In The Small Nation Solution, eminent anthropologist John H. Bodley argues that the contemporary global problems of poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation are problems of scale and power. Bodley’s solution involves keeping nations small so as to limit the power of elite directors. It is a simple idea with profound implications. He spotlights successful small nations around the world as the best working models of sustainable sociocultural systems and shows how these diverse small nations can be the building blocks of a transformed global system that could save the world.

"Bodley (anthropology, Washington State Univ.) argues that many contemporary global problems can be mitigated—even resolved—by reshaping the political and economic order. Central to this is the issue of scale: 'Small nations can solve human problems because they are the right size, because they have the right priorities, and because if they grow too large they can segment rather than concentrate social power.' In Bodley's estimation, ten million people is the rough upper limit for small nations. In documenting his solution to all manner of ills, Bodley embarks on a global tour that ranges from Scandinavia to Costa Rica, and from indigenous communities in the Americas to island peoples in the Caribbean and Pacific. A society's size, he believes, is more important than levels of technology or ideological detail. That small societies offer advantages, particularly that of propinquity, is unquestionable, but many of the relatively small states that Bodley cites also have a long history of democratic governance and corresponding institutions. . . . Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above." - CHOICE

"The Small Nation Solution is an important and highly readable contribution to the growing body of literature on the importance and advantages of small size and scale in the creation of healthy political and economic systems. ... In order to prove his point, he presents an impressive amount of evidence suggesting that small states or small autonomies outperform larger political units in virtually all aspects of socio-economic development and governance. In addition to using data from numerous international organizations, rankings and studies, Bodley embarks on a journey around the world to present more detailed case studies of particularly successful small nations presenting different models for sustainable development. ... The Small Nations Solution is a highly informative and thought-provoking book. . . . it is nevertheless worthwhile for both those interested in studying small polities and those who look for solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems." - E-International Relations