Rural economic development, 1975-1993 : an annotated bibliography /

Veteran bibliographers with expertise in rural economics and development, Leistritz and Hamm offer a work that focuses on "the processes of economic growth and change in rural areas and economic development strategies applicable to such areas." Major subject divisions include "(1) economic sectors, the forces affecting them, and their potential contribution to economic development; (2) type of business/firm, including discussion of the unique problems encountered by new and/or small firms and the respective contributions to economic development of firms of different types; (3) contextual factors, including markets, business climate, technological change, and cultural factors; and (4) economic development policies and strategies." Each section is subdivided as needed. The resulting work is considerably broader than the title suggests, and the factors considered in general economic development receive equal, if not greater, weight than those with a primarily rural focus. For some subjects as many as two-thirds of the entries fall outside the rural theme. In addition to the subject index, the user has access by country and by author. While perhaps too generous in defining the scope of this specialized bibliography, the compilers have combed the literature focusing on rural development and included a variety of recently issued (1975-93) journal articles, books, university research reports, extension reports, conference proceedings, government documents, and selected unpublished papers and theses. Recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above. J. H. Whaley Jr.; Virginia Commonwealth University