatty and readable style. I really enjoyed his traveller’s tales of Land Rover breakdowns in Ethiopian bandit country; of cocktail evenings with the diplomats and high society of Rwanda, of being soundly beaten in a football match against Rwandan MPs — Bolton would be an entertaining guest at any dinner party.
“This is no black-and-white polemic”
This is no black-and-white polemic: a nuanced picture of development is presented. Bolton condemns the consistent failure of governments in the developing world to live up to their promise of putting 0.7% of GNI towards aid; attacks the wastage that goes on in aid (70% of the US aid budget is ‘tied’ for US consultants and materials!) and deplores the hypocrisy of the World Bank for exerting pressure on African countries to democratise, while remaining supremely undemocratic themselves. However, Bolton also celebrates what has been achieved: (for example, the EU has granted tariff-free access to the world’s Least Developed Countries and the Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people in poverty is likely to be met). He criticises ‘the myth of the evil multinational’ and argues convincingly that the World Bank has been unfairly demonised: apparently World Bank loans have one of the best records of lifting people out of poverty.
For me, one of the most interesting points that the book makes is that the system of trade and aid that we have does not only disadvantage the world’s poor. We comparatively wealthy individuals in the developed world also get ripped off! Before reading this book, the impression I had was that our system of trade was largely in place for reasons of self-interest. However, Bolton presents evidence that reforming trade subsidies would make taxpayers and consumers in the West better off too.
“On finishing this book, I felt much more well-informed about what can be a confusing subject.”
On finishing this book, I felt much more well-informed about what can be a confusing subject. The book ends with a riff on the importance of campaigning, writing letters to decision makers and protest; declaring loud and clear that our actions matter and can change things. Activists and aspiring activists: read it and be inspired!”