▁tit ling ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁to ▁protect ▁security ▁of ▁ten ure ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁risk ▁that ▁tit ling ▁will ▁und erm ine ▁custom ary ▁forms ▁of ▁ten ure ▁and ▁ins u fficient ly ▁protect ▁the ▁rights ▁of ▁land ▁users ▁that ▁depend ▁on ▁the ▁comm ons , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁fear ▁that ▁tit ling ▁schemes ▁may ▁lead ▁to ▁further ▁recon cent r ation ▁of ▁land ▁ownership , ▁unless ▁strong ▁support ▁is ▁provided ▁to ▁small hold ers . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁World ▁Development ▁journal , ▁a ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁article ▁by ▁R . ▁G . ▁Ross ini ▁and ▁J . ▁J . ▁Thomas ▁of ▁the ▁London ▁School ▁of ▁Econom ics ▁question ed ▁the ▁statistical ▁basis ▁of ▁de ▁S oto ' s ▁claims ▁about ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁inform al ▁economy ▁in ▁his ▁first ▁book ▁The ▁Other ▁Path . ▁However , ▁the ▁I LD ▁pointed ▁out , ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁journal , ▁that ▁Ross ini ▁and ▁Thomas ’ ▁observations ▁" ne ither ▁[ address ed ] ▁the ▁central ▁theme ▁of ▁the ▁book , ▁nor ▁[ did ▁it ▁address ] ▁the ▁main ▁body ▁of ▁quant itative ▁evidence ▁displayed ▁to ▁subst anti ate ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁economic ▁and ▁legal ▁bar riers ▁that ▁give ▁rise ▁to ▁inform al ▁activities . ▁Instead , ▁[ they ▁focused ] ▁exclus ively ▁on ▁four ▁empir ical ▁estimates ▁that ▁the ▁book ▁[ ment ioned ] ▁only ▁in ▁passing ". ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Journal ▁of ▁Econom ic ▁Liter ature , ▁Christopher ▁Wood ru ff ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁San ▁Diego