The Tyranny of Experts

Economists, Dictators, and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor

William Easterly

Recommended By

Book Synopsis

"The Tyranny of Experts" by William Easterly offers a critical analysis of how the development industry has perpetuated a cycle of failed interventions and continued poverty. Easterly argues that the rigid, top-down approach to development, led by "experts" with a one-size-fits-all mentality, has undermined the value of individual freedom, led to unintended consequences, and ignored the voices and needs of local communities.

Drawing on examples from around the world, Easterly exposes the flaws inherent in the expert-driven development model. He highlights the negative impacts of technocratic solutions that disregard local knowledge and impose uniform policies. Easterly demonstrates how this approach has led to ineffective aid programs, corruption, and the unintended exacerbation of existing problems.

Challenging the autocratic nature of development initiatives, Easterly advocates for a shift towards empowering individuals and communities to take charge of their own destinies. He emphasizes the importance of accountability, participatory decision-making, and allowing local solutions to emerge organically. By treating individuals as agents of change, Easterly argues, genuine development can occur.

"The Tyranny of Experts" offers a thought-provoking critique of traditional development practices, exposing the hidden costs and long-term repercussions of top-down approaches. Easterly presents a compelling argument for embracing the principles of liberty, individual empowerment, and decentralized decision-making to create sustainable and inclusive development outcomes.

Explore More Books

See All
Prime Movers of Globalization
The Origin of Wealth
101 Reasons to Get Out of Bed
Systems Medicine
Building the Intentional University
From Bacteria to Bach and Back
Hit Refresh
The Splendid and the Vile
Profile of a Nation
Deep Survival
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
The Black Jacobins
Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got
The Anatomy of Buzz
An Immense World
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
The Overview Effect
Faraday, Maxwell, and the Electromagnetic Field
Built To Last
DMT: The Spirit Molecule
Showing Up for Life
The Price We Pay
The Big Picture
The Black Dahlia
It's All Too Much
The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe
Seeker
Be Here Now
Every Shot Counts
Zen Mind, Beginners Mind
Out of Many, One
Troublemakers
The Culture Code
The Bet
The Giving Tree
Boyd
Leaders
Switch
The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo
Dear Founder
Pale Rider
Vagabonding
Dune
The Upright Thinkers
The Writing Life
The God Delusion
Revolution
Steve Jobs
Mortal Republic
Thirst
Jane Eyre
Who Moved My Cheese?
The Power To Compete
The Sheltering Sky
The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty
Talking To Humans
How Companies Win
The Wisdom Paradox
Hyperbole and a Half
The Value Investors
The Only Game In Town
Continental Reckoning
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Not Fade Away
Six Thinking Hats
Numbers Don't Lie
Energy
Gridiron Genius
Money: Master The Game
Stumbling on Happiness
Incognito
Ficciones
Autobiography of a Yogi
Race and Culture
The Great Gatsby
Into The Silence
The Charisma Myth
Oscar
Uncaring
Death Rattle
Only the Paranoid Survive
The Art Of Doing Science And Engineering
The Crisis of Global Capitalism
Breath From Salt
The Jack Vance Treasury
In Over Our Heads
Lenin
Small Is the New Big
Long Walk to Freedom
Taken for Granted
What If?
Zoning Rules!
The Heart
Dreamland
The Trump Century
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Planetary
The Opium of the Intellectuals
Tenth of December
UFO Hunters