The Broken Ladder

Anirudh Krishna's research investigates how poor communities and individuals in developing countries cope with the structural and personal constraints that result in poverty and powerlessness. He has written five other books and more than sixty journal articles. Awards include an honorary doctorate from Uppsala universitet, Sweden in 2011. Before returning to academia, Krishna worked for fourteen years with the Indian Administrative Service, managing diverse rural and urban development initiatives on behalf of the government. He has consulted with the World Bank, the United Nations, national governments, and a variety of development support organizations.

'This is a remarkable book pointing our attention to the ground-level realities and vulnerabilities of the poor that are overlooked by the glowing macro-economic growth stories about India. With vivid examples it highlights the micro situations (involving attitudes, beliefs, availability of information and credit, etc.) that make it so difficult to climb out of that poverty and vulnerability for otherwise highly motivated and talented people. The author's human case studies are quite touching as the analysis is incisive. I recommend this book to any reader who is interested in an empathetic understanding of the constraints, institutional failures and opportunities facing vast numbers of people in India.' Pranab Bardhan, University of California, Berkeley

• 1. Dollar economy and rupee economy; 2. Beyond 5-km villages; 3. Blue-polygon slums; 4. Preventing future poverty; 5. Plumbing a deep talent pool; 6. Attitudes, experiences, and information; 7. Democracy at the doorstep; 8. Looking ahead: growing the economy and developing individuals; Acknowledgments; Notes; Bibliography; Index.