It has been said that aid (and charitable work) has hurt, rather than helped, the long-term viability of the world’s poorest communities and nations. How are we to think about aid and development, poverty and wealth, help and self-reliance? What role, if any, do we in the West play in helping solve these highly complex issues, often having to do with issues of state, politics and corruption? And is there a “right approach” to tackling these problems? As someone once said, “Nobody asked them if they would rather get respect and no aid, rather than aid and no respect.“

This is what we feel is a “must-read” list (and even a suggested reading order?) for those interested in working to combat global poverty, and studying to help solve the issues of poverty, hunger, corruption, aid, social change, education, sanitation, economics, and the ways these elements combine to hurt the chances of the world’s extreme poor from ever becoming anything...