"As with all countries that work in mysterious ways that need explaining, which is the exact purpose of this book, Madagascar in all its historical depth and subtle player interactions is far too complex to reveal itself outright. A key needs to be found if there is to be any hope of progressing towards this ambitious and ostensibly unattainable goal, for us in any case. In research, the greatest scientific discoveries have often sprung from a simple question whose ramifications are not always immediately apparent. We obviously do not pretend to aspire to these heights, but our approach has evolved from the same starting point. It is no secret that Madagascar is "in a bad way" with so many areas in which its performance is sorry, if not dire. Yet once this patent diagnosis has been made, where do you start? In our case, the simple question we asked as a way in to the Malagasy equation concerned economic growth, not because it is the only or most important question, but because it has certain advantages for our case in hand. First, a straightforward curve gives a clear idea of the situation, at least over the last fifty years. Second, the growth question is probably the issue that has most engaged economists, and many others besides, for centuries. We could therefore hope to draw on their theories to explain Madagascar's economic trajectory. Of course, things are never as easy as they seem"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.