No Condition Is Permanent: The Social Dynamics of Agrarian Change in Sub-Saharan Africa
“A very important account of African agrarian structures.  The author presents us with an intelligible and lucid account of both general agricultural conditions and case studies in selected African countries to supplement her theoretical analysis. . . .No Condition is Permanent  reads like a novel; it is clear, enjoyable, and interesting.  It engrosses the reader, leaving us with a clarity about African agricultural problems, the causes and effects of change, and the necessary structural adjustments which are not as yet forthcoming.  For me, this is one of the most important and serious renditions on the subject that I have encountered.  I highly recommend it for scholars and courses on economic development and African economic history.”—Lina M. Fruzzetti,International Journal of African Historical Studies“Berry expands on and elaborates a theoretical approach to the study of change in rural Africa which proposes a mutual relationship between culture, power, and material resources. . . . In the process of making this argument she also sustains a powerful critique of a number of influential approaches to the study of modern African politics and economics.”—Megan Vaughan, Nuffield College, University of Oxford“The author makes vivid the colonial-era scars and economic distortions that continue to skew rural development, as well as the vitality, indigenous resources and flexibility that have helped small-scale farmers survive.”—African Farmer