A few months ago, when it occurred to me that I was going to a country about which I knew almost nothing, I turned to the world traveler’s trustiest friend. No, not Lonely Planet. I mean the CIA World Factbook. I’ve been infatuated with the Factbook ever since my sophomore year of high school, when… Continue reading Means and Medians
The following is a brief excursus on the social science disciplines which should be of interest to absolutely no one. It should not be confused with the similarly titled article by Emily Sands ’09, who is brilliant. I’ve already many times registered my frustration with much of the criticism of development coming from the academy. … Continue reading Sexy-Nomics
The book Dead Aid is totally hot right now. Now, I realize this statement isn’t actually true, and that most people have no idea what I’m talking about. While Dead Aid may have cracked twenty-ninth on the New York Times bestseller list, and its author Dambisa Moyo was labeled one of 2009’s most important figures,… Continue reading Killing Off “Dead Aid”
So, here are some research findings with interesting implications for contemporary policy debates in the U.S.: Kenyans—despite living in a country with nine times the infant mortality rate of the United States and living twenty-two fewer years—report being as satisfied with their health care system as Americans are. Afghanis, for their part, are part of… Continue reading Smile! At least you’re poor!
I made it back. While I realize this isn’t a particularly surprising statement, the fact that I was able to walk – rather than be carried – off the plane was a bit in doubt by the time I left Kampala. All in all, it’s absolutely fantastic to be home, and amazing to think of… Continue reading Two Days, Two Worlds
I don’t have the greatest track record with summer jobs. In high school, I worked at Sandia Labs in Albuquerque. Aside from the obvious ethical downsides of working in a weapons laboratory, I had nothing to do and spent most of my days watching Home Star Runner (which now sounds almost as dated as playing… Continue reading Shatya
Alex V. Barnard - Sociology 