Product Description
New sources of data, together with advances in theory, offer the opportunity for a fresh look at old and new questions.This book asks such questions as: did mercantilism cause the American Revolution?; was slavery profitable?; and what were the causes of the Great Depression? Illustrated ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

One of the best economic history books out there
This book gives you a great view of the nation as it develops.Instead of walking you though a timeline it explains in topics so that you have a full understanding of the development in every area.

college textbook
My son needed this textbook for a college class.It arrived really fast, in good condition, as advertised and saved us over $100. compared to the school bookstore price.

A great contribution
This is an exceptionally well-written and analyzed book. The authors are not historians, but economists, yet this still a unique book of economic history. I took a course that used this book and I really enjoyed reading and learning about the economic history of this country, in great part thanks to this book. As a student of history I recommend this book.

American History through an Economic Filter!
If you ever wanted to understand U.S. history on an economic basis, this is the book to read.

It's beautifully written with extensive economic analysis of various aspects and subjects covering U.S. history from the profitability of slavery to continous increasing of the standards of living.

The authors make some striking discoveries (for example, half of all farms in the south had no slaves at all, and yet managed to be as efficient as many which did have slaves) about productivity in the U.S. as new technologies and, in essence, a new economy evolved. The impact improvements in roads had on the economic development of the country is wonderfully detailed.

The author includes multiple tables and detailed explanations as to how they reached their conclusions.

All in all, an excellent book on U.S. history for economic professionals and/or buffs!

If You're Choosing Only One ...
Let me speak here in law teacher mode: if you wanted to read just one book as background for law school, I think perhaps this should be the one. It's a model in terms both of substance and of presentation. In substance, the authors have done an admirable job of summing up the best available knowledge about the economy and how it came to be. In presentation, what they've done is to take an array of technical or specialized studies and to make them accessible to the determined non-specialist.

I remember it in terms of so many wonderful anecdotes. There are the farm girls from Vermont who staffed the mills in Massachusetts until the great Irish immigration drove them back to the farm. There are the restless young men from the prairies who rode the rafts down river to New Orleans, and then set off to see the world. There are the canals that lost all their capital value with the coming of the railroads - but then kept operating anyway, because it was more worthwhile to use them than to tear them up.

This is not, of course, precisely a law book. But it is a book about issues for the law: about slavery, about public land policy, about the structure of industry and finance. The chapters on the Great Depression alone would make a sufficient background for any course in constitutional or administrative law.For the authors, only two words: new edition. ... Read more

Product Description
A complete survey of man's intellectual advances in the light of economic phenomena, this monumental volume now includes a new introduction by Mark Perlman, one of the foremost contemporary economists and former editor of the prestigious Journal of Economic Literature. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Amazing, kudos to Schumpeter
I was introduced to this author from the recommendations of Robert Helibroner's books and I am thankful for this books amazing depth. This book is not for faint at heart but if you are interested in economic analysis, you probably wouldn't be scared off by the magnitude of this masterpiece. The footnotes alone are worth the read. I think Schumpeter is amazing in his confidence, depth and skill in writing as if it was a one on one conversation. I was a bit surprised at some of his analysis of economic personalities but that is why this book is great. It's one man's opinion and that man knows his stuff. A must read for anyone REALLY interested in economics

Economics for adults
This book is one of the greats. Written by a master of economic theory, it reflects his learning and insight. But have no mistake, Schumpeter expects you to meet him half-way, so if you like to be spoon-fed and prefer pictures to words, this is not the book for you. The book needs to be read together with the original material: Schumpeter is not a substitute for, but a guide to the material he writes about. To criticise this book for not being light reading is simply to misunderstand this: to understand important thoughts requires some thinking and if you are not prepared to do the work, you shouldn't fool with this book. While Blaug's book is a decent solid survey, the only work which begins to rival Schumpeter's in erudition and incisiveness is Marx's Theories of Surplus-Value, which covers a narrower period. If you respect this book and *really* study it, the effort repays handsomely. Enjoy!

The beginnings of economic concepts in full detail
The objective of Schumpeter, one of the greatest economists of all times, is to portray in a very comprehensive detail, all the philosophical thinking that conduced to contemporary Economic Analisys, since the beginning of the ancient greek thought.

To me, that had a very great misconception about the works of Joseph Alois Schumpeter, this book was a revelation, be it for the immensity of his erudiction both as an historian, philosopher and economist, be it for the ingenuity in which he presents many new ideas and perspectives regarding economic analisys.

He is sometimes difficult to follow, not helped by the many and extensive footnotes he appends the book with, and by the many quotations he does in foreign languages, which he usually do not translate, be it in ancient Greek, Latin , French or German. Also , the book was unfinished in his lifetime and had to be edited by his wife, who was also deceased before the full completion of the giantic task. Even so, the book has some 1.300 pages and covers the full range of all the relevant economic thougth until the time of its publication.

A warning sign of caution must be addressed to the non-professional readers not not fully interested in the magnitude of such a scope, that is, of addressing the formative ideas of each and every important concept in economic analisys in a so complete way. This can be an overkill for you. But if you are interested in Medieval thought, the concepts exposed by , for instance, Saint Thomas and many others, this is a very good reading. Enjoy it

Complex and Sophisticated History of Economic Theory
The legendary History of Economic Analysis is without a doubt one of the greatest books of economic history ever written, but one should examine what kind of reading they're looking for before he or she embarks on this thousand page text. Schumpeter's unfinished history is divided into sections by ideology and time-period which is particularly useful but once you penetrate the well-organized table of contents, the writing becomes arcane and complex.

For a reader well-grounded in economic theory and history, I am sure that this is a bible; but for a curious reader interested in the history of economics (in a more political as opposed to theoretical perspective) this book may not be right. Highly footnoted and not very smooth writing, as well as obscure references to economists and theories results in a history that is very demanding of the reader. If you are looking for an economic history text that reads like From Dawn to Decadence you may be seriously disappointed, as I had been, but if you are a serious student of economics and are willing to spend the time to deliberate over Schumpeter's words then History of Economic Analysis is right for you.

THE masterpiece in history of economic thought
After the considerable success of his then only in germanpublished Little Sketch of Doctrines and Methods, and while he wasteaching at Harvard, Schumpeter started working on a book wich would cover the ground of Little Sketch an beyond. What began just as leisure would become THE masterpiece in History of Economic Thought. Schumpeter spent ten years in this colossal effort and unfortunately did not finish it before his death. Nevertheless, nowhere else you will find a book more powerful and more profound on this theme. By History of Economic Analysis Schumpeter means the history of efforts made in the pursuit of comprehending economic phenomena, from Antiquity to present; not a book on history of ideologies. Schumpeter places the authors in their times and contexts, and tries to understand how they proceeded in analysing economic reality. A must for anyone interested in economic theory, history and philosophy. ... Read more

Product Description
In his stunning memoir, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, John Perkins detailed his former role as an "economic hit man" in the international corporate skulduggery of a de facto American Empire. Now Perkins zeroes in on hot spots around the world, drawing on interviews to examine the current geopolitical crisis, and providing a compassionate plan to reimagine our world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (74)

Frightening, but likely very true.
John Perkins describes a dark world where US corporations impose their will on other countries through the bribery, manipulation, and fear. A world too sinister for me to accept at face value. I think the truth lies somewhere between what Perkins' claims and what the rest of society is lead to believe...at least I hope. Though he doesn't make any claims I immediately dismissed as too outlandish. If corporations play as large a role as they do in US politics what's to say that in other countries who are more susceptible, more corrupt, and the stakes are higher, the same thing isn't happening.

All in all this book is a great read that draws you into Perkins' adventures. His stories have incredible detail and only occasionally does he hold back information to protect its source. This book has changed the way I examine world events by examining the motivations behind them. I would recommend this book to anyone, but it's a must read for those who have any interest whatsoever in international politics.

and only a secret to most Americans
I'm adding this to what I have already written below because I'm hoping you are looking for answers. There are plenty explanations of how and why and plenty of other books where you can read about the problems addressed in this book, but if you are hoping for inspiration and a means to act with a confidence that your efforts are worth while, this is it. As I read the final chapter I was more pleased than ever with any other book I have read. I had hoped as another review had indicated that there would be some positive aspect to what seemed so hopeless and unjust for most of the text. There was and it gave me hope, a kind of relief from all the issues that plague our world I have been learning about for the past several years and that have weighed upon me as each piled one on top of the other.

Reading it wasn't hard in that I was already aware of the sad things happening in our world. What is new is the light he sheds on how and why these things are happening and that becomes a validation of his understanding and knowledge of the subject, which also becomes a substantial pretext for that last chapter that sheds even more light on what needs to be done and how we can accomplish it. It is being done this very minute by many who understand because they know the secret, and hopefully by many more as time goes by. It is a great book that clears away the fog of confusion the corporatrocracy has created to keep us all good little sheep.

John Perkins' "The Secret History of the American Empire" is NONFICTION.
He is the author of "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" and he describes himself as a former economic hitman(EHM) who worked for large corporations who exploit third world countries for the profit they can gain by privatizing their resources. Essentially the rape and ravage of people and environments on a scale that only an empire could be capable of.

John as an EHM went to many various third world countries and in a very business like fashion gave leaders an ultimatum, work with us and get rich OR we will send in the jackals. The jackals usually meant coup or assassination, and that is what has happened over and over again, Iran, Iraq, and many nations in South America. This book isn't just about one or two, here or there, it is about a secret systematic attempt to dominate and reap profits at any cost.

The only people in our world who this secret has NOT been revealed to are the American public. Comfort dulls the senses and maybe we are too comfortable with our way of life. But if you have ever wondered why America has so many people of nations around the world that regard us in a negative light when we appear to give so freely in terms of aid or support, then maybe you are one of those who do not know the secret. This book doesn't just provide a piece of a puzzle that fits in a picture that could provide a few answers to why our world never seems to climb out of the heap of turmoil and injustice that plagues it. John Perkins lets you see the picture that the corporatocracy would prefer to remain a puzzle.

There will be no doubt after reading this book that Perkins has put his life on the line to expose an empire of maniacs who exploit nations and the environment, overthrowing or assassinating democratically elected leaders of third world nations who refuse to except the temptations of instant wealth instead of serving their people. It is about wealth and greed, the kind of wealth that is beyond materialism, the kind of wealth that is power, the kind of power that not only an empire is capable of, but the kind of power that can keep the secret from us as their empire dominates our world in a quest for more wealth and power. The kind of greed that is sick, sick enough to allow millions to suffer the deprivation of hunger, loss of life, and loss of the kind of true democracy that our Declaration of Independence represents. See for yourself, the secret is written on these pages for all to see.

Perkins exposes practices that are the equivalent of a psychopath who tempts a child with candy in order to lure the child into his car, except that instead of one child at a time, these psychopaths rape and ravage whole nations of people, millions suffer because of a greedy few. They have almost ruined America's reputation beyond repair, maybe so that no argument or act of good faith can ever redeem us. Although this book sheds light on a number of events, the truth can appear very dark. When whole nations suffer, indigenous people lose their livelihoods or environments that once allowed at least a subsistent existence, the truth is not only very sad, but revolting if the only reason is that it was done solely for the profits of a few self-serving monsters.

Perkins writes in a fashion that is easy to read. He is a very reflective person who let's us in his head and shares himself in a very personal way. The book flows easily, at times in a very suspenseful fashion. This book would be a great addition to any school curriculum, especially in a social studies class where our kids might wonder why our world can't find an equitable peace among nations. But even when the empire's coercive efforts result in war, the wealthy still reap big profits and education of the masses just might hurt the bottom line. Perkins has some good answers to turn this around. Surely his courage alone gives us hope, but the rest is up to us and reading this book and sharing it can go a long way by removing the veil of secrecy so that Americans once again embody the ideals and values other nations strive for.

Impressed with the knowledge and views of the author
Actually, I haven't read the book, just heard an interview with the author.I'm interested in what he has to sayand would love to read it. However, reading is difficult for me.
I hope this book sells enough copies so that it will be recorded.Please read this book so that I can listen to it soon.

Amazing Insight to the World of Politics
This book will really open your eyes as well as be a page turner. Great book love the way it was written. All I can ask for is more stories from more people in similar positions/

What is to be Done?
The great value of this book by John Perkins as well as of his Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, is that, through a series of concrete and dramatic anecdotes, he gives us a feel for how our corporations (quite aptly called the "corporatocracy"), aided by "economic hit men" (IMF, World Bank, etc.),"jackals" (CIA), and the military, work to plunder the third world and working people in the first world to our material, cultural, and moral detriment.

The part of this book I must question is the last section in which Perkins deals with what we can do to make things better.He evidently believes that capitalism is reformable without losing its character as capitalism.It is true that under capitalism some good reforms do take place, perhaps attenuated or watered down over time, and generally restricted in scope, and it is equally true that in spite of the usual insufficiency of many of these reforms, earnest pursuit of reform by our citizens is generally worthwhile, in fact essential if we are not to lapse into an unhappy impoverished brain-dead police state, for in the course of participating in a reform movement we gain much of the experience, knowledge, and skill we need to work collectively for the genuinely radical political, economic, cultural, moral, and spiritual change we must bring about if we are to save ourselves and the planet we live and have our being on..

Many of the reform movements now under way are often subverted or derailed by agents of the corporatocracy in all three branches of our government as well as in our principal media, in our churches and fraternal organizations, and in our educational systems.Agents of the corporatocracy spend many millions in a form of lobbying that amounts to bribing, more millions in propaganda, propaganda usually quite effective, stoking and playing on fear or anger, increasing the ability of the corporatocracy to manipulate public opinion. The corporatocracy and their agents are good at giving the impression of supporting a reform with only some "minor" modifications, going so far at times as to advocate "red herring" reforms to distract us from what is really needed, and to make sure that whatever executive agencies are involved in instituting or managing a good reform shall be understaffed, incompetent, untransparent, and/or underfunded.

While competition among individual capitalists for markets often leads to efficiency and publicly beneficial outcomes, the long-term result of unfettered competition is the formation of monopolies and combinations of monopolies that lead to the ruthless and destructive exploitation of people, resources, and environments.On an international level, acting as more or less national blocs through their governments, these combinations form the economic bases of their respective governments.A ruthless competition among these governments, now imperial powers, develops in competition for markets, for cheap labor, and for cheap raw materials that leads inevitably to fascism and world war, a massive destruction of capital values, and a repeat of the same dreary boom-and-bust cycle-- or, if the masses are properly won over and organized, leads to revolution.Both scenarios are frightful, but one, if acted out in history, promises a better future for humanity and the earth.Still, one may ask:Is there another choice?

The immediate future, if the two scenarios I describe are the only realistic options, is not pretty.One must think through these matters.Perkins' books should definitely be included among your study materials.
... Read more

Product Description
Rich in both quantitative techniques and economic theory, American Economic History demonstrates how an understanding of our past can illuminate economic issues that face society today and in the future.

Overseas Empire; Colonial Development; America on the Eve of Revolution; Gaining Independence; Westward Expansion; Population and Labor Force; Law and the Rise of Classical American Capitalism; Transportation: Internal Improvements and Urbanization; Agricultural Expansion: The Conflict of Two Systems on the Land; The Debate Over Slavery; The Early Industrial Sector; The Financial System and the International Economy; Economic Effects of the Civil War;  Railroads and Economic Development; Post-Civil War Agriculture; Population Growth and the Atlantic Migration; Industrialization, Entrepreneurship, and Urban Growth; Big Business and Government Intervention; Financial Developments 1863-1914; The Great Economy and Its International Relations; Labor and the Law; The Command Economy Emerges: World War I; “Normalcy”: 1919-1929; The Great Depression; The New Deal; The “Prosperity” of Wartime; Before the New Frontier: The Postwar Economy; Population, Health and Labor; Postwar Industry and Agriculture; To the New Millennium and Beyond; Does Our Past Have a Future?

For those interested in learning how our present economy works by exploring its past.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Econ History
This book is very good with the history of the economy from the start of the colonies to the present but does not cover all that I need for my class so I have had to borrwo from my instructor another book.

