An informed analysis of growth, middle-income trap, and productivity in contemporary Peru with lessons for the developing world.

Marco Kimaya, UN-Habitat

Using Korea and Chile as counterexamples, Ruben Berrios asks the crucial question about Peru: why has it lacked behind in development? The book provides a fascinating political and economic analysis, helping to illuminate the importance of sound policies and the role of the state in generating economic progress.

Scott J. Morgenstern, University of Pittsburgh

Professor Berríos offers a welcome addition to the political-economy literature with an extremely timely and valuable comparative analysis of Latin America and Asia. The cases of Peru, South Korea, and Chile reveal that good governance and effective political leadership are as important to development as economic growth. Policymakers and scholars alike will find important lessons in this book.

Julio F. Carrión, University of Delaware