The Elusive Quest for Growth: Summary

II: Summary

In The Elusive Quest for Growth, William Easterly will attempt to explain why growth matters, those previous attempts to increase growth that have failed, and his personal perspective on what needs to be done to complete the elusive quest. In his prologue, Easterly begins by comparing this quest, the elusive quest for growth, to other famous quests in history. These include the Golden Fleece, the Holy Grail, and the Elixir of Life. Through this comparison, he tries to highlight the importance of economic growth to worldly development. He then goes on to explain the underlying theme of the book, which is that “people respond to incentives,” and gives the reader a look at what angles he will use to accomplish this task. He expresses this through “four notes to the reader” that conclude the prologue. The first is that the ideas expressed in the book are his own, and not those of the World Bank. The second is that he will not attempt to explain the enviro...