Among the best you can get in economic history
This is a wonderful textbook for anyone looking to teach a course on economic history of the United States. For just general reading I would recommend Gordon's An Empire of Wealth but for others looking to teach or do an independent study this is a must. It clearly lays out all the developments in our economy very carefully and does a wonderful job of discussing current and relevant literature so you can specialize in the areas that you wish to look at further.

Explorations inAmerican Economic History
American Economic History is a challenging, extensive, and complete economic history of the United States from the establishment of the Jamestown settlement to modern economic issues and trends.Hughes and Cain give an overview appropriate to the college upper classman or graduate student.The book does a particularly fine job of discussing and analyzing the slavery question that, for the most part, led to the Civil War and the various causes, such as the Stock Market Crash of 1929, that led to the Great Depression. The authors survey the various strains of thought on most of the central economic issues in American History: sometimes giving the most logical view(s) as based on the emperical evidence available to the economist-historian. In addition, to being, generally, well written and accurate, the text lends itself to a short or moderate length essay as a means of evaluation. ... Read more

Product Description
This classic book offers a broad sweep of economic history from prehistoric times to the present and explores the disparity of wealth among nations. Now in its fourth edition, A Concise Economic History of the World has been updated to reflect the stunning changes in the world economy since 1989. Truly a definitive history of globalization, the new edition has been expanded to include coverage of the most recent developments in the European Union, East Asia, and, in general, transition economies. Comprehensive and global in scope, this concise text features ample illustrations and a fully updated annotated bibliography that guides readers to the relevant scholarly literature. Now available in eleven languages, including Spanish (second edition), French, German (two volumes), Polish, and Chinese, this unique work remains an invaluable, lively, and accessible text for both undergraduate and graduate students of European economic history, the history of globalization, and world development. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Simple history lacking theory
This book is too elementary, in terms of economic history, for even an intro level undergraduate book on the subject. For a better introduction see Braudel's "Wheels of Commerce". In addition, it lacks any discussion of theory(ies) or presentations thereof as to what drives growth and why it has occured in some areas and not others. After all, is this not the purpose of studying economic history?

Adequate but roundly lacking work
If one looks to today's world he overarching political and economic structure is that of westernized globalization.It seems that most political movements are either for globalization who to varying degrees either against or promoting the slowing of its effects.How does this relate to the world we have seen previously in the world?

Cameron and Neal hope to give a complete history of the trends and stages of the world economy from the first humans to today's world (circa 2001) and cram it into fewer than 500 pages.In this fourth edition of their 1989 original, they have produced an adequate work.They take surprising stands on certain issues, like the Industrial Revolution while not accounting for some recent scholarship on effects of neo-liberal globalization.

Their thesis of the logistic (the S shaped growth curve of biology) to help explain periods of European growth may help to enlighten some trends in world economic history. The first logistic happens in the early fourteenth century; while the second takes place in the seventeenth century.After the logistic the "life for ordinary men and women were becoming increasingly difficult in the decelerating phases" (p. 17).Cameron and Neal place the third logistic in the first part of the nineteenth century.

As the nineteenth century is considered the beginning of "modern industry," the effects of the "industrial revolution" have become a major determinant of modern growth.Yet, Cameron and Neal call this a misnomer.The growth of population and agricultural efficiency in the period can help to explain the third logistic.Therefore for Cameron and Neal the Industrial Revolution was no revolution.One can look to Marx' description of what we think of as revolution: it is only the big bang at the end of real social revolution.Is it not possible that the industrial revolution was a revolution; just due to a dearth of ready capital there was no big bang but a steady growth of investment into the world of iron and coal?

The spend time discussing the revolutions of 1989 as the prelude to the more modern era of both economics and politics.The year 2001 is declared a watershed, as we will view the successes and failures of globalization.Here they follow neo-liberal party line.Let's quote Adam Smith about growth but ignore his portions of the Wealth of Nations regarding equality.

At no point in the work do I recall the terms "equality," "inequality," "Gini coefficient," or "Lorenz Curve;" and, none of these terms appear in the index.(Stolper-Samuelson and Hecksher-Ohlin are equally shirked). The fact is they turn blinders to the growing inequality found at stages of globalization of the economy, neither mentioning the scholarship nor even attempting to excuse the matter.

While the actual trends of inequality in today's globalization may not have been readily available in 2001, there were those who had not drank the neo-liberal Kool Aid and were already challenging some of the assumptions.Jefferey Williamson's 1997 paper "Globalization and Inequality, Past and Present" shows that while there was overall growth in the world economy's first major globalization from 1890-1914, the fruits were seldom shared by the working class.This is the dirty little secret of globalization, which is invariably ignored by Cameron and Neal.Perhaps they can use the excuse they only had 500 pages to tell the history of the economic world.

I am going to give this book two stars.I see no reason to read it if it were not assigned for a class.Yet, if it assigned it will be one of the easier economic textbooks to read which you'll ever be assigned.

Excellent Work
This is one of the best works by Neal.While yes it is heavy on Europe, the explanations of Egypt and China are exceptional.

A sure buy is you want to study the topic better.

Not Bad
The title of this book should read "An Economic History of Europe," because 90% of the material focuses on the economic development of Europe.This is understandable considering that the industrial revolution first occured in Europe, and pulsated outwards.However, the amount of time given towards explaining the economies of the middle east, Asia, Oceania, Australasia, Africa, Latin America, and even the USA are so minute that the title is decieving and for all intensive purposes incorrect.

Nevertheless, the book is quite interesting, as it progresses from the dawn of human civilization with very concise and brief summaries well in to the twentieth century becoming more desciptive and detailed.If you are interested in how the world economy arrived to its current level, then I would suggest that this book is a good read and worth your while.Since this edition was published in 1997, it is excusable for the author to omit the economic consequences of the Euro, the rise of China and the rest of Asia, and the economic implications of Septemer 11.The author also refuses to offer his speculative view on the future of the world economies, thereby leaving the reader to do his or her on guess work.Although the introduction of the book, on the current inequality of world economies, is quite interesting, it is not elaborated upon towards the end of the book, and causes a lack of continuity.If you wish to understand better the world economy, you would be better off reading the encyclopedia, Lonely Planet travel guides, or perhaps even better, (what I have done) which is to travel and see these countries for yourself with your own eyes.

The total economic history of the world in laymans words
Rondo Cameron certainly explains the hold economic history of the world. Rondo takes you from the ages before Christ to the twenthieth century. Why did the Roman Empire went down?, Why Spain was not able to achievehigherlevels of economical well-being despite their big colonies overseas?:Questions like these are answered in Rondo's excellent book. If a man wantsto forsee the future, he has to go back and learn where he comes from.Economics and History were successfully married in the book, so historians,economists and financiers will find it helpfull. ... Read more

Product Description
In this bold, sweeping study of the development of Western economies, Douglass C. North sets forth a new view of societal change.

At the core of Professor North's investigation is the question of property rights, the arrangements individuals and groups have made through history to deal with the fundamental economic problem of scarce resources.

In six theoretical chapters, Professor North examines the structure of economic systems, outlines an economic theory of the state and the ideologies that undergird various modes of economic organization, and then explores the dynamic forces such as new technologies that cause institutions to adapt in order to survive. With this analytical framework in place, major phases in Western history come under careful reappraisal, from the origins of agriculture and the neolithic revolution through the political economy of the ancient and medieval worlds to the industrial revolution and the economic transformations of the twentieth century.

Structure and Change in Economic History is a work that will reshape many established explanations of the growth of the west.

Customer Reviews (8)

Ideology versus Calculation in History
Structure and Change in Economic History is an insightful and informative book. Much of what you find here is standard Comparative Institutional analysis, as developed by Mancur Olson, Ronald Coase, and James Buchanan. North aims at understanding institutions as humanly devised structure within which we all interact. Institutions are constraints that enable us to deal with real problem: free riding, high transaction costs, coordination failures... To some extent we must understand institutions in terms of utilitarian calculations. However, we must not limit our analysis to the utilitarian calculus of welfare economics.

Institutions are founded upon ideology. Ideological change drives institutional change. The aim of ideology is to "energize groups to behave contrary to a simple hedonistic individual calculation of costs" (p53). Ideology is definitely important to understanding institutions. But New Institutional and Public Choice Economists tend to ignore ideology, in favor of explaining institutions strictly in terms of utility maximizing choice.

We can see how ideology plays out with institutions that are relatively insulated from pressure groups and voters. Life tenure for judges might enable them to rule on cases based on their worldviews, rather than narrow utilitarian considerations. We must examine the role of `intellectual entrepreneurs' who develop `contrasting worldviews'. North has the right kind of mix between the issues that economists and other academics explore. Economists are right about the need for understanding human behavior in terms of a utilitarian calculus. However, economists have often erred by ignoring factors like ideology. North makes no such mistakes.

A basic tool for development economics
Together with his more recent Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance (1990), D.C.North provides here an indispensable framework to reflect on the problems of social transformation that underlie economic growth and development. He proffers no magic wand, but he describes the long processes implied in institution building which no development theoretician or practitioner should ever ignore.

pls read this for better understanding of the world as it exists now
Do you want to know why the USA are rich and powerful and why Russia, for example, can't copy its way ? Why is export of formal institutions impossible in this world without considering ideology, mental structures and so on..
And don't even try to force others to be like you, to eat hamburgers and drive fords. We are different! and it lies beneath - in history.
It's the only positive and constructive idea that appears in ones mind when reading North. Let his theory be week and not scientific enough, let him mix neoclassics with institutional economics and history - this eclectics will do good for you as a killer of brain limits.
peace!

Structure and Change in Economic History
This book aims to explain the structure and evolution of institutions.The author, Nobel laureate Douglass North, concludes that the tension between gains from specialization and attendant costs is "the basic source of structure and change in economic history."Institutions arise to exploit the gains from division of labor or to reduce transaction costs.This theory appears to offer considerable economy and power of explanation.

North asserts that, in the prehistoric era, human population increase would lead to declining labor productivity as resources were exhausted.New technologies could increase productivity but, if property rights were nonexclusive, as they must have been in a nomadic hunter-gatherer society, new technologies would simply accelerate resource depletion.Only if a tribe or band could exclude rivals from exploiting the resource, as they could in a settled agricultural society, would the productivity gains from new technology be sustained.The advantage that agriculture offered, then, was the opportunity to establish exclusive communal property rights.This produced what North calls the first economic revolution.

The first economic revolution, occasioned by the rise of agriculture, produced the state, "the most fundamental achievement of the ancient world."The state specialized in providing security, keeping order within societies and protecting them from outside threats, while the complex demands of an agricultural economy(compared to those of a hunter-gatherer economy) required increased specialization throughout the rest of society as well.Over time, new military technologies led to larger states and more representative forms of government as rulers were forced to make concessions to their constituents to compete militarily with other rulers.

The industrial revolution, which North refers to as the second economic revolution, was largely a result of better specified and enforced property rights that raised the private returns to invention and led to an invention "industry."The industrial revolution brought tremendous gains in the standard of living but required new institutions to achieve gains from specialization without losing them to attendant transaction costs.

North notes that transaction costs would be prohibitive without a normative system that encourages compliance with contractual obligations.Accordingly, concurrent with the industrial revolution, we see a concerted effort by elites to inculcate the values of hard work, thrift, and sobriety among the working classes.In fact, North has reflected deeply on the role of ideology in an industrial society.Changes in knowledge and technology affect relative prices and thus affect perceptions of fairness.Differences in occupation or geographic location also give rise to different perceptions of how output should be distributed."Ideological entrepreneurs" capitalize on these different perceptions.Successful ideologies must provide an explanation of history that plausibly accounts for current conditions.Ideologies must be flexible so that they can attract new adherents and accommodate changed conditions.Most importantly, to effect change, successful ideologies must overcome the free rider problem.Their ability to do so will be inversely related to the legitimacy of existing institutions.

An interesting question asked early on in the book is, why do states persistently fail to establish property rights that would permit high rates of economic growth?He explains that states first maximize returns for the ruler and then, subject to this constraint, try to reduce transaction costs throughout the economy.Where the ruler is an individual or the representative of a small elite group, the interests of rulers will not normally coincide with those of society as a whole.

Structure and Change in Economic History offers considerable insight into fundamental historical forces.It will come as no surprise to those who have read this work that North won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1993 for his use of economic theory and quantitative methods to explain economic and institutional change.

Institutions as Panacea
In this book North modifies the rationality assumption of neoclassical theory and puts individuals into a more complex framework of decision-making.According to my reading, this new model is characterized by an emphasis on incentive constrains (structures/institutions) and a dynamic process of learning (both individual and collective).

But here North runs into a problem with the infamous structure/agency dichotomy.That is, he means to rise above methodological individualism by incorporating a broad, deterministic social "structure" into his analysis -- "by structure I mean those characteristics of a society which we believe to be the basic determinants of performance" (3).However, he also seems to chalk a great deal of explanatory power up to individual leadership, calculation and rationality:the state specifying rules of the game to maximize rents (24) and also:"throughout history, individuals given a choice between a state-however exploitative it might be-and anarchy, have decided for the former" (24).But if there's such a powerful structure, then can individuals really "choose" their fate?How much leeway is there for strategic calculation?On page 32 he seems to say that the masses have no power to choose:"institutional innovation will always come from rulers rather than constituents since the latter would always face the free rider problem".Is North's structure (and institutions) merely an aggregation of the choices of masses of agents, or is it the strategic choices of a few ruling principals and their agents, or is it the evolution of an impersonal body of culture, ideas, law, etc., or is it all three?And if it's all three, then is he trying to incorporate too much into the concept of "institutions", until they become tautological?What CANNOT be an institution under his definition, and if everything is an institution, then how can we formulate testable, falsifiable hypotheses about social change?

North defines institutions as "the humanly devised constrains that construct human interaction" (p. 344); or, the rules of the game in a society.Thus, it is clear that North is trying to provide an explanation of the dynamic interaction among many factors, which is always a difficult task.But he is to be commended for modifying neoclassical thought in this provocative new way, potentially opening a path for a whole new research agenda in the social sciences. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (46)

The antidote to "Guns, Germs, and Steel".
This book is a goldmine of insightful viewpoints and possible causality connections. I am not saying that the book is the final word on economic history, but the thinking is first rate and the logic Mr. Clark uses to guide us to his conclusions is compleling. If nothing else, the book can open the reader to new ways of viewing history and help weaken the hold of the official mythology that most of us learn in our schooling.

The book has the feel of an exciting exploration and inquiry. The author takes the stance of one who is excitedly sharing the nuggets of wisdom that he has acquired through much hard work. This is in dramatic contrast to "Guns, Germs, and Steel", by Jared Diamond, which reads like a desperate groping for excuses for why the world in not the way Mr. Diamond thinks it should be. (Oh, the unfairness of it all)

Overall an excellent read for anyone interested in understanding humanity and the twists and turns of human history.

Highly recommended.

Are we still talking about Malthus?
The reasons that 3rd world countries are so poor is because of planned-economies and interventionism.There's no other reason.No single group of man was born with an innate ability to participate in the Industrial Revolution!Look at the recent economic development of India and China, they are raising their life expectancy not because they had some societal/psychological shift!They're having it because they freed their markets, which in turn will allow comparative advantage to best use their resources!Also, what Clark seems to ignore is the ability for man to use land to sustain his own life.The reason we have such high rates of poverty is because we have such low rates of land usage.The redistribution of natural resources through taxation would lift the burden of speculation off the back of the working class and allow markets to actually be free.Clark is a moron.He ignores simple economic principles to create an "interesting and politically incorrect read!".Dumb.I'm returning it today.

Great think, long read.
Roughly, the title says it all.

Basic claim:
Contemporary analyses of why growth happens do not explain the Industrial Revolution.Pre-industrial revolution, Malthusian economics held sway.After the industrial revolution, it didn't.What changed, and why England, and not elsewhere?

Candidate answer, with lots of support, but not enough to advocate strongly is that between 1200 and 1800, the poor of England slowly died out, breeding at notably less than replacement.More interestingly, they were replaced, not by the children of the nobility, but by the children of the rich, be they nobles, merchants or otherwise.And whatever combination of traits (willingness to delay gratification, moderately higher intelligence, stronger work-ethic) led to richness in the parents, the children inherited as well.Since this selective population pressure was so much greater in England than anywhere else (nowhere else was it so true that the rich were the ones who bred more), the industrial revolution happened in England.

