Plowing the Sea

In this powerful new book, Michael Fairbanks and Stace Lindsay argue that the tremendous advantages developing nations have in natural resources, inexpensive labor, and fertile soil have actually kept these nations poor. Their advantages - easily imitated in other areas around the world - have not been sufficient engines for growth. Billions of dollars have been spent to eradicate poverty; still these regions remain as dependent as ever on volatile natural resource exports and foreign aid. Plowing the Sea is the authors' attempt to unearth and nurture the hidden sources of growth - knowledge, innovation, and human capital - that remain untapped in developing countries. The authors' own journeys from Peace Corps teaching and grass-roots development work to the knowledge-intensive world of management consulting give them a unique perspective on the challenging road that these nations and their leaders must travel. Fairbanks and Lindsay have created a framework that allows both government and business leaders of developing nations to embrace and succeed in the new economy. Challenging conventional wisdom, the authors advocate creative approaches to competitiveness, encourage new leadership roles within the private and public sectors, and promote an integrated approach to national development strategy.