Book review:How Europe underdeveloped Africa: By Walter Rodney

This book is an economic analysis of how Europe engaged in an unequal relationship with Africa and subsequently exploited the continent country and specifically how this form of colonialism differed from other parts of the world. Rodney posits that Europe and Africa had a dialectical relationship where Europe’s development was dependent upon the underdevelopment of Africa. He argues there is an intimate and causal relationship between Europe’s growth and Africa’s decline or at best, stagnation in terms of development. Thus, Europe’s capitalist growth can only be correctly and fully understood with the concomitant exploitation of Africa and colonialism.