Publisher: Cornell University Press.
Language: English
Pages: 176 pages
Read more reviews and media coverage here. It is available from Amazon in hardcover, paperback and e-book formats. Kindle, Hardcover and Paperback (currently $19.01). In the UK the paperback is now in stock and retails for £13.82. It is now listed in most European countries (Germany and France).You can also get it straight from Cornell University Press.
On Monday I present at the Centre of African Studies, University of Cambridge (5 pm, Room S2, Audrey Richards Building) and then on Tuesday at Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.
On Wednesday there is a book launch and signing at the London School of Economics in the Waterstones Economists’ Bookshop, Clare Market, Portugal Street, London, WC2A 2AB.
At the launch,I will say a few words about the book and then there will be a reception, book signing and informal interaction.
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| Is there really a statistical tragedy in Africa?Where do African statistics originate? How accurate are they? Economic historian, Morten Jerven will be deliberating stats in Africa at a debate hosted by PARIS21 and the OECD Development Centre on Friday 17 May, 11-13h. The session will take place in Chateau Room D in the OECD Conference Centre, Paris. |
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Morten’s recent book, Poor Numbers: How We Are Misled by African Development Statistics and what to do about it calls for urgent action on African economic development. Poor Numbers presents an uncompromising analysis of the production and use of African economic development statistics and makes the case for a coherent strategy for improving African statistical capacity, a cause at the heart of PARIS21 and OECD work.Headlining the bill, Morten will grapple with:
To push debate further we will hear reactions from recognised African statisticians and experts with their take on the reality of working in difficult environments in pursuit of reliable and quality statistics. Then it’s your turn…
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| The lineup
I. Openers Jan Rielaender Economist, OECD Development Centre, Johannes Jütting Manager, PARIS21 II. Headliner Morten Jerven Assistant Professor Simon Fraser University III. Discussants Professor Ben Kiregyera Chairman at DevInfCo, Uganda |
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| Please register on EMS or with shayne.maclachlan@oecd.org by Wednesday 15 May, if you are able to attend. | |
I spoke at Royal African Society yesterday, and the scheduled talks continues next week:
Monday 13 May 17:00-19:00, Oxford University, African History & Politics Seminars
Wednesday 15 May 12:15-14:00, Graduate Institute Geneva
Thursday 16 May 14:00-17:00, CERI & SciencesPo, Paris
Friday 17 11:00-13:00, OECD Development Center and PARIS21
Monday 20 May 17:00-19:00, Cambridge University, Alison Richards Building, S2
Tuesday 21 May 13:00-2:30, Sussex University, Institute of Development Studies, IDS Convening Space.
Wednesday 22nd May 18:00-19:00, London School of Economics, Waterstones Economists’ Bookshop
Thursday 23rd May 12:00-13:30, Overseas Development Institute
On some of these events the book will be available for sale -
It is available from Amazon in hardcover, paperback and e-book formats. In the UK the paperback is now in stock and retails for £14.50. It can also be ordered directly from Cornell University Press.
Favourably and fairly I think. Bill Gates says:
Yet it is clear to me that we need to devote greater resources to getting basic GDP numbers right. As Jerven argues, national statistics offices across Africa need more support so that they can obtain and report timelier and more accurate data. Donor governments and international organizations such as the World Bank need to do more to help African authorities produce a clearer picture of their economies. And African policymakers need to be more consistent about demanding better statistics and using them to inform decisions.
The review and the story is getting a lot of comment. Chris Blattman disagrees with Bill Gates but recommends the book:
Morten Jerven has a terrific book, Poor Numbers, chronicling the vagaries and inaccuracies of our main measure of poverty and development: Gross Domestic Product. Essential reading for anyone studying development.
Date & Time: Wednesday, 8 May 2013, 6-8PM
Venue: Brunei Suite, SOAS
Speakers: Morten Jerven, Assistant Professor, Simon Fraser University. Respondent: Judith Randel, Executive Director of Development Initiatives. Chair: Dr Deborah Johnston, Department of Economics, School of Oriental & African Studies.
According to Nicolas van de Walle in Foreign Affairs
Jerven demonstrates with devastating clarity that African governments produce imprecise economic statistics that should not be trusted.
Read the full review here.
Ian Scoones reflects on my book in a two part analysis called:
Dodgy data and missing measures: why good numbers matter.
Read more here.
Carlos Lopez, the executive secretary of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, seems to have read the right implications from my research in a blog post which starts:
Counting matters! Statistics are the backbone of proper planning for Africa’s future…
Read more here.
“African Economic Development: Measuring Success and Failure”, an international conference was held recently at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada.
On Friday April 19 I launched the book, you can see more pictures from the launch here.
Over fifty leading scholars, data producers and users attended the three-day conference for paper presentations, panel dialogues, and inter-disciplinary discussions. Bringing these types of data users together generated a productive and innovative basis for remedying some of the problems of development statistics. Leading experts on measuring African economic development, including directors of statistical offices in Zimbabwe and Nigeria, specialists from the African Development Bank, Statistics Canada, the IMF, the World bank, United Nations and researchers from philanthropist’s organizations like Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as leading scholars from Europe, North America and Africa. The conference was unique in that it brought together scholars from various disciplines including history, economics, economic historians, political scientists, anthropology and sociology.
The conference was funded by the School for International Studies, the SFU FASS Deans Office, VPR Mario Pinto and VP Academic Jon Driver. The conference has also been funded by a SSHRCH Connection Grant, the IDRC and by New Venture Fund. The African Development Bank and the African Economic History Network also contributed to fund travel costs for participants.
