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The article discusses the book "European Studies in Development," by J. De Bandt, P. Mandi and D. Seers. The book contains 27 research papers on European development, European policy and world development, and Third World development. It also contains a brief introduction and rationale of the 1978 conference of the "European Association of Development Institutes" in Milan. The book applies the concept of centre-periphery and socio-economic indicators to the European countries. Papers on themes such as trade relationships, commodity prices and stabilization funds, aid, the cultural needs of migrant workers and solar energy as a candidate for appropriate technology are present. The diversity of approaches and of themes in Third World development is well illustrated in the book. The papers in this book deal with an enormous range of development themes. Choice of research, technology and education are discussed implicitly against local appraisals. The book sought to balance the broader distillations from development with the help of detailed records from which new attitudes emerge.

The article discusses the book "Peasants in History: Essays in Honor of Daniel Thorner," edited by E.J. Hobsbawm, W. Kulla, A. Mitra, K. N. Raj and I. Sachs. The article points out that the book is an impressive memorial to Daniel Thorner, a prolific scholar in the distinction of the contributors and the wide range of issues, which have been taken to be representative of Thorner's concerns. The collection is an interesting reflection not only of Thorner's interests, but also of the current state of the literature on peasants. The book is divided into different sections and the first section of the book contains papers relating to European peasantries. The second section focuses on India and Asia and the third section raises policy issues relating to economic development. Themes of peasants and capitalism, differentiation amongst the peasantry, reform, and peasants and socialism are also highlighted in the book. The book features the elimination of the peasantry in Scotland, the persistence of magnetization amongst Polish peasants during the second serfdom, the changing character of Indian villages and the long-term impact of land reform on peasants and landlords.

The article discusses the book "Rural Employment: Trends, Options, Choices," by I. Hodge and M. Whitby. The article states that rural labor markets are at the root of the problems of rural depopulation in developed countries. Part I of the book describes the processes of rural demographic change in simple terms and presents evidence for turnaround migration in developed countries. In Parr II, the authors describe trends in employment in a number of rural industries. Features on agriculture, forestry, recreation and tourism, rural industrialization and service employment are covered. The authors predict that rising real costs of transport will work against rural locations whereas technological developments might favor them. Part III of the book focuses on policy aspects of job creation. Possible ways of integrating and coordinating job creation schemes at regional level are also discussed. The article views that rural decline is not inevitable and that initiatives at regional or local level can succeed in improving the economic viability of rural communities.

The article discusses the book "Problems of Rural Development; Case Studies and Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives," edited by R.E. Dumett and L.J. Brainard. The articles in the book are taken from a series of "Interdisciplinary Seminars on Modernization and Development" held at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. The book gives an overview of relevant phases of theories of rural development since the Second World War. The article states that empirical studies demonstrated that in many developing countries, even high rates of growth in Gross National Product are accompanied by growing inequalities of income distribution in both rural and urban areas, heavy rural out migration, urban unemployment and uneven overall development. Most of the articles in the book are case studies because they demonstrate the practical use of multi-disciplinary research. All articles are vivid and clear in the way they deal with the chosen problem and in the methods of thinking and analyzing by which they come to grips with the relevant factors and relationships.

The article discusses the book "Building a Sustainable Society," by L.R. Brown. The article states that continuing emphasis on the ever-greater production of raw materials to support a throwaway society leads to environmental deterioration and inflation. As human demands increased, many of the earth's natural systems and resources become unsustainable. Brown focuses on three basic non-military threats: soil erosion, unsustainable pressure on forests, grasslands, and oceanic fisheries and potential depletion of oil reserves before alternative energy sources are developed. He shows that some of the cherished values that have contributed to human survival in an earlier age evidently threaten our survival. Continuous child bearing throughout the reproductive lifespan has been considered crucial. As per the article, the challenge is to devise policies and programs aimed at securing the economy's environmental and resource underpinnings. According to the article, the book is a clearly drawn road map showing ways leading toward a sustainable society.