’...a fascinating study...a wealth of data from a variety of sources...presented in a manner that is accessible to the non-specialist and will be of interest to anyone in the field of development studies...the book is aimed at practitioners as well as academics and students and is relevant to government officials, aid agencies, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and other stakeholders in the reform process...has an appeal beyond the country specialist.’ Professor Fred Nixson, University of Manchester, UK '...a major contribution to the literature on the political economy of Malawi as well as the history of reform projects on the African continent. It is a detailed piece of work and one that is recommended by this reviewer.' European Journal of Development Research 'This particularly good book approaches economics in quite a mechanical way, and a mathematical model in the middle of the book seems to be the crux of the argument...I found the book rich reading, despite appearances to the contrary...reading this book made me again realise how stimulating it is to be challenged by a really good book.' Journal of Modern African Studies