James Mahoney is Gordon Fulcher Professor in Decision-Making at Northwestern University. In addition to his books, he is the author of three dozen articles on methodology, political development, and Latin America. He has been President of the Qualitative and Multi-Method Research Section, APSA, Chair of the Comparative and Historical Sociology Section, ASA, and is Chair-Elect of the Development Section, ASA. Mahoney is currently Associate Chair of Political Science at Northwestern.

'Overall, Colonialism and Postcolonial Development is a major contribution to the history of Spanish America, to the study of colonialism and to the literature on institutions and development ... Furthermore, Mahoney's comparative historical methodology deftly accounts for how the particular histories of each country interacted with their colonial legacies to produce patterns of development. the discussion of how exogenous factors such as war affected development in Chile, Bolivia and Costa Rica is very well done ... this book is essential reading for students of comparative politics and Latin American history.'