“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