Why have some countries succeeded at the task of economic development, while others have failed dismally? Designed to address this question - to explain the persistence and even widening of the gap between both rich and poor countries, and rich and poor within poor countries - this anthology draws upon classic as well as current literature. Students should find conventional explanations based on theories of modernisation and culture, revisionist explanations focusing on dependency and world-systems analysis, and the most recent literature on rent-seeking, markets and states. Empirical evidence evaluates the success of the contending theories presented; case studies are also included. The final chapter draws conclusions about where development theory has been and where it is going.