Great think.Long read.

Explaining poverty and riches
Why is it that some countries today are very rich while others are very poor, whereas in 1800 all countries were comparatively poor? The explanation of what happened, according to Gregory Clark in thsi book, is that the wealthy countries managed to increase productivity per capita through innovations. However, this does not explain why the productivity increases started when they did, or why some countries have benefitted greatly while others have not.

Clark's explanation for why the productivity increases started in England is the seemingly bizarre one that at the applicable time England's upper classes had higher birth rates than the lower classes, and the upper class skills such as literacy and a disciplined approach to work were thereby transmitted down through the society. His explanation for the current divergence between rich and poor countries is that workers in poorer countries are less productive.

The book is essentially a detailed examination of the history of the Industrial Revolution in England, with references to the current great divergence between rich and poor countries little more than an afterthought. The questions posed are very interesting, but I found the answers largely unconvincing. If workers in poor countries are less productive, why do they suddenly become more productive when they migrate to richer countries?

An Excellent Interdisciplinary Study
Hello.
This truly excellent book made an exhaustive study of the trends of different elements in the society of late medieval and rennaissance England to come to the conclusion that the rich by leaving more heirs were imparting their values and qualities to successively lower elements of the social strata.This led to the characteristics and habits, such as diligence, foresight, and inventiveness that led to the industrial revolution in 18th and early 19th century England rather than polotical and other institutional inputs.
Geoff ... Read more

Product Description
Lionel Robbins's now famous lectures on the history of economic thought comprise one of the greatest accounts since World War II of the evolution of economic ideas. This volume represents the first time those lectures have been published.

Lord Robbins (1898-1984) was a remarkably accomplished thinker, writer, and public figure. He made important contributions to economic theory, methodology, and policy analysis, directed the economic section of Winston Churchill's War Cabinet, and served as chairman of the Financial Times. As a historian of economic ideas, he ranks with Joseph Schumpeter and Jacob Viner as one of the foremost scholars of the century. These lectures, delivered at the London School of Economics between 1979 and 1981 and tape-recorded by Robbins's grandson, display his mastery of the intellectual history of economics, his infectious enthusiasm for the subject, and his eloquence and incisive wit. They cover a broad chronological range, beginning with Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas, focusing extensively on Adam Smith, Thomas Malthus and the classicals, and finishing with a discussion of moderns and marginalists from Marx to Alfred Marshall. Robbins takes a varied and inclusive approach to intellectual history. As he says in his first lecture: "I shall go my own sweet way--sometimes talk about doctrine, sometimes talk about persons, sometimes talk about periods." The lectures are united by Robbins's conviction that it is impossible to understand adequately contemporary institutions and social sciences without understanding the ideas behind their development.

Authoritative yet accessible, combining the immediacy of the spoken word with Robbins's exceptional talent for clear, well-organized exposition, this volume will be welcomed by anyone interested in the intellectual origins of the modern world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Transcription of Robbins lectures lack some depth
The book is the transcription of the lectures Lionel Robbins gave in the London School of Economics during 1979 on the History of Economic Thought. The material covered goes from Plato to Fisher (very few developments from the 20th century are included). Since the book is verbatim transcripts of the lectures, there is not much depth here. Therefore, a conventional book by Robbins on the subject would have been preferred (that he knew the subject, there can be no questions of). Also, the coverage varies: there is ample stuff on Smith and the early mercantilists, but the material on Marx and Walras, for example, is frustratingly short. Still, for those starting in the subject, this is an OK read.

A quick walk through the history of Economics.
This series of lectures sheds light on the major contributors to Economic thought since Plato and Aristotle. Since the book is made up of transcripts of his lectures, he doesn't manage to cover the figures or the ideas in depth. However he does manage to give some guidelines as to what you should read if you want to be well informed on the history of Economic thought.

I did not find the language in it frustrating, it just made the book seem like a personal lecture with Robbins (minus the questions) which added to my enjoyment. He stops at Fisher, so if you were hoping for ideas and icons after that, you will be disappointed.

The book is split into five sections. The first deals with those philosophers that preceded the formal study of economics; Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas etc... Very interesting stuff, especially if you aren't familiar with the relationship between the ancients and economics.

The second to the fourth sections deal with famous economists, from Adam Smith to Karl Marx. His treatment of Marx is brief so don't expect anything more than a few pages. While he goes into some length about Adam Smith and the other classical economists.

Finally he lectures on Jevons, Menger and others of the "Marginal Revolution", ending his series of lectures with Fisher.

A good read, I would recommend it to undergraduates in Economics or any one else who is interested in the history of economic ideas.

Lectures
This is a collection of lectures given at the LSE.So DON'T think it is a history.Nevertheless, it is a comprehensive journey from aristotle's economica thru the modern era.Good as a reference.Not bad as a read -- but be aware you are reading a transcribed lecture and adjust your expectations accordingly.

Outstanding summary of economic thought!
A well-organized and well-considered series of concise lectures are codified in this book.This is a substantial, but not overwhelming, chronology of the more influential contributors to economic history and thought.

Magisterial, fair, but not the best way
Make no mistake: Robbins knows his stuff, he's fair, correct, and surprisingly open-minded.However, this is a transcription of lectures, and the syntax is contorted.He interrupts the flow of every other sentence to insert some qualifier or oral footnote, and the effect can be maddening.This is too much to read for the depth of treatment you will actually get.If you do read it, you will get a pretty swell reading list, but the material is definitely weighted in favor of antiquarian literature and ancient disputes. I personally found it a pleasant read, because I like old books and economics, and I felt a certain affection for the grand old man, but unless you share these tastes, you're bound to be frustrated ... Read more

Product Description
Unlike most existing textbooks on the economic history of modern Europe, which offer a country-by-country approach, The Cambridge Economic History of Modern Europe rethinks Europe's economic history since 1700 as unified and pan-European, with the material organised by topic rather than by country. This first volume is centred on the transition to modern economic growth, which first occurred in Britain before spreading to other parts of western Europe by 1870. Each chapter is written by an international team of authors who cover the three major regions of northern Europe, southern Europe, and central and eastern Europe. The volume covers the major themes of modern economic history, including trade; urbanization; aggregate economic growth; the major sectors of agriculture, industry and services; and the development of living standards, including the distribution of income. The quantitative approach makes use of modern economic analysis in a way that is easy for students to understand. ... Read more

Product Description
Tying America's past to the economic policies of today and beyond, HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY 11e presents events chronologically for easy understanding. Get a firm foundation in the evolution of the American economy with this ever-popular classic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Awsome
I ordered a book from them, it was shipped the next day and i got it right away.I never had to bother with talking to them, which is awesome, because if i wanted to deal with it i would have gone to a bookstore.I liked them.

Great book, terrible study aid
Walton and Rockoff do a great job of describing American economic history. Unfortunately, the textbook reads more like a novel than a college textbook. There are very few study aids throughout the book which makes studying for tests very difficult. There are no 'key words' or margin points, and there is no highlighting of key points by bold font or italics.

Additionally, if you have the masochistic pleasure of taking a test based on the publisher's 'instructor's test bank', you will soon realize that the tests are simply recollection and factoid exams, as opposed to a well developed 'principles' and 'concepts' exam that other textbooks use.

This textbook is poor college class material.

Jonathan's review.
This book is exactly what I am using in class. The book came in perfect condition. Clean in and out with no writing from previous user. Thanks!

best on the subject
This is definitely the best introductory book there is on the subject. This was a supplemental book for an undergraduate class of mine, but I read it anyway. The authors lucid writing allows this book to be thoroughly understood by all readers despite their backround in economics. I truly believe that this book should be required reading for all history, political science, finance, sociology, and economics majors.

Unlike most books on the history of anything, this book starts from the beginning. The authors start off discussing explorers and empires and then go into colonization. Extremely informative on the economics of different regions in colonial America and the Industrial Revolution.

