Wealth And Poverty Of Nations
David S. Landes
- The
- history
- of
- nations
- is
- a
- history
- of
- haves
- and
- have-nots,
- and
- as
- we
- approach
- the
- millennium,
- the
- gap
- between
- rich
- and
- poor
- countries
- is
- widening.
- In
- this
- engrossing
- and
- important
- new
- work,
- eminent
- historian
- David
- Landes
- explores
- the
- complex,
- fascinating
- and
- often
- startling
- causes
- of
- the
- wealth
- and
- poverty
- of
- nations.
- The
- answers
- are
- found
- not
- only
- in
- the
- large
- forces
- at
- work
- in
- economies:
- geography,
- religion,
- the
- broad
- swings
- of
- politics,
- but
- also
- in
- the
- small
- surprising
- details.
- In
- Europe,
- the
- invention
- of
- spectacles
- doubled
- the
- working
- life
- of
- skilled
- craftsmen,
- and
- played
- a
- prominent
- role
- in
- the
- creation
- of
- articulated
- machines,
- and
- in
- China,
- the
- failure
- to
- adopt
- the
- clock
- fundamentally
- hindered
- economic
- development.The
- relief
- of
- poverty
- is
- vital
- to
- the
- survival
- of
- us
- all.
- As
- David
- Landes
- brilliantly
- shows,
- the
- key
- to
- future
- success
- lies
- in
- understanding
- the
- lessons
- the
- past
- has
- to
- teach
- us
- -
- lessons
- uniquely
- imparted
- in
- this
- groundbreaking
- and
- vital
- book
- which
- exemplifies
- narrative
- history
- at
- its best.
