The story of South Asia is a topsy-turvy one. Soon after independence from British rule, the region seemed to have a much better prospect than many other parts of the Third World; the prospects soon dimmed, however, as South Asia crawled while East and Southeast Asia galloped away. But a large...

Introduction (Paul Dobrescu) -- Part I. Envisaging Development in the Contemporary Society: Theory and Public Debates -- Why Do Some Countries Develop and Others Not? (Ian Goldin) -- Measuring the Hard-to-Measure in Development: Dimensions, Measurement Challenges, and Responses (Anne L....