Reviews

Fair Trade for All: How Trade Can Promote Development by Andrew Charlton, Joseph E. Stiglitz

rgreen888's review against another edition

4.0

I loved this book! Read part of it for a class and ended up finishing it because I wanted to hear Stiglitz' advice and perspective on international trade. His general argument is that it is possible for advanced industrial countries to engage in trade with developing countries that is beneficial for both. Currently, however, developed countries are not doing that. Stiglitz reviews the past few decades of international trade agreements, discusses failed attempts at cooperation, and reveals how current trade agreements blatantly help developed countries while severely harming developing countries (ex. agricultural subsidies to developed countries harm the economies of developing countries, which depend heavily on agriculture). He discusses possible remedies to the current international trade structure, but does not seem particularly hopeful for change...which is honestly depressing.

Overall - great book for the casual economist to better understand the environment of international trade and the relationship between developing and developed countries.