Rockoff is the greatest American Historian ever.
Rockoff gives a brilliant account of the history of the American Economy and is possibly the best American economic historian in US history. ... Read more

Product Description
Considered one of the founders of modern sociology, German sociologist and historian MAX WEBER (1864-1920) long studied the impact of religion on culture-is most famous work is 1905's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism-but he was also renowned as a thinker on economic issues. Here, in this classic collection of lectures first published in English in 1927 and translated by American economist Frank Hyneman Knight (1885-1972), Weber brings his keen and lively sociological eye to the history of commerce, money, and industrial endeavor, discussing:. agricultural organization and the problem of agrarian communism. the house community and the clan. the evolution of the family as conditioned by economic factors. the condition of the peasants before the entrance of capitalism. capitalistic development of the manor. stages in the development of industry and mining. the origin of the European guilds. the factory and its forerunners. forms of organization of transportation and commerce. money and monetary history. the meaning of modern capitalism. the first great speculative crisis. citizenship as an economic concept. the evolution of the capitalistic spirit. and much more. ... Read more

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The Cambridge Economic History of Modern Britain is a comprehensive account of the economic history of Britain since 1700, based on the most up-to-date research. Roderick Floud and Paul Johnson have assembled well-known international scholars to produce a set of volumes which serve as a textbook for undergraduate students as well as an authoritative reference guide to the subject. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Suitable only for an under graduate course .
This book is good for a survey course for undergraduate history students . Its not for any serious reading. For the first time , I feel that Cambridge Univ. Press could do such kind of poor job at bringing out a two volume set with so much paper and weight - and hardly any content for serious research or reference. I will have to return both these volumes.

It does not even have a table to show the iron production over the 18th and 19th century. Britain was dependent on almost 50% of its iron demand on imports and that also in the high quality iron from Russia and Sweden till 1800.The capital expropriation from Bengal during 1760-80 is not even mentioned. But again it is for undergraduate students. ... Read more

Product Description
The vastness of the American West is apparent to anyone who travels through it, but what may not be immediately obvious is the extent to which the landscape has been shaped by the U.S. government. Water development projects, military bases, and Indian reservations may interrupt the wilderness vistas, but these are only an indication of the extent to which the West has become a federal landscape.Historian Gerald Nash has written the first account of the epic growth of the economy of the American West during the twentieth century, showing how national interests shaped the West over the course of the past hundred years. In a book written for a broad readership, he tells the story of how America's hinterland became the most dynamic and rapidly growing part of the country.The Federal Landscape relates how in the nineteenth century the West was largely developed by individual enterprise but how in the twentieth Washington, D.C., became the central player in shaping the region. Nash traces the development of this process during the Progressive Era, World War I, the New Deal, World War II, the affluent postwar years, and the cold-war economy of the 1950s. He analyzes the growth of western cities and the emergence of environmental issues in the 1960s, the growth of a vibrant Mexican-U.S. border economy, and the impact of large-scale immigration from Latin America and Asia at century's end.Although specialists have studied many particular facets of western growth, Nash has written the only book to provide a much-needed overview of the subject. By addressing subjects as diverse as public policy, economic development, environmental and urban issues, and questions of race, class, and gender, he puts the entire federal landscape in perspective and shows how the West was really won."It was the federal government that determined the pattern of farms in the humid regions, built the major roads and highways, and fostered the growth of the principle cities in the West.The federal government built the large dams and diverted important river systems throughtout the West, determined the shape of the large military reservations and their environs, and forced Native Americans to occupy the reservations on which they can be found today.The government is largely responsible for the aerospace complexes and scientific research centers that became so important in the West during the second half of the twentieth century.In short, the federal government created a federal landscape in the West." --Gerald D. Nash ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Federal Landscape
The vastness of the American West is apparent to anyone who travels through it, but what may not be immediately obvious is the extent to which the landscape has been shaped by the U.S. government. Water development projects, military bases, and Indian reservations may interrupt the wilderness vistas, but these are only an indication of the extent to which the West has become a federal landscape.

Historian Gerald Nash has written the first account of the epic growth of the economy of the American West during the twentieth century, showing how national interests shaped the West over the course of the past hundred years and how America's hinterland became the most dynamic and rapidly growing part of the country. By addressing subjects as diverse as public policy, economic development, enviromental and urban issues, and questions of race, class, and gender, he puts the entire federal landscape in perspective and shows how th West was really won.
--- from book's back cover ... Read more

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What were the economic roots of modern industrialism? Were labor unions ever effective in raising workers' living standards? Did high levels of taxation in the past normally lead to economic decline? These and similar questions profoundly inform a wide range of intertwined social issues whose complexity, scope, and depth become fully evident in the Encyclopedia. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the field, the Encyclopedia is divided not only by chronological and geographic boundaries, but also by related subfields such as agricultural history, demographic history, business history, and the histories of technology, migration, and transportation. The articles, all written and signed by international contributors, include scholars from Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Covering economic history in all areas of the world and segments of ecnomies from prehistoric times to the present, the Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History is the ideal resource for students, economists, and general readers, offering a unique glimpse into this integral part of world history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

When it is good it is very good
This is a good example of the strengths of specialized encyclopedias. Unfortunately, it also provides some examples of the weaknesses.

The description from Booklist (above) provides a good summary of the size and scope of the work (although the publisher claims 900 rather than 875 articles). According to the publisher's Web site, "Articles range from 500-word entries on inventors, theoreticians, and industry leaders to overarching, 8,000-word essays on markets, industries, and labor. ... The general conceptual categories of the work are: Geography (entries on cities, countries, and regions); Agriculture; Production Systems, Business History, and Technology; Demography; Institutions, Governments, and Markets; Macroeconomic History and International Economics; Money, Banking and Finance; Labor; Natural Resources and the Environment; and Biographies." Here are a few samples of article titles: Linen Industry: Overview, Technological Change; List, Georg Friedrich; Literacy;Livestock Leases; Living Standards; Local Banks; Local Public Goods; Lombardy; London; Philips Family; Phillips Curve; Pigs; Pilkington Family; Piracy; Pirenne, Henri; Plantation System; Poland: Early and Medieval Periods, Early Modern Period, Modern Period. There are frequent images, diagrams, graphs, and thematic maps, most of which add significant information.

Some people have wrung their hands over the alleged "Eurocenticism" of this encyclopedia. As someone who has a real need for good information about the economic history of non-European parts of the world I can sympathize, but I think the criticism is very misplaced. Economic history and analytical history in general is a subject invented by Europeans and until recently practiced almost exclusively by Europeans and people of European culture living in former colonies of European settlement. Even with scholars from other cultural backgrounds now entering the field in some numbers we cannot look forward to any quick fix, simply because the Europeans seem to have left a great deal better records than most other societies. In many cases it is going to take a lot of delving into very obscure fragmentary records coupled with painstaking archeological work to improve our state of knowledge measurably.

Most articles are very good and some are masterful. The best, naturally, tend to be written by deep and renowned students of their subjects. Some articles are mediocre, and there are a few real bombs. The articles dealing with Europe and related subjects tend to have the most meat. Some of the non-European articles are very good, however, like Robin Yates' on Ancient and Feudal China and Kent Deng's on the Tang, Song, and Yuan Dynasties. Others are limp owing to lack of good information or lack of skill in presenting what is known. Most frustrating, some present one side of an important and fruitful on-going scholarly debate, leaving the reader with a seriously distorted impression and giving him or her no leads to follow for real enlightenment. This does not happen a great deal, but much more often than it should, given the ambitions and claims of this work.

Nevertheless, I am glad to have access to a library with this encyclopedia on its shelves, and urge other libraries to follow the example. Some libraries may find their clientele better served by the online version that Oxford University Press also offers, as part of its Digital Reference Shelf series.

There is also a review on the Economic History Net at eh.net/bookreviews/library/0929.shtml.

