Policy makers should read this book. It is full of interesting and original insights into the digital divide between rich and poor countries, with a particular emphasis on gender differences. It sheds new light on the policy priorities essential for Southern countries to make effective use of the digital revolution. -- Frances Stewart, Emeritus Professor of Development Economics, University of Oxford, UK Despite the rapid growth of the internet, digital divides remain a potent and intractable issue, reflecting how social inequalities are reproduced in cyberspace. This volume, by one of the worlds leading authorities on digital divides, calls attention to the problem in the context of the global South. Rather than simplistic neoclassical prescriptions, which hold the market will magically cause the divide to disappear, James and foregrounds social relations such as poverty, gender and patriarchy. The result is a volume that insightfully guides readers through a thicket of topics, such as internet poverty, divide reversals, and the multifaceted nature of digital literacy. -- Barney Warf, University of Kansas, USA Professor Jeffrey James brings his many years of research in the field of technology and development to this extraordinary book. Apart from a fresh look at the digital divide, he also connects masterfully the key aspects of digital technology and learning with crucial aspects of poverty and inequality. Ultimately the book offers a deep and critical analysis of multiple connections between the pervasive digital technology and human wellbeing from the perspective of the Global South. There is much to learn from his fresh insights. -- Haider Khan, University of Denver, USA
