For students looking to start their postgraduate degree in international development this autumn and for anyone with an interest in development studies, we have put together a selection of recently published books which IDS staff have recommended as essential reading.
These books cover a whole range of themes within development studies; from colonial rule; science and wisdom; and economics. They include fiction and non-fiction titles and all are thought-provoking not only about thinking about the past, but issues that will impact development in the future.
If you have a book you would like to recommend, then post on our twitter with the hashtag: #IDSSummerReading and tag us at @IDS_UK
Book recommendations
Syed Abbas, IDS Research Fellow, Health & Nutrition
How Minds Change: The New Science of Belief, Opinion and Persuasion
By David McRaney
Syed writes, ‘This book analyses some of the most deeply contested views of our time including from LGBTQ campaigners, conspiracy theorists and the ‘The Dress’ meme. It demonstrates how people can hold divergent views based upon the same set of ‘facts’. It uses examples of people who have changed their position on deeply held views to identify lessons on how to discuss divisive issues. The book’s message on the importance of listening and engaging with diverse audiences resonates with IDS approach on ‘engaged excellence’. But the vividly sketched case studies provide a useful template for all of us engaged in communicating about development debates’.
John Thompson, IDS Research Fellow, Rural Futures and Mick Moore, IDS Professorial Fellow, Governance
Legacy of Violence: A History of the British Empire
By Caroline Elkins
John Thompson writes, ‘Boris Johnson once published an infamous article in The Spectator about how he thought people wrongly blame British colonialism for Africa’s problems. “The continent may be a blot, but it is not a blot upon our conscience,” he asserted. “The problem is not that we were once in charge, but that we are not in charge anymore.” You couldn’t make it up! Now 20 years later, historian Caroline Elkins reveals the dark side of the British Empire in her meticulously documented new book, Legacy of Violence. She shows in unflinching terms how the use of coercion, repression and brutality were central to the spread and maintenance of Britain’s imperial ambitions, even as it portrayed itself self-servingly as a benevolent force on a civilising mission. She explores how colonial officials hid evidence of their violent practices while building the largest empire in human history, which by 1920 included 24% of the Earth’s landmass and some 700 million subjects.
A sobering, but long overdue read’.
Mick Moore writes, ‘There is no dispute about the need to decolonise development studies. But how well do we understand the colonial context from which the subject emerged? Through extensive archival research, Caroline Elkins informs us that the British colonial rule in the mid-20th century was for many countries a far nastier process than we had imagined. British colonial authorities systematically covered up the extent of terror and brutality that they practiced against anti-colonial movements in countries like Cyprus, Kenya, Ireland, Malaysia and Palestine. Good history does not always provide lessons or guidance. It just tells us things we really should know’.
Deborah Shenton, IDS Hub Manager
Sea of Poppies
By Amitav Ghosh
Deborah Shenton writes, ‘Sea of Poppies is a novel by Indian novelist Amitav Ghosh. It is the first volume of the Ibis trilogy. In the words of Rajnish Mishra: the Ibis trilogy is Ghosh’s most vehement indictment of the source of imperialism and colonialism’.
Pedro Prieto Martin, Postdoctoral Researcher, IDS
The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe
By Jeremy Lent
Pedro Prieto Martin writes, ‘This compelling book, the winner of two Nautilus 2022 awards in the categories of “World Cultures, transformational growth and development” and “Science and Cosmology”, addresses with profound clarity how humanity’s loss of balance within ourselves and with the natural world has brought civilization to the brink of collapse. It also suggests a way out – a path of integration, recognizing our deep interconnectedness, that could lead toward a new ecological civilization. The Web of Meaning is a call for acknowledging what both our newest science and our oldest spiritual traditions (including Buddhist, Neo-Confucian and Indigenous philosophies) tell us: that we are all inextricably interconnected with one another and with nature. Development students, practitioners and scholars engaging with this book will recognise strong connections between their personal efforts to contribute to “positive changes” in the world and the reflections from the book, which might ultimately reinforce their deepest convictions and motivation’.
