/edu/ - Education

I wrote a long rambling intro to this post which I don't think anyone wanted to read so I'll cut it short. As a third worlder (not a third worldist) who has recently become more acquainted with Marxism and economic history, I've become interested in questions that seem relevant to my immediate political reality such as
>whether it's possible for "developing" and "underdeveloped" countries to actually become "developed", and in what circumstances (I recognize the vagueness of these concepts)
>the extent to which the common problems of these countries (such as crime, disease, famine, lack of support and freedom) is tied to their place in the current world order, and the extent to which they can escape or limit these problems without some sort of major global rearrangement
>what the likely path for these countries is in the foreseeable future
And I'm interested in book recommendations that can help me think through these questions. The books don't need to directly tackle these questions, just be illuminating in their regard. I'd prefer stuff with a strong basis in history and data over JUST pure theory, though both are fine.
Of course any input that you want to give about these questions based on your own views and knowledge is also welcome, though needless to say even the best imageboard posts can only accomplish so much compared to a book.