The Reproach of Hunger: Food, Justice, and Money in the Twenty-First Century

Rieff (Swimming in the Sea of Death) delivers a stinging indictment of modern philanthropy and development theory’s capacity to resolve the pressing issues of poverty and hunger. Countering the view that these problems are resolvable within our lifetimes through technology and the powers of capitalism, Rieff chooses to ask difficult questions: Is it truly possible for corporations to do authentically good work when their profit margins depend on resource exploitation? Is capitalism the answer or is the economic model fundamentally broken? Can humankind meet development goals without exacerbating climate change? Is it morally acceptable for super-rich donors like Bill Gates and other “philanthrocapitalists” to set international agendas? Rieff doesn’t claim to have the answers, but he certainly has a refreshing willingness to ask questions, and a skeptical perspective that extends to major figures such as Gates, Jeffrey Sachs, and Bono. In the wake of so many books rehashing the same arguments about how to help the developing world, readers will be grateful for a different (and impeccably researched) perspective. This is a stellar addition to the canon of development policy literature. [em]Agent: Andrew Wylie, Wylie Agency. (Oct.) [/em]