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Creating Capabilities

The Human Development Approach
by Martha C. Nussbaum
Creating Capabilities: The Human Development Approach. Belknap: Harvard Univ. Mar. 2011. c.228p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780674050549. $22.95. BUS
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Nussbaum (law & ethics, Univ. of Chicago) looks at what it really means for a country to experience prosperity. Traditionally, a country's economic well-being was measured by its gross domestic product. Nussbaum takes a more personal approach by focusing on how economic prosperity plays out in ordinary citizens' lives. She analyzes the life of a woman in India by taking a close look at her situation to see what capabilities and opportunities she—and women like her—might have. The key is not to look simply at the hand they've been dealt, but whether their particular society affords them opportunities to win with it. Nussbaum calls this the "capabilities approach," and it offers a novel way to measure prosperity on a national level by seeing how well a country can provide life-changing prospects for all its citizens.
VERDICT By demonstrating the philosophical underpinnings of this approach and how the theory plays out in the real world, Nussbaum makes a compelling case. Not only is this a more realistic measure of wealth, but it is also a far more compassionate one. For readers who enjoy economics laced with humanity.
Reviewed by Carol J. Elsen, Univ. of Wisconsin Libs., Whitewater , Mar 01, 2011
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