Mahdi Zaidan, Contracts and Compliance Office, IDS
21st Century Monetary Policy
By Ben Bernanke
Mahdi writes, ‘Given the institute’s recent debates on the value of economics in Development Studies and the current inflation crisis, this book presents a thorough examination of a hot topic in economic policy: how do states curb inflation in a modern economy. Authored by a historian and former chair of the US federal reserve, the book brings a nuanced history of monetary policy in readable and accessible terms. It answers many questions about modern economic problems such as inflation the role of the state in a crisis. Interest rates and inflation have been marginal topics in development studies. Yet the development of the global south has been stymied by high inflation domestically and high interest rates on foreign loans. By understanding how the world’s most powerful central bank weighs up its policy decisions on how to tackle these problems, perhaps a critical consideration of monetary policy can resume within critical development studies’.
Richard Longhurst, IDS Research Associate
The Shadow King
By Maaza Mengiste
Richard Longhurst writes, ‘The book reimagines Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 and highlights the roles that women played in that war. It is a powerful novel and provides a strong story of women as warriors. Its relevance for today is that it ‘uncovers’ and ‘illuminates’ the roles of courageous but ignored people who make significant contributions that do not appear in other narratives’.
Robert Chambers, IDS Research Associate
Humankind: a Hopeful history
By Rutger Bregman
Robert Chambers writes, ‘Engaging, well researched, readable. Massive evidence for the case for Rousseau’s view of human nature against that of Hobbes. Fascinating on how we humans differ from other primates, e.g.with whites to our eyes, and ability for social learnng. Survival of the friendliest! How boys behaved in a real Lord of the Flies. An inspiring book. Richard Wilkinson (author of the Spirit Level) could have been speaking for me when he wrote: This is a wonderful and uplifting book. I not only want all my friends and relations to read it, but everyone else as well. It is an essential part of the campaign for a better world’.
Recent books by IDS authors
Imposing Standards: The North-South Dimension to Global Tax Politics
By Martin Hearson (IDS Research Fellow)
Max Gallien (IDS Fellow) writes, ‘While tax politics and tax evasion are constantly in the headlines this summer, they are often dominated by a European and American perspective. “Imposing Standards” looks beyond that narrative. It takes a critical look at the rules that structure global tax politics today, what shaped them, what they mean for lower income countries – and where we go from here. It is also available online for the competitive prize of 0 pounds, leaving room in the budget for some lighter summer reading on the side’.
Open access books
A few of IDS’ published books from the past are now open access:
- Revolutionizing Development: Reflections on the Work of Robert Chambers
By Ian Scoones and Andrea Cornwall - A New Politics of Uncertainty: Towards Convivial Development in Africa
By Ian Scoones - Pathways to Sustainable Agriculture
By Ian Scoones, Stephen Whitfield, James Sumberg, John Thompson, Sally Brooks, Patrick Van Zwanenberg, Adrian Ely, Adrian Smith - The Politics of Green Transformations
By Ian Scoones, Melissa Leach, Peter Newell
Dynamic Sustainabilities: Technology, Environment, Social Justice
By Melissa Leach, Ian Scoones, Andy Stirling
Related material
IDS, along with our project partners, IDS publishes a range of publications each year, many of which are open access and can be found on our core websites:
- IDS Publications . Our world-class research brings an understanding of people’s lived experiences to policy and practice.
- The IDS Bulletin. The IDS Bulletin is an open access, peer-reviewed journal focusing on international development. In continual publication since 1968, it has a well-established reputation for intellectually rigorous articles developed through learning partnerships on emerging and evolving development challenges presented in an accessible manner in themed issues that bridge academic, practice and policy discourse.
- OpenDocs. OpenDocs is a digital repository of research on international development.
- IDS Between the Lines podcast. This podcast series explores books with ideas for positive social and environmental change. Each month we feature a book and an interview with its author. The discussions give an insight on the themes covered in the book, exploring the challenges and discoveries, and why the issues matter for progressive and sustainable development globally.
Find out more from IDS
Sign-up to our newsletters to get our research and publications delivered to your inbox.
Key contacts
