How Long to Read Hard Times in the Lands of Plenty

How Long Does it Take to Read Hard Times in the Lands of Plenty?

It takes the average reader 4 hours and 24 minutes to read Hard Times in the Lands of Plenty by Benjamin Smith

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

That natural resources can be a curse as well as a blessing is almost a truism in political analysis. In many late-developing countries, the "resource curse" theory predicts, the exploitation of valuable resources will not result in stable, prosperous states but rather in their opposite. Petroleum deposits, for example, may generate so much income that rulers will have little need to establish efficient, tax-extracting bureaucracies, leading to shallow, poorly functioning administrations that remain at the mercy of the world market for oil. Alternatively, resources may be geographically concentrated, thereby intensifying regional, ethnic, or other divisive tensions. In Hard Times in the Land of Plenty, Benjamin Smith deciphers the paradox of the resource curse and questions its inevitability through an innovative comparison of the experiences of Iran and Indonesia. These two populous, oil-rich countries saw profoundly different changes in their fortunes in the period 1960–1980. Focusing on the roles of state actors and organized opposition in using oil revenues, Smith finds that the effects of oil wealth on politics and on regime durability vary according to the circumstances under which oil exports became a major part of a country's economy. The presence of natural resources is, he argues, a political opportunity rather than simply a structural variable. Drawing on extensive primary research in Iran and Indonesia and quantitative research on nineteen other oil-rich developing countries, Smith challenges us to reconsider resource wealth in late-developing countries, not as a simple curse or blessing, but instead as a tremendously flexible source of both political resources and potential complications.

How long is Hard Times in the Lands of Plenty?

Hard Times in the Lands of Plenty by Benjamin Smith is 257 pages long, and a total of 66,049 words.

This makes it 87% the length of the average book. It also has 81% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read Hard Times in the Lands of Plenty Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 6 hours to read Hard Times in the Lands of Plenty aloud.

What Reading Level is Hard Times in the Lands of Plenty?

Hard Times in the Lands of Plenty is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy Hard Times in the Lands of Plenty?

Hard Times in the Lands of Plenty by Benjamin Smith is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

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