Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human Progress by Samuel P. Huntington (Editor), Lawrence E. Harrison (Editor)

From the Publisher

A developed nation provides two things to its citizens: political freedom and a decent standard of living. Why are some countries able to accomplish this and others not?The world at the beginning of the twenty-first century is more divided than ever between the rich and the poor, between those living in freedom and those under oppression. Even in prosperous democracies, troubling gaps in well-being persist. As the credibility of traditional explanations-colonialism, dependency, racism-declines, many now believe that the principal reason why some countries and ethnic groups are better off than others lies in the cultural values that powerfully shape nations and peoples' political, economic, and social performance. Many of the distinguished contributors to Culture Matters believe that value and attitude change is indispensable to progress for those who are lagging. Among the prominent scholars and journalists contributing to the volume are Francis Fukuyama, Nathan Glazer, David Landes, Seymour Martin Lipset, Orlando Patterson, Michael Porter, Jeffrey Sachs, and Richard Shweder. Lawrence E. Harrison is a senior fellow at the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies and the author of Who Prospers? and The Pan-American Dream.

Library Journal

Why do some cultures achieve economic success while others languish? Why do some countries develop successful democracies while others continue to undergo political upheavals? Are these discrepancies because of the cultural values of a people and their country? How important are these values, and can they be modified? These questions and others are discussed within the wide-ranging, thought-provoking, and sometimes quite controversial essays presented here. Drawn from a symposium sponsored by the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, essays by David Landes, Lucien Pye, Barbara Crossette, and others cover a wide variety of topics, from the effect of culture on various countries throughout the world to a discussion of culture and its role in gender issues. Also of interest are essays on how cultural issues may be the root cause of African American underachievement in the United States. Those interested in economics, cultural studies, international studies, and political science will find much to think about in this challenging collection. For academic libraries.--Danna Bell-Russel, Library of Congress Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\

Booknews

Scholars and journalists from around the world consider the political and economic differences around the world, and the relationship between these elements and the values of a culture. Specific essays focus on economic development, political development, anthropological debates, gender issues, the status of American minorities, the Asian crisis, and the possibility of change. The analysis emphasizes cultural causes rather than traditional explanations relating to colonialism, racism, and dependency. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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