Aid and Influence

"An important book. We are retreating from faith in aid and development as technocratic in allocation, purpose and impact. Browne’s persuasive message in development is political whether the provider is China or a large US Foundation and so are its outcomes."

Lord Mark Malloch Brown, President, Open Society Foundations

"A very good account of the history and a powerful critique of the implementation, impact and implications of the recent cuts in UK aid."

Sir Myles Wickstead, King's College London

"An important and timely contribution to debates on development cooperation from a genuine insider. The book brings discussions up to date on the evolution of the aid system including new donors like China and private aid. A must-read for students and researchers who care about aid and want to understand better the key contemporary debates."

Andy Sumner, King’s College London

"You could not locate a better guide to the foreign assistance bazaar. Having worked and analysed the aid industry for his entire professional and academic career, Browne provides a map of self-interest that motivates donors."

Thomas G. Weiss, Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Praise for the first edition

"This powerful critique of aid by a distinguished practitioner cannot be brushed aside. As Browne argues, doubling aid without radical redesign is unlikely to deliver accelerated development. He offers an attractive recipe for reform."

Paul Collier, Professor of Economics, Oxford University

"Stephen Browne provides a radical and original take on a familiar subject, with careful analysis and drawing on a wealth of personal experience …Readable stuff, destined to make those in the aid business think harder."

Sir Richard Jolly, Institute of Development Studies, Sussex

"This book is badly needed. It answers the question on everyone’s mind: why has aid often failed to trigger successful development?"

Kishore Mahbubani, Dean of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore

"Stephen Browne takes us back to the early days of development aid, through its evolution into partnership, to the present day … The book reads very well, is snappy and sharp, and is backed up with real life examples."

Kunda Dixit, Editor-in-Chief, Nepali Times

"Stephen Browne takes [the aid] story, tests it against many countries and periods and discovers the wide prevalence of aid and influence … This book deserves a wide readership among students of aid relationships and decision-makers."

Just Faaland, Former Director, Christian Michelsen Institute, Norway

"The developing countries – particularly those in Africa – deserve a better deal, not as the passive recipients of aid, but as active participants in a fairer global economy. This book contains some important proposals on how a new deal could be struck, which is beneficial to both South and North."

Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank