The Tragedy of Madagascar, by Nathaniel Adams

The year I was born, GDP per capita in Madagascar stood at $517, making it one of the worlds poorest countries. Forty years later in 2021, the World Bank records GDP per capita at $501. So little has changed for so many Malagasy people. By some measures progress has gone backwards. And yet, “we have everything here,” says a former senator interviewed in the book. “Food, water, minerals, mountains, beaches. It’s a beautiful country and there is no reason why we should be so poor.”

This the...