Economic Geography and the Unequal Development of Regions by Jean-Claude Prager and Jacques-François Thisse.

Economic Geography and the Unequal Development of Regions seeks to discuss the major economic reasons for the stratification and variation of the spatial distribution of wealth. The role of cities and agglomerations are emphasized as vectors of economic development. The authors argue that the recent dropoff of the average global cost of transportation and communication is a main reason why economic development has been able to spread around the world to previously underdeveloped regions. Another recurring theme of this book is that, when looking at uneven development broadly, there is tremendous variation between regions. Therefore, there can be no blanket approach to apply homogenously to every region. Though each region requires a specialized approach to economic development, many of them share some of the same difficulties. Thus a book highlighting general solutions and approaches to solutions is an essential tool in the field of economic geography. Three approaches are discussed in this work: facts and theories of economic geography, long-term growth patterns and predictions, and application of economic theories to possible policy options. Empirical examples and theory are utilized to synthesize the existing literature on economic geography and development.