Rating: ***** 5 stars

Teresa Garlake,
Global Debt: The impact on our lives
Wayland '21st Century Debates'.

non-fiction
Ages 10-14

This is a valuable addition to a series on '21st Century Debates'. There are a few introductory examples of personal debt, but the main subject is the origin of the international debt of poor countries and the inhuman consequences for their inhabitants. The aggravation resulting from the 'structural adjustment programmes' imposed by the World Bank and the IMF is made clear. The effects of debt on education and health are illustrated with numerous examples and the contrast between the situation of the young people in poor countries who suffer these effects and the young readers in rich countries is made very apparent. The environmental consequences, the inequities of international trade and the limited value of aid are discussed. The possibilities of debt relief in the future are offered as a possible way out.

Felix Pirani
September 2007, No. 166

Guide to the rating system:
***** 5 stars, unmissable
**** 4 stars, very good
*** 3 stars, good
** 2 stars, fair
* 1 star, poor