“Brings sophisticated ethnographic attention to the 'unexpected changes and contradictions' within the gaps and spaces opened up by the 'reforms' of the past twenty years. It is a uniquely detailed empirical account of many activities, in many places, with varied international, national and local participants, all engaging at the interface of the terms of 'reform' and the lives and development prospects of the people.”
 — Jane Guyer, Johns Hopkins University

“Simply put, it's the most daring book I have read on African development.”
 — Abdi I. Samatar, University of Minnesota

“This is a rich, informative book on extremely complicated processes in Africa. . . . Recommended.”
 — Choice

“Economic and Political Reform in Africa is a fascinating and wide ranging treatment of neoliberal development policy in sub-Saharan Africa. This text should be required reading for anybody interested in African development, and would be of significant interest to anybody interested in neoliberal development in post-colonial settings. ”
 — African Studies Bulletin

“Political and Economic Reform in Africa is a sharp and insightful book, offering the reader firsthand knowledge of the effects of neoliberal policies and donor-initiated development on rural farming and herding populations on the ground. The book’s examples are rich and detailed, and would well serve university courses in development and rural economy, but also in agencies carrying out development.”
 — African Studies Review

“This book is well written and the narratives are enlightening. It should be recommended reading for students of African development.”
 — International Social Science Review

“The achievements in this book are multiple. Its diversity of ethnographic settings and field techniques, its historical depth, the bold injection of new ideas for the study of pastoralism, and the clear scope for comparative analysis all converge to bring home the message that encounters with neoliberalism must be described and analyzed in nuanced, site-specific contexts. The book will be a compelling read for anthropologists and development practitioners, including those less familiar with the African continent. The book's long gestation was worth the wait.”
 — American Anthropologist