Jeffrey Sachs over lunch

Jeffrey Sachs, probably the world’s most influential development economist, has lunch with the Financial Times (FT) as a prelude to his BBC Reith lectures starting this week. The FT lunch article provides a useful taster to Sachs’ ideas for those unfamiliar with them. These include an opportunity for him to rebut criticisms of his advocacy of “shock therapy” in Eastern Europe during their post-Soviet transition and his attacks on his views on development.

It was also striking to read that the BBC is expecting an audience of 150 million for the lectures. They are broadcast on BBC Radio 4, the BBC World Service and over the internet.

More comment on the lectures will follow as I get a chance to listen to them.