Clayton M. Christensen, the author of such business classics as The
Innovator's Dilemma and the New York Times bestseller How Will You
Measure Your Life, and co-authors Efosa Ojomo and Karen Dillon reveal
why so many investments in economic development fail to generate
sustainable prosperity, and offers a groundbreaking solution for true
and lasting change.
Global poverty is one of the world's most vexing problems. For decades,
we've assumed smart, well-intentioned people will eventually be able to
change the economic trajectory of poor countries. From education to
healthcare, infrastructure to eradicating corruption, too many solutions
rely on trial and error. Essentially, the plan is often to identify
areas that need help, flood them with resources, and hope to see change
over time.
But hope is not an effective strategy.
Clayton M. Christensen and his co-authors reveal a paradox at the heart
of our approach to solving poverty. While noble, our current solutions
are not producing consistent results, and in some cases, have
exacerbated the problem. At least twenty countries that have received
billions of dollars' worth of aid are poorer now.
Applying the rigorous and theory-driven analysis he is known for,
Christensen suggests a better way. The right kind of innovation not only
builds companies--but also builds countries. The Prosperity Paradox
identifies the limits of common economic development models, which tend
to be top-down efforts, and offers a new framework for economic growth
based on entrepreneurship and market-creating innovation. Christensen,
Ojomo, and Dillon use successful examples from America's own economic
development, including Ford, Eastman Kodak, and Singer Sewing Machines,
and shows how similar models have worked in other regions such as Japan,
South Korea, Nigeria, Rwanda, India, Argentina, and Mexico.
The ideas in this book will help companies desperate for real, long-term
growth see actual, sustainable progress where they've failed before. But
The Prosperity Paradox is more than a business book; it is a call to
action for anyone who wants a fresh take for making the world a better
and more prosperous place.
