Includes bibliographical references and index.

The complexities of African development -- Part 1: Historical and political context -- The colonial legacy -- Big men, personal rule, and patronage politics -- Party systems and democratic trajectories -- Conflict, war, and state fragility -- Part 2: Core development questions -- Growth and transformation -- The political economy of policy reform -- The international aid system -- Debt and déjà vu? -- Poverty, health, and human development -- Demography, urbanization, and inequality -- Part 3: Regionalism and globalization -- The African Union and regional institutions -- World trade and late industrialization -- Private investment and the business environment -- Part 4: Conclusion -- Uncertainty and optimism.