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“A valuable work that historically traces how the unequal development of the world has been produced and accelerated by Western powers since the colonial era.…A World of Difference allows us a means to teach critical insights about neoliberal globalization and developmentalism to our students, some of whom may dream of going to work for international organizations.”

—Human Geography (on the second edition)


“This accessible and valuable book will inspire students to get firsthand experiences on development and the consequences of globalization in cities and villages of Asia, Africa, and Latin America and critically reflect on the consequences of development and globalization.”

—European Planning Studies (on the second edition)


“This massive volume is a cultural geography textbook to be used in college-level courses dealing with world economic development. It covers an enormous range of topics using geographical and historical analyses....This is an excellent book that does not shy away from controversial issues or from taking a moral stand in the face of overwhelming suffering among so much of the world's population....It is a first-rate introduction for students and anyone else seeking a better understanding of the most important challenges facing the world today.”

—Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education (on the second edition)


“A 600-plus-page epic tour-de-force of geographical and historical analysis of development discourse and data….Takes the reader on a historical world tour of development ideas and concepts and keeps her questioning fundamental disciplinary assumptions right across the social sciences throughout.”

—The Canadian Geographer (on the second edition)


“A World of Difference is unusual for several reasons. It covers a huge array of problems and disciplinary fields, from political economy to physical science and social theory. The analysis is genuinely multiscalar, with abundant global analysis complemented by rich regional studies. While this text provides a solid foundation to teach the economic geography of development, its scope also includes geopolitics of development, political economy of development policies, environment and development, and the critique of development—no mean feat! I know of no other textbook in economic geography or development studies that is as capacious, with such beautifully written prose.”

—Joel Wainwright, PhD, Department of Geography, The Ohio State University

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About the Authors

Eric Sheppard, PhD, is Distinguished Research Professor of Geography Emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and a member of its Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and Institute on Inequality and Democracy. He previously held the Alexander von Humboldt Chair at UCLA and a Regents Professorship at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Sheppard has traveled and conducted research throughout the global South, with a particular focus recently on southeast Asia. He has published numerous books and articles on topics that range across geographical political economy, urban politics and dynamics, geographical thought and methods, critical geospatial technologies, social movements, and socio-spatial theory. Dr. Sheppard is the recipient of awards including Distinguished Scholarship Honors from the American Association of Geographers, the Distinguished Teaching Award from UCLA, Honorary Doctor of Laws from Bristol University, and a fellowship from the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University.

• All titles by Eric Sheppard

Helga Leitner, PhD, is Research Professor of Geography Emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a member of its Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and Institute on Inequality and Democracy. She was previously Professor of Geography and Global Studies at the University of Minnesota, and is a corresponding member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. One of the highlights of her career has been sojourns spent living, working, and traveling in many parts of the world. Dr. Leitner has published numerous books, articles, and book chapters on the politics of immigration and citizenship, immigrant incorporation, globalization, urban transformations and sustainability, grassroots movements, and socio-spatial theory. Dr. Leitner's research and teaching have been recognized with awards including Distinguished Scholarship Honors from the American Association of Geographers, the Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate and Professional Education from the University of Minnesota, and the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art.

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Audience

Instructors and students in geography, global studies, international relations, sociology, and economics.

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Course Use

Serves as a text in advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level courses on international development or studies, development geography, globalization, economic geography, and economic development.

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Previous editions published by Guilford:

Second Edition, © 2009
ISBN: 9781606232620

First Edition, © 1998
ISBN: 9781572303249

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New to this edition:

• Restructured to clarify how colonialism and slavery have shaped the postcolonial South’s development challenges.
• New and expanded topics: transnational migration, global population dynamics, global agriculture, mineral extraction, financialization, southern megacities, global heating, rising ethnonationalism, logistics, new development agents, the China model, and more.
• New chapter on alternative Southern development imaginaries and practices.
• Numerous new and updated sidebars, maps, and graphics, including 14 full-color plates depicting the book's major themes.