Amazon.com description: Product Description: Todaro and Smith believe that development economics should foster a student's ability to understand real problems faced by developing countries. Unlike other texts, Economic Development , Ninth Edition, introduces economic models within the context of countries and issues, so that students learn to analyze and engage in ongoing policy debates. Praised for its even, balanced coverage, this text helps students to evaluate issues using the best available cross-sectional data, economic theory, and institutional and structural perspectives. Keeping pace with current data and events, the Ninth Edition includes the latest research in development as well as extensive country-specific examples of topics such as transition economics and urban policy.