Based on a decade of first-hand experience and secondary research, this richly detailed study follows daily life in four villages in Tanzania. Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, this comprehensive account examines the regional economy, determinants of civil society and implications for democratization, AIDS, population growth, refugees, crops and goods and implications for development. Charles David Smith brings together well over 200 interviews and his own experience of everyday events, providing a constructive critique of current initiatives and a potent new direction that has so far been under-explored by existing bodies. An essential text for all serious students and researchers interested in development.