Imagining Development

Book excerpt: "Gootenberg has mined a large number of periodicals, pamphlets, and nineteenth-century monographs to unearth currents of thought that were more perceptive and developmentalist than conventional wisdom would have expected. He shows their organic connection to their times. The prose is clear, sharp, jocular, and the organization masterful. He interweaves political background with economic doctrine in precisely the right way. This is a model for the history of economic ideas."--Steven Topik, Associate Professor, University of California, Irvine "Gootenberg writes gracefully; he turns phrases with style and wit. I can't think of any other historian who has gained such a firm understanding of nineteenth-century Peru. This book will stir up interest not just for Peruvianists but for anybody seriously interested in Latin America's policy options today."--Shane Hunt, Boston University