Rating: 
Summary: Covers aspects that are usually better left unsaid
Review: A very good compilations of essays by some of the well read scholars such as Jeffery Sachs, David S Landes and a lot others.As my title says, the book covers aspects that are usually not approached in a scholarly manner. I have really liked the book for it does not give a drop down proof of the differences in economies of the world but sheds a BOLD light on aspects of culture that can be the root cause of differences in the histories and present condition of various countries. A compilations that sheds light on years of reference that has never been compiled. Readers of every field can buy this one. The burden of proof most definitly rests with the authors, who are definitly giving their own opinions and they claim that in many esaays of the book. Please read this book without the aim of coming to any sure shot conslusion about the subject. Hopefully there would be more debate from individuals from other fields.
Rating: 
Summary: thought provoking
Review: Agree or disagree, you have to admit that there is food for thought in this collection. After all, if culture doesn't matter why is Singapore rich while Banglsdesh starves? The problem with this sort of thing is that it is so hard to pin down. Jared Diamond, after all, can tell us exactly how many domesticable plants there were per square mile on any given coast, and a phalanx of econometric historians tells us how taxes or wages impacted growth at given points in the past. By comparison culture is a slippery customer. Still, this is an interesting read. As a companion volume, I recommend Diana Muir's Reflections in Bullough's Pond, a dazzling little volume that plays out the culture wars on the ground.
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional Book
Review: An extraordinary book! This is a compilation of papers by various authors who have given this subject extensive thought. Many of the authors are practitioners. As a student of economic development, culture, and the history of technological progress I was captivated by this book. It is thought provoking and insightful. The best book I've read this year.
Rating: 
Summary: voices from on high
Review: Can culture determine development? There are several fair to good essays in this book: those by Lawrence E. Harrison (introduction), Jeffrey Sachs, Ronald Inglehart, Robert B. Edgerton, Richard A. Skweder (and the responses and re-responses!), Orlando Patterson and Barbara Crossette. As the reader proceeds from one essay to the next, differences emerge, a valuable editorial choice. Some authors argue that culture is a factor, some that it matters a lot, and some, as if grasping for a magic wand, that culture is the only game in town. The first problem that emerges is that each author has his or her own idea of development. Although Harrison in his introduction lists literacy, life expectancy, the status of women, infant mortality, democracy and human rights, most contributors limit development to economic development, and economic development to the sum total of 'things' produced or possessed. The issue of how people in general acquire these 'things' is largely avoided. The second problem is that there is a crusade to ignore history. David Landes writes that, through observing cultural characteristics, one could have easily predicted the economic rise of West Germany, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. Apparently all that money we spent in those places to hold back the Soviet Union, Red China and North Korea was wasted. They would have done it anyway. Mariano Grondona's historical and theological analysis of the role of religions is incredibly uninformed and simplistic. (You ought to be able to state someone else's position correctly before criticising it.) He even claims that, "Martin Luther was the religious pioneer of intellectual pluralism." And George III was Thomas Jefferson's best friend. More general is the dismissal of the colonialism/dependency "myth". The authors believe it's fair to attribute democracy and human rights to the United States, and criticize other countries for their lack of democracy and penchant for military governments. However, the United States overthrew or helped overthrow freely, democratically elected governments in Iran (and brought the Shah to power), Guatemala (leading to 50 years in which tens of thousands of people were massacred), the Congo (we're still living with this one), Haiti (and this), Chile, Nicaragua, El Salvador, etc. etc. The U.S. trained and funded the militaries in Latin America about which these authors now complain. Why don't they know this? Most importantly, almost all of these authors (Barbara Crossette and Orlando Patterson excepted) treat culture as if it were timeless, monolithic and outside history. There are subcultures, family cultures, rural cultures, city cultures, town cultures and class cultures (for a start). Cultures change. Cultures adapt. Cultures are ambigous. The most precise the writers in this book get is the distinction between North and South Italy. It is good, I have learned, to ask a few questions about books like this. Who is speaking? Whose voice is heard? (It's not always the speaker's.) Whose voice isn't heard? Most important here are the voices not heard. As far as I can tell, not one of these authors grew up poor or lived with the people he (she) now wants to advise. Sad, but not surprising. As close as anyone comes is the mention of liberation theology, which is totally mischaracterized. (The authors who criticized it cannot have read a liberation theologian.) No one asks the poor what they think would help. There are excellent books for those interested in the view from the bottom: Nancy Scheper-Hughes, "Death Without Weeping"; Roslyn Arlin Mickelson, "Children on the Streets of the Americas"; Jim Yong Kim et al, "Dying for Growth"; and Veena Das et al, "Violence and Subjectivity". For a critique of seeing-from-above, see, James C. Scott, "Seeing Like a State". Most dangerous is the pervasive concept that if someone is poor, it's their fault. Herrnstein and Murray argued in "The Bell Curve" that the difference was genetic. "Culture Matters" is one step over. It's still their fault, but they can change. I am not arguing that all cultures are equal. I am arguing that it is taking the easy way out to treat a culture as if it were not the product of centuries of internal actions and reactions, its history and geography, as well as interactions with other cultures, histories and geographies. Blame is a slippery slope. As one U.S. Government Agent said about Native Americans, "If they cannot be made like us, they must be killed." The sadest mistake of all in this book is this. Britain did not free the American colonies. Slave owners did not end slavery. Corporations did not invent rising wages. Democracy, human rights and development are the products of insurrection. Democracy, human rights and development are the achievements of revolutionaries, radicals and union organizers. We can join with those of other cultures who are working for these things. We can even ask their help bringing democracy, human rights and development here, right where we live.
Rating:
Summary: very interesting read
Review: Culture has been long ignored amongst the debates for/against globalization and economic progress. I am glad that many experts are currently realizing the fact that culture Makes the society, not the other way around. You can only advance once you learn the rules of the game. Although some of the economic analysis bore me a little, some of the intriginng theories behind the fate of nations, especially the developing ones, cannot be missed by anyone who is interested in changing globalization for the better.
Rating: 
Summary: Culture Matters but not in such obvious ways
Review: Culture is neither as obvious or as simple as the essays in this book make it out to be. Of course it matters for development, no one needs to be told that (except perhaps for some over-credentialized quacks passing as social scientists). But while the authors may be from Harvard they are seriously under-educated on cultural analysis, anthropology and sociology. Unwittingly (I think), this book borders on arguments that are racist, essentialist, and very very naive. Culture matters - yes - but these goofs are not telling us anything useful about it. What's more they dont even know how to frame the issue. The question is not IF culture matters - but HOW.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling essays
Review: Culture Matters consists on a series of essays written by well-known scientists and journalists from all over the world. Each of them describes the causes of underdevelopment based on many theories, but mainly through sociological explanations, like culture, values and attitudes.
As a Latin American I can say I finally found a book that brings light into such a controversial issue as the failure of our contries. I was particularly impressed by Carlos Montaner's account of the role of the elites in our societies, and how their corrupt practices have destroyed our economies.
The book fortunately goes beyond the common and naif conclussions of the so called anti-imperialists and intellectuals from the left by succeeding in showing the real factors that bring prosperity and progress into communities. It also enriches Weber's work by adding new and interesting aspects that positively contribute to create wealth and welfare for people.
I highly recommend this book for everyone who is interested in finding explanations for the underachievment of countries instead of blaming "the forces of evil" and economics.
Rating:
Summary: Culture Matters in every way and every form
Review: Culture Matters is a book which has many, many different essays from varying authors and scholars who discuss the value systems of countries around the world. The book discusses the different value systems engrained in nations around the world, and what common values are shared by the nations that have been successful in the new world, such as the United States and Japan. The authors suggest that certain peoples are more inclined than others to enjoy success in the world that we live in. This book is an excellent reference for the uninformed student, as well as the scholar who wishes to brush up on his/her knowledge about value systems around the globe. I would recommend this book to most everyone. My only caution is to the less advanced reader, this book may not be for you. It does come with heavy language and concepts that are difficult to grasp without a background in world cultures.
Rating: 
Summary: A good starting point for the topic
Review: Culture Matters is a good starting point to familiarize yourself with the arguments relating cultural factors to development. The high quality of most of the authors and the variety of topics provides a solid exposure to the several angles of the issue. However, the book falls short of a) offering a structured and compelling argument for the relationship between cultural factors and development and b) offering enough evidence that it is not only relevant, but relevant enough to be in the mainstream debate. It seems to be a reflection of the stage of development of this "school of thought". One finishs the book with the feeling that this school has yet to accomplish two things a) reach a much stronger logical and factual explanation of the causal relations between a society's culture and its level of development; and b) show how much culture matter compared to other variables, such as geography, natural resources, educational system, etc.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!
Review: Excellent debate about the efficacy of the theory that culture affects outcomes (mostly surrounding economic/human development). Fairly balanced debate leaves one with the essential arguments for and against, from the overstated to the understated.
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