This essential text addresses the growing need for a dedicated coursebook for students and teachers of world development. As the source of the most respected international magazine on world development issues, the publishers have created a highly credible and accessible text to illuminate this increasingly important subject. Thematic chapters cover globalization, population, the millennium development goals, and eleven other vital topics. It distils them down to their essentials, outlining contending viewpoints and offering background material and case studies, along with high-quality color photographs, charts, and graphs.