Economic historyEncyclopaedia
Economics is a social science and economic history is a story of human interaction in the economic sphere.It tells the story of markets,of organizations,of institutions,of small and large communities,from tiny medieval village to the huge communal economies of the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century.
Encyclopaedia is divided in to elevan parts.It gives articles on
-Geography :countries regions like Ireland,Italy ;to
-Geography :cities like Amsterdam,Rome,Venice;to
-Agriculture e.g. green revolution,irrigated farming,mixed farming,land lordism,oil crops;to
-Production systems,Business history,technology e.g.capitalism ,corporatism,air transportation,leisure industry,oil industry,telephone industry;to
-Demography e.g. migration;to
-Institutions,governments,markets e.g. mercantalism,free trade ;to
-Macroeconomical history ,International economics e.g. economic imperialism,monetary standards,exchange rates; to
-Money,Banking,Finance e.g. money, coinage,condumer credit;to
-Labour e.g. wage systems,labour markets;to
-Natural resources and environment e.g. nuclear power,solar power,pollution pest control; to
-Biographiesof -a> Inventors and Writers on technology e.g. Alexander Graham Bell,James Watt,Wright brothers --------------b>Entrepreneurs ,Bankers,Labour leaders e.g. Andrew Carngie,Benjamin Franklin -c>Economics and Economic historians e.g. Thomas Malthus Karl Marx, Max Weber.
Encyclopaedia also includes mapslike
-spread of agriculture upto 500BCE
-world trading empires,circa 1914
-world deforestation
-industrial revolution in Europe
-world's largest cities,1500-2015
It also covers paintings like
-Agriculture revolution
-Amsterdam
-French caribbean view of the exportation of sugar from the colonies
It is a very good reference source for students as well as for a laymen

... Read more

Product Description
"Argentina started the 20th Century as one of the richest ten country in the world. For a while its economic position in the world was comparable to that of, say, Germany today. It had a per capita income much higher than that of Japan and Italy and comparable to that of France. However, it ended the century on the eve of the largest default in history. How did this dramatic change come about? In this unusual book, not based on library research but mostly on first hand and direct observations, the author takes the reader through a fascinating ride through time. The reader is introduced to the concept of fiscal cycles and the economic landscape of this fascinating country. The book is written in a style that will make it accessible and interesting to a general reader."Praise for V. Tanzi's Book on Argentina. Vito Tanzi has done it again. This book combines an intriguing prose, full of anecdotes and rich personal memoirs of Vito's many trips to Argentina, with serious economic analysis from a first class economist. .Vito has come to understand very well Argentina's idiosyncrasy, institutions and the nature of the protracted fiscal problems, and explains how these have led over time to major macroeconomic volatility, stagnation, and repeated crises. This book is particularly useful for the general public .Domingo Cavallo, Former Finance Minister of Argentina>>>>Vito Tanzi [book] is an invaluable document . of the dramatic fall of Argentina as the leading Latin American economy. .[show] .. the complicity of the IMF and of Argentine policy makers in the design of the disastrous fiscal policies that led to its huge debt default . It should be required reading for policy makers and for all those who love that wonderful country .Francisco Gil- Diaz, Former Finance Minister of Mexico>>>>Explaining the reversals of economic fortunes in Argentina during the 20th century is a challenge for economists and social observers in general. After being one of most dynamic and vibrant economies in the late 19th century and early 20th century, ., the country started to travel a road of economic instability, stagnant and erratic growth and collapse of democracy. In this new and lucid book Vito Tanzi, drawing on 40 years of direct personal knowledge and field experience with Argentina, ..This book, . is a must reading for anyone interested in understanding the Argentina of today and yesterday. Highly recommended.Andrés SolimanoRegional Advisor UN-ECLAC. Former Country Director at the World Bank and Executive Director at the Inter-American Development Bank. >>>>Tanzi helps us understand the Argentinean crisis, but also this unique country. This is not a book written only for economists.Francesco Giavazzi, Bocconi University, MilanAuthor:"For 27 years, Vito Tanzi was a senior staff member of the International Monetary Fund. He was the director of the Fiscal Affairs Department of the IMF. He also was an Undersecretary for Economy and Finance in the Italian Government. A professional economist with a PhD from Harvard, he is considered a leading expert in fiscal policy. The author of many books and hundreds of articles in professional journals, he has given a named "effect" to economics, the "Tanzi Effect". He has been a consultant to many international organizations including the United Nations, the World Bank, the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and theInter-American Development Bank.In 1994 he was President of the International Institute of Public Finance of which he is now Honorary President. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

This book hasn't any deepness about Argentina
I read this regular book, here in Brazil.This book is about argentine economic history, in the last decades.
There's many good parts of this book,that are very good.
Same examples:
Page 7:"By 1910... Argentina was one of foremost countries in the world.It was one of the most important grain and meat exporters.Its GDP represented 50 percent of all Hispanic America, ranked in the world's economy, and its amounted to 7 percent of world's total."
Page 18:"Between May 1973 and March 1976, when the military returned to power, there were 5079 terrorist attacks".
Page 150:"I hope I am wrong, but my understanding of the fiscal history of Argentina over the past sixty years does not make me optimistic about the future in spite of the good perforamnce of the economy in the 2003-2007 period."
Some mistaks are in this book.To example, on page 44, there's a claim that Alfonsin came after eight years of military rule, whyle the military rule was of seven years.
Compared to the book "The Crisis of Argentine Capitalism", by Paul H. Lewis, this book isn't outdated, but this book is far worse than Lewis' book.
Why?Because this book hasn't deepness in anything, about Argentine economic history.Beyond any doubt, Argentina was a developed country in the past.Decades before Spain, Argentina was the first Spanish speaking country, to have a first world status, but this became over decades ago.
This book hasn't nothing about the so called "Concordacia" between 1930-1945 and almost nothing, about Perón government.
Perón wasn't just corrupt, but also a calamity and a watershed in Argentine history.Perón took terrible ways to rule Argentina.
Argentina became third world, because of "Concordacia" or because of Perón?
Why Argentina's economic history was even worse, than of its neighbors?
Is peronism the cause or the consequence of Argentina's decline?
Why Chile became a sucess after 1970 decade, whyle Argentina became even worse?
This book hasn't any clues about the answers, to any of these questions.I gave four stars to the Lewis' book, then I should to give three stars, for this regular or weak book.This book also doesn't tells that loans to Third World, including Brazil and Argentina, were bad to peoples, whyle spreading poverty and corruption.The author was a director of IMF, but again he hasn't deepness, about IMF's rule.
I'm a brazilian and all smart brazilians must learn about Argentina,but this book isn't a good choice to really learn, about Argentina.

Argentina: An Economic Chronicle
Vito Tanzi has written a compact, highly readable account, of the causes and consequences of Argentina's economic decline since the early Twentieth Century, providing valuable lessons for Argentina, for other countries, and for the International Monetary Fund. According to Mr. Tanzi, a persistent lack of fiscal discipline led to economic disaster, and the International Monetary Fund fed, prolonged, and intensified the process. In telling this compelling account, he also provides an appealing introduction to Argentina, with its beautiful tourist attractions and rich cultural heritage. I highly recommend this book both to economists and non-economists alike.

The inside story of Argentine fiscal policy
This book captures the inside political economy of the Argentine fiscal recent history. Tanzi added to his traditional solid economics and well-written prose a thoughtful inside angle of Argentine politics of fiscal policy. This is a nice reading which teaches about the process of policy making on public finance and lessons learned to better frame fiscal reforms.Argentina: An Economic Chronicle. How one of the richest countries in the world lost its wealth

Economics at its best
This is a special book for a number of reasons. It is an excellent account of how bad policies and politicians can destroy wealth. The problem is much deeper than just the lack of fiscal discipline, though the observations on the continuous deterioration of the Argentine fiscal system are really enlightening. But Vito Tanzi offers much more than just a pure "narrow-minded" economic analysis, he describes a society that lost the most important element of success, social coordination. A fascinating reading for everyone, economists and non-economists alike. I cannot resist pointing out that there is another beautiful country in Europe Vito frequently visited in the past four decades that would certainly benefit from a book like this.

Argentina: An Economic Chronicle
An outstanding book that blends very well a traveler's description of this beautiful and outstanding country, together with important glimpses of recent and important political events as well as a thorough analysis of the history of Argentina's poor fiscal policies, that ultimately lead to its economic decline. An easy to read book that should not be limited to economists, by to all of those interested in what has happened to Argentina in the last few decades. ... Read more

Product Description
An Economic History of the United States is an accessible and informative survey designed for undergraduate courses on American economic history.The book spans from 1607 to the modern age and presents a documented history of how the American economy has propelled the nation into a position of world leadership.Noted economic historian Ronald E. Seavoy covers nearly 400 years of economic history, beginning with the commercialization of agriculture in the pre-colonial era, through the development of banks and industrialization in the nineteenth century, up to the globalization of the business economy in the present day. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Economic History of U.S. from 1607 to present

Tedious, uses lots of undefined old terminology, and jumps around chronologically, however, full of information and worth the read

Clunky, uneven but intermittently valuable book
As the title indicates, this is an economic history of the United States from colonial times to the present.Actually, the story really goes back even further; it starts with 16th century England.Surprisingly, given the vast scope of the book, it is short; it is just a bit over 300 pages.The theme of the book is how the U.S. rose to be a great economic power.

I found the book oddly uneven.Seavoy is a professor of economics, and he knows his stuff.The book has many valuable parts, which taught me a good deal.HOWEVER.First, I found it hard to read.He never developed any narrative flow.By the standards of history books, this is a slow, clunky read.Second, the book really does not have any overarching theme or argument.Yes, it is about the rise of the U.S. economy.However, Seavoy has no simple explanation of this.Instead, he has a bunch of interconnected explanations of different aspects of it.It ends up with little or no unity.It is a bunch of monographs strung together; it is not really a book.

Seavoy's most interesting and unusual insight relates to the South.He argues that, in Britain, at the time that the colonies were being founded, the economy was shifting from a medieval, peasant economy in which farmers sought to minimize work, rather than to maximize profit, to a modern, market-oriented economy.This, of course, is not a new idea; it is a staple of British history that this economic transition occurred at that time, with the enclosures of communal land and the driving off of the land of many of the small farmers.

What is new is that Seavoy argues that North and South are so different in America because they got different types of British immigrants.The North got modern, market-oriented commercial farmers.The South got a mix of wanna-be aristocrats and displaced peasants, whose goal was to do as little work as possible, not to maximize money income.I find this to be a very interesting argument.It certainly sheds a great deal of light on the persistence North/South cultural differences and the origins of "redneck" culture.As a rule, we tend to explain these differences as those between a slave and a free economy.Seavoy goes deeper.He explains the rise of the slave economy in the South as the result of aristocrat/peasant culture.I am not entirely sure if I agree with the argument, but it is certainly a fresh perspective on an old subject. ... Read more

Product Description
This book examines the most important themes in European social and economic history from the beginning of growth around the year 1000 to the first wave of global exchange in the 1490s. These five hundred years witnessed the rise of economic systems, such as capitalism, and the social theories that would have a profound influence on the rest of the world over the next five centuries. The basic story, the human search for food, clothing, and shelter in a world of violence and scarcity, is a familiar one, and the work and daily routines of ordinary women and men are the focus of this volume. Surveying the full extent of Europe, from east to west and north to south, Steven Epstein illuminates family life, economic and social thought, war, technologies, and other major themes while giving equal attention to developments in trade, crafts, and agriculture. The great waves of famine and then plague in the fourteenth century provide the centerpiece of a book that seeks to explain the causes of Europe's uneven prosperity and its response to catastrophic levels of death. Epstein also sets social and economic developments within the context of the Christian culture and values that were common across Europe and that were in constant tension with Muslims, Jews, and dissidents within its boundaries and the great Islamic and Tartar states on its frontier. ... Read more

Product Description

An upper-level text, History of Economic Thought continues to offer a lively, accessible discussion of ideas that have shaped modern economics. The Fourth Edition has been thoroughly revised to reflect new scholarship and research, as well as a more pointed focus on modern economic thought. The text remains a highly understandable and opinionated—but fair—presentation of the history of economic thought.

• The authors have reduced coverage of neoclassical economics—including long discussions of the labor theory of value—and added discussions of classical views of growth and dynamics.
• The Marshall chapter now appears before the Walras chapter to demonstrate the continuity between the development of partial equilibrium and neoclassical microeconomic thought from 1870 to 1890.

Customer Reviews (4)

Interesting but not for people new to economics
I am an engineering student with interest in economy, and thought such a book can give me a good introduction to the topic. However I would say this book is more for people comfortable with economics already. I have read almost a quarter of the book so far. I like the introduction where the authors are honest about their method and assumptions.
However I do not like that the authors are very free in expressing their personal opinion on things. I know history cannot be totally objective, but I still prefer authors to try to be so.
Another issue is that I think the language formulation is a bit complicated, the sentenes are long and seem confusing at times.
For beginners in economics, I would more recommend the book "Development of Economic Analysis" by Ingrid Hahne Rima; It gives more space for explaining various concepts, and I love the inclusion of parts of original works at the end of each section. Landreth's book can be a second stage, to get an insight into the reason for such economic development, rather than to learn about economics.

Economics a Discipline of Many Theories
This text surveys the main streams of thought in economic theory.The survey provides an overview of the preclassical schools,i.e.: scholastics, mercantilists, and physiocrats.The scholastics and mercantilists called for govermental intervention in the growing market economy. The mercantilists, in England, went so far as to call for the regulation of trade. Albeit, the physiocrats in France held that the government should leave the market alone.Therefore, the physiocrates influenced and set the tone for Smith and many classical economists to come.
Modern classical economics considers Adam Smith as its father. Smith, a product of the U.K.'s traditions, examines economics in the context of the middle to late 1700s.In his seminal thesis ... The Wealth of Nations, professor Smith believed laissez faire, or nongovernmental intervention, would allow a competitive market to best promote the economic growth needed to meet the consumers' needs.
Landreth and Colander, further, discuss the classical economic theories of Thomas Malthus, David Ricardo, and John Stuart Mill. The former reverend,Malthus held population growth would outstrip the food supply. He failed to account for improvements in technology. Mr. Ricardo developed pure, or noncontextual, theories such as scarcity and diminishing returns. One note, Ricardo favored free trade while Malthus suggested tariffs could be beneficial to a nation. Mill, at one time a member of parliament, believed there were injustices inherent in a capitalist economy.
Also coveredby this text are the ideas of Karl Marx.Marx rejected the orthodox classical theories of capitalistic economies. He purported that "dialectical materialism", a theory of history, should be applied to analysis of the capitalist's economy.Moreover, Dr. Marx predicted a collapse of capitalism caused by class conflict.However, this generally has not occured.Paradoxically, for the scribbler most often associated with communism: Marx mainly discussed and analyzed capitalism.
The text goes into some detail about the neoclassical school as formulated by Menger, Jevons, Walras, and Marshall.Yet, the role of much neoclassical economics is overstated in the second edition of this work. Nevertheless, professor Alfred Marshall demonstrated the importance of both supply and demand in achieving dynamic equilibrium. Professor Marshall also warns against the excessive use of mathematics in economic calculus. He suggested to his students that economic models need to be practical so as to reflect reality.History of Economic Theory covers both the development of modern microeconomics and macroeconomics.As for the development of macroeconomics; John Maynard Keynes' theories are introduced quite methodically. In his 1936 book, The General Theory ..., Sir Keynes felt the unstable market needed governmental assistance to achieve full employment equilibrium. Keynes' ideas were used by President F.D. Roosevelt to help the United States out of its depression. Critical of Keynesian theory were the Monetarists led by Milton Friedman. Professor Friedman held the money supply plays a central role in the economy. In fact, Friedman said inflation is a monetary phenomenon. Finally, heterodoxical economists are covered.
Students who enjoy The Worldly Philosophers and New Ideas from Dead Economists will surely find this work useful and enlightening - - if only for the introduction on the history of economics as a profession!

What everyone should know about economics
As a former student of Dr. Harry Landreth, I had the honor of learning economic theory under his expert tutelage.This book helps you appreciate and understand the theories and thinking that helped shape our world.A must for any serious student of economics; this book is hailed by academics as THE book on this subject, and I do not disagree.

Excellent Text!
An excellent overview of the history of economic thought.I used this text in my course on the history of economic thought.I highly recommend it!The authors cover, in great detail, such critical items as thepreclassical areas of thought, mercantillism, Malthus, Marx, Ricardo, andthe transition to Neoclassicaleconomics.The discussion of the modernMicroeconomic Theory is also a must for any fan of economics. ... Read more

Product Description
A very clear, reliable and readable history of economic thought from the ancient world to the present day. From Homer to Marx to John Stuart Mill, Backhouse shows how to keep your Keynsians from your post-Keynsians and New Keynsians. This is a core book. ... Read more