The concept of development has never been in greater need of analysis and clarification than in the present era. Just about everyone is ?for? development as an assumed ?good?, yet few seem to have a concrete idea of what the term actually entails. Development offers a comprehensive and wide–ranging analysis of the various ways in which this important concept has been used in social and political analysis over the past 200 years. Starting with the classical theories that sought to explain the initial development of the industrialized world, the book moves on to consider the ?golden age? of development theory after 1945, before bringing debates right up to date by assessing current and future trends in development thinking. The evolution of development theory is charted in innovative ways, relating it concretely to the successes and failures of development both in different eras and places. In a fresh evaluation of the current debates on this concept, the authors...