John Ure is one of the leading lights in the field of socio-economic development at the international level, and with this thoughtful book, he addresses some of the key challenges facing humanity, specifically in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. John goes back to basics in explaining the underlying concepts in a textbook fashion that will help those unfamiliar with the topic, but also inform development specialists.
This is a smart book on an urgent topic. SDGs can seem overwhelming. To some, their intrinsic genius is a weakness - everyone can commit to at least one of them, but does that not make them too broadly spread and unfocused? John Ure has spent his career as an academic, consultant economist, and policy advisor in many of the domains covered by the SDGs and is exceptionally well placed to deliver a frank appraisal of what''s going on. Reading like something between a development economics primer, a multi-lateral agency state of the globe report, and a frank briefing from an insider expert to senior decision makers, this short and pithy book will leave you much better informed. In an unexpected way, it may also leave you more optimistic. Greenwashing and other platitudinous writing and platforming kills optimism. The better way is to have an intelligent conversation about what really can and cannot be done. To talk in terms of what economists call ''second best'' solutions. To demand action that has some chance of delivering outcomes though they may involve tricky trade-offs. This book really does cut to the core to reveal some of the sharper edges of the SDGs and explains how to sharpen them further and use them more effectively.
Cutting through the huge volume of literature for each of the SDGs as 2030 closes in, this immensely readable primer makes sense of the state of play for some of the most pressing existential questions of our time.
Anne Butcher
