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11 Best Development Economics Books

Goal: Find the best Development Economics books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).

Method:

  1. Search for "best development economics books" and study the top 5+ pages.
  2. Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
  3. Rank the results neatly here.

11 Best Development Economics Books

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1

Guns, Germs, and Steel

The Fates of Human Societies

by Jared Diamond

2

The Wealth of Nations

by Adam Smith

3

The Wealth and Poverty of Nations

Why Some Are So Rich and Some So Poor

by David S. Landes

Also recommended by:

Charlie Munger, Jamie Dimon, Brad Delong

4

Poor Economics

A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty

by Abhijit V. Banerjee

Also recommended by:

Bill Gates

5

Small Is Beautiful

Economics as if People Mattered

by E. F. Schumacher

Also recommended by:

Emma Watson

6

The Bottom Billion

Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It

by Paul Collier

Also recommended by:

Bill Gates

7

The Mystery of Capital

Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else

by Hernando De Soto

Also recommended by:

Jordan Peterson

8

Development as Freedom

by Amartya Sen

9

Development Economics

by Debraj Ray

10

Kicking Away the Ladder

Development Strategy in Historical Perspective

by Ha-Joon Chang

11

The Elusive Quest for Growth

Economists' Adventures and Misadventures in the Tropics

by William R. Easterly

Sources

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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11 Best Development Economics Books (2025)