On October 1, 2009, the People's Republic of China (PRC) celebrated the 60th anniversary of its founding. And what an eventful and tumultuous six decades it had been. During that time, under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), China was transformed from one of the world's poorest countries into the world's fastest growing major economy, and from a weak state barely able to govern or protect its own territory to a rising power that is challenging theUnited States for global in...

The newly updated third edition provides a clear and user-friendly introduction to the complex debates around how development has been understood and achieved. It has been fully updated and expanded to reflect global political and economic shifts, as well as new approaches to development. The book deals with the evolution of development ideas and policies, focusing on economic, political, social, environmental and spatial dimensions.

It highlights how development cannot be considered as a neu...