Includes bibliographical references and index.

Why is aid contested? -- The aid industry defined -- The evolution in thinking about aid and international development -- Development projects: rationale and critique -- Hard-nosed development: reforms, adjustment, governance -- Country-led approaches and donor coordination -- Development's poor cousins: environment, gender, participation, and rights -- What works in the aid industry? What doesn't? How do we know? -- Challenges for the aid industry in the twenty-first century.