The Wealth and Poverty of Nations (Paperback)

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• This item: The Wealth and Poverty of Nations by David S. Landes

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• Guns, Germs and Steel: A short history of everybody for the last 13,000 years by Jared M. Diamond

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• Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive by Jared Diamond

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Guns, Germs and Steel: A short history of everybody for the last 13,000 years by Jared M. Diamond 4.2 out of 5 stars (120)  £6.99

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb 3.3 out of 5 stars (112)  £6.16

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive by Jared Diamond 4.2 out of 5 stars (50)  £7.69

The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It by Paul Collier 4.6 out of 5 stars (31)  £5.99

The Great Divergence: China, Europe, and the Making of the Modern World Economy: China, Europe and the Making of the Modern World Economy (Princeton Economic History of the Western World) by Kenneth Pomeranz £18.99

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Amazon.co.uk Review
Professor David S. Landes takes an historic approach to the analysis of the distribution of wealth in this landmark study of world economics. Landes argues that the key to today's disparity between the rich and poor nations of the world stems directly from the Industrial Revolution, in which some countries made the leap to industrialisation and became fabulously rich, while other countries failed to adapt and remained poor. Why some countries were able to industrialise and others weren't has been the subject of much heated debate over the decades; climate, natural resources and geography have all been put forward as explanations--and are all brushed aside by Landes in favour of his own controversial theory: that the ability to effect an industrial revolution is dependent on certain cultural traits, without which industrialisation is impossible to sustain. Landes contrasts the characteristics of successfully industrialised nations-- work, thrift, honesty, patience and tenacity--with those of non-industrial countries, arguing that until these values are internalised by all nations, the gulf between the rich and the poor will continue to grow. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
'A masterpiece' Norman Stone 'One of the most important works of history to appear in my lifetime' A N Wilson 'For once, amazingly, a book lives up to the hype ... a blast of fresh air, a work of militant good sense' EVENING STANDARD 'Gripping ... well worth reading' OBSERVER

Harvard historian Landes argues that world poverty and inequality are not only caused by unequally distributed natural resources, inhospitable climates, lack of investment, imperialism, armed conflict and environmental degradation but also by chance factors, like the invention of spectacles, which doubled the working life of skilled artisans in western Europe in the 17th century, and cultural factors, like the failure of the Chinese to adopt the clock, fundamentally hindering the economic development of the country for centuries. (Kirkus UK)

An enormously erudite and provocative history of how wealth and power became so unevenly distributed between the West and the rest of the world. How did China, years ahead of Europe in technology and exploration, lose its advