Reviews
"Roger Riddell's text provides the single best introduction to the history and range of contemporary debates associated with foreign aid, including the rise of international NGOs as major actors and the centrality of domestic politics to shaping aid practice."--Foreign Affairs "Riddell, a development specialist, attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of foreign aid by surveying official development aid, aid from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and humanitarian assistance (disaster relief and emergency assistance). The book is unique in covering these three interrelated topics together, with analysis of the latter two particularly useful. ...this volume is a valuable resource and an important contribution to the literature on foreign aid. Highly recommended."--CHOICE "In this impressive new study, Riddell has surpassed even his distinguishedForeign Aid Reconsidered. It includes rare and much-needed analysis of emergency and voluntary assistance. Complete and authoritative, the book will have a long life as the definitive account of its important subject."--Professor Robert Cassen, London School of Economics "This book is a heroic achievement. Not only has Roger Riddell mapped out with great clarity the arcane world of international aid, in a way that will help the practitioner as much as the general reader, he has also produced visionary and challenging recommendations for reform of the system. this book provides a welcome examination of how well we, the aid donors and deliverers, are performing, and suggests that we need to make far-reaching changes. The philosophy of development that underpins his argument also provides a welcome antidote to prevailing models of "humanitarian intervention" and "democracy-building" that risk undermining many of the gains of the last 60 years. I hope this book will be read by foreign and security policy-makers, as well as those in the development field. It might just help save the world in the 21st century."--Sir Michael Aaronson, former Director General of Save the Children UK "In his new book,Does Foreign Aid Really Work?, Riddell expands on the themes analyzed in his seminal work published twenty years ago The crucial but complex issue of aid effectiveness and its constraints is analyzed with a view also towards the future, examining ways in which the impact of aid might be enhanced, improved and increased to make a greater difference. Informed by weaknesses in the present system, the book offers ideas that involve radical reform of the aid delivery system. "This book provides an excellent insight into the challenges with which development co-operation is confronted - a rich source for students of development and development co-operation as well as for policymakers and managers of aid across the donor-recipient divide."--Olav Stokke, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs "Riddell provides a compelling and thorough account of the intricacies of foreign aid. The strength of this book is that it establishes the positive attributes of aid without avoiding the need to critically assess its failures. Through a combination of personal experience, conceptual insight and empirical substance, Riddell demonstrates that investigating whether foreign aid works could ensure its future, rather than undermining it."--International Affairs "An important and timely contribution to the exploding literature on international development...should be required reading for students, policy-makers, and practitioners."--Ethics and International Affairs, 'In this impressive new study, Riddell has surpassed even his distinguished Foreign Aid Reconsidered. It includes a rare and much-needed analysis of emergency and voluntary assistance. Complete and authoritative, the book will have a long life as the definitive account of its important subject.', "Roger Riddell's text provides the single best introduction to the history and range of contemporary debates associated with foreign aid, including the rise of international NGOs as major actors and the centrality of domestic politics to shaping aid practice."-- Foreign Affairs "Riddell, a development specialist, attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of foreign aid by surveying official development aid, aid from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and humanitarian assistance (disaster relief and emergency assistance). The book is unique in covering these three interrelated topics together, with analysis of the latter two particularly useful. ...this volume is a valuable resource and an important contribution to the literature on foreign aid. Highly recommended."-- CHOICE "In this impressive new study, Riddell has surpassed even his distinguished Foreign Aid Reconsidered . It includes rare and much-needed analysis of emergency and voluntary assistance. Complete and authoritative, the book will have a long life as the definitive account of its important subject."--Professor Robert Cassen, London School of Economics "This book is a heroic achievement. Not only has Roger Riddell mapped out with great clarity the arcane world of international aid, in a way that will help the practitioner as much as the general reader, he has also produced visionary and challenging recommendations for reform of the system. this book provides a welcome examination of how well we, the aid donors and deliverers, are performing, and suggests that we need to make far-reaching changes. The philosophy of development that underpins his argument also provides a welcome antidote to prevailing models of "humanitarian intervention" and "democracy-building" that risk undermining many of the gains of the last 60 years. I hope this book will be read by foreign and security policy-makers, as well as those in the development field. It might just help save the world in the 21st century."--Sir Michael Aaronson, former Director General of Save the Children UK "In his new book, Does Foreign Aid Really Work? , Riddell expands on the themes analyzed in his seminal work published twenty years ago The crucial but complex issue of aid effectiveness and its constraints is analyzed with a view also towards the future, examining ways in which the impact of aid might be enhanced, improved and increased to make a greater difference. Informed by weaknesses in the present system, the book offers ideas that involve radical reform of the aid delivery system. "This book provides an excellent insight into the challenges with which development co-operation is confronted - a rich source for students of development and development co-operation as well as for policymakers and managers of aid across the donor-recipient divide."--Olav Stokke, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs "Riddell provides a compelling and thorough account of the intricacies of foreign aid. The strength of this book is that it establishes the positive attributes of aid without avoiding the need to critically assess its failures. Through a combination of personal experience, conceptual insight and empirical substance, Riddell demonstrates that investigating whether foreign aid works could ensure its future, rather than undermining it."-- International Affairs "An important and timely contribution to the exploding literature on international development...should be required reading for students, policy-makers, and practitioners."-- Ethics and International Affairs, 'For the policy maker, practitioner, undergraduate and advanced scholar, Does Foreign Aid Really Work? is an essential primer on the complex world of international development assistance. Courageously running the risk of offending both the proponents and the critics of aid, Riddelldispassionately summarizes four decades of scholarly and donor-sponsored research on aid's effectiveness. He casts his net both broad and deep.'George Scharffenberger, Executive Director, Richard C. Blum Center for Developing Economies, University of California, Berkeley, "Roger Riddell's text provides the single best introduction to the history and range of contemporary debates associated with foreign aid, including the rise of international NGOs as major actors and the centrality of domestic politics to shaping aid practice."--Foreign Affairs "Riddell, a development specialist, attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of foreign aid by surveying official development aid, aid from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and humanitarian assistance (disaster relief and emergency assistance). The book is unique in covering these three interrelated topics together, with analysis of the latter two particularly useful. ...this volume is a valuable resource and an important contribution to the literature on foreign aid. Highly recommended."--CHOICE "In this impressive new study, Riddell has surpassed even his distinguished Foreign Aid Reconsidered . It includes rare and much-needed analysis of emergency and voluntary assistance. Complete and authoritative, the book will have a long life as the definitive account of its important subject."--Professor Robert Cassen, London School of Economics "This book is a heroic achievement. Not only has Roger Riddell mapped out with great clarity the arcane world of international aid, in a way that will help the practitioner as much as the general reader, he has also produced visionary and challenging recommendations for reform of the system. this book provides a welcome examination of how well we, the aid donors and deliverers, are performing, and suggests that we need to make far-reaching changes. The philosophy of development that underpins his argument also provides a welcome antidote to prevailing models of "humanitarian intervention" and "democracy-building" that risk undermining many of the gains of the last 60 years. I hope this book will be read by foreign and security policy-makers, as well as those in the development field. It might just help save the world in the 21st century."--Sir Michael Aaronson, former Director General of Save the Children UK "In his new book, Does Foreign Aid Really Work?, Riddell expands on the themes analyzed in his seminal work published twenty years ago The crucial but complex issue of aid effectiveness and its constraints is analyzed with a view also towards the future, examining ways in which the impact of aid might be enhanced, improved and increased to make a greater difference. Informed by weaknesses in the present system, the book offers ideas that involve radical reform of the aid delivery system. "This book provides an excellent insight into the challenges with which development co-operation is confronted - a rich source for students of development and development co-operation as well as for policymakers and managers of aid across the donor-recipient divide."--Olav Stokke, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs "Riddell provides a compelling and thorough account of the intricacies of foreign aid. The strength of this book is that it establishes the positive attributes of aid without avoiding the need to critically assess its failures. Through a combination of personal experience, conceptual insight and empirical substance, Riddell demonstrates that investigating whether foreign aid works could ensure its future, rather than undermining it."--International Affairs "An important and timely contribution to the exploding literature on international development...should be required reading for students, policy-makers, and practitioners."--Ethics and International Affairs, 'For anyone who wants to know more about development assistance, this is a "must- read". Roger Riddell provides us with a nuanced and honest outline of past and current aid-flows, their complexities, trends and possible impact. Does aid really work? His answer is a conditional, cautious - yes. And he presents some bold proposals to address some of the systemic weaknesses. It was strong international leadership that delivered the aid-reforms of the 90's. The question is whether the current leaders in development are ready for this debate?', ''This book provides an excellent insight into the challenges with which development co-operation is confronted - a rich source for students of development and development co-operation as well as for policymakers and managers of aid across the donor-recipient divide.''Olav Stokke, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, "Riddell, a development specialist, attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of foreign aid by surveying official development aid, aid from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and humanitarian assistance (disaster relief and emergency assistance). The book is unique in covering these three interrelated topics together, with analysis of the latter two particularly useful. ...this volume is a valuable resource and an important contribution to the literature on foreign aid. Highly recommended."-- CHOICE "In this impressive new study, Riddell has surpassed even his distinguished Foreign Aid Reconsidered . It includes rare and much-needed analysis of emergency and voluntary assistance. Complete and authoritative, the book will have a long life as the definitive account of its important subject."--Professor Robert Cassen, London School of Economics "This book is a heroic achievement. Not only has Roger Riddell mapped out with great clarity the arcane world of international aid, in a way that will help the practitioner as much as the general reader, he has also produced visionary and challenging recommendations for reform of the system. this book provides a welcome examination of how well we, the aid donors and deliverers, are performing, and suggests that we need to make far-reaching changes. The philosophy of development that underpins his argument also provides a welcome antidote to prevailing models of "humanitarian intervention" and "democracy-building" that risk undermining many of the gains of the last 60 years. I hope this book will be read by foreign and security policy-makers, as well as those in the development field. It might just help save the world in the 21st century."--Sir Michael Aaronson, former Director General of Save the Children UK "In his new book, Does Foreign Aid Really Work? , Riddell expands on the themes analyzed in his seminal work published twenty years ago The crucial but complex issue of aid effectiveness and its constraints is analyzed with a view also towards the future, examining ways in which the impact of aid might be enhanced, improved and increased to make a greater difference. Informed by weaknesses in the present system, the book offers ideas that involve radical reform of the aid delivery system. "This book provides an excellent insight into the challenges with which development co-operation is confronted - a rich source for students of development and development co-operation as well as for policymakers and managers of aid across the donor-recipient divide."--Olav Stokke, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs "Riddell provides a compelling and thorough account of the intricacies of foreign aid. The strength of this book is that it establishes the positive attributes of aid without avoiding the need to critically assess its failures. Through a combination of personal experience, conceptual insight and empirical substance, Riddell demonstrates that investigating whether foreign aid works could ensure its future, rather than undermining it."-- International Affairs "An important and timely contribution to the exploding literature on international development...should be required reading for students, policy-makers, and practitioners."-- Ethics and International Affairs, "In this impressive new study, Riddell has surpassed even his distinguished Foreign Aid Reconsidered . It includes rare and much-needed analysis of emergency and voluntary assistance. Complete and authoritative, the book will have a long life as the definitive account of its important subject."--Professor Robert Cassen, London School of Economics "This book is a heroic achievement. Not only has Roger Riddell mapped out with great clarity the arcane world of international aid, in a way that will help the practitioner as much as the general reader, he has also produced visionary and challenging recommendations for reform of the system. this book provides a welcome examination of how well we, the aid donors and deliverers, are performing, and suggests that we need to make far-reaching changes. The philosophy of development that underpins his argument also provides a welcome antidote to prevailing models of "humanitarian intervention" and "democracy-building" that risk undermining many of the gains of the last 60 years. I hope this book will be read by foreign and security policy-makers, as well as those in the development field. It might just help save the world in the 21st century."--Sir Michael Aaronson, former Director General of Save the Children UK "In his new book, Does Foreign Aid Really Work?, Riddell expands on the themes analyzed in his seminal work published twenty years ago The crucial but complex issue of aid effectiveness and its constraints is analyzed with a view also towards the future, examining ways in which the impact of aid might be enhanced, improved and increased to make a greater difference.Informed by weaknesses in the present system, the book offers ideas that involve radical reform of the aid delivery system. "This book provides an excellent insight into the challenges with which development co-operation is confronted - a rich source for students of development and development co-operation as well as for policymakers and managers of aid across the donor-recipient divide."--Olav Stokke, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, 'This book is a heroic achievement. Not only has Roger Riddell mapped out with great clarity the arcane world of international aid, in a way that will help the practitioner as much as the general reader, he has also produced visionary and challenging recommendations for reform of the system., ''For the policy maker, practitioner, undergraduate and advanced scholar, Does Foreign Aid Really Work? is an essential primer on the complex world of international development assistance. Courageously running the risk of offending both the proponents and the critics of aid, Riddelldispassionately summarizes four decades of scholarly and donor-sponsored research on aid's effectiveness. He casts his net both broad and deep.''George Scharffenberger, Executive Director, Richard C. Blum Center for Developing Economies, University of California, Berkeley, 'This book provides an excellent insight into the challenges with which development co-operation is confronted - a rich source for students of development and development co-operation as well as for policymakers and managers of aid across the donor-recipient divide.'Olav Stokke, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs
