Christy Thornton's crucial book is part of a deep reassessment over the last 15 years of the history of economic development. Until the beginning of the new century, this history was mainly described as a set of ideas and practices diffusing from North to South during the Cold War era. Thanks to the work of scholars like Frederick Cooper, a new cohort of historians has begun addressing how the so-called Third World substantially contributed to development theories and practices. Focusing on Mexico as a case study, Thornton's book shows how, at least since the Mexican Revolution's triumph, that country's diplomats and economists tried to shape international debates over the world's economic institutions in favor of their nation's development plans. In doing so, Thornton adds to important new works on Mexico's contemporary history that are slowly moving from a focus on familiar milestones and toward lesser-known topics like the dirty war...
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