The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey Sachs (Penguin Publishers)

Jeffrey Sachs is a world renowned economist who served as the architect of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals. In this bestseller, Sachs paints a picture of how the complexities of poverty have trapped 1.2 billion people around the world in what he calls “extreme poverty.” Sachs shines a grim light on the poorest 20% of the world’s population. He states that without outside assistance, even their best and most concerted efforts are unlikely to ever pull them out of poverty. Sachs then outlines the Millennium Development Goals and the international movement that holds the potential to end extreme poverty in our lifetime.

Sachs manages to escape the normally dull language of economics by filling the book with human interest and personal stories. However, be aware that the middle chapters are filled with quite a few case studies of his past work as an economist. For those who are less inclined toward mathematics and economics, you might consider jumping ahead to the final few chapters where he outlines his vision for creating change. This book represents an important, if not mainstream, view of the relationship between “developing” and “developed” nations. While there are certainly dissenting opinions out there, this is a great place to start for those seeking to understand how the UN and many “developed” nations are currently working to end poverty in our time.

Robin Pendoley
Curriculum Director
Thinking Beyond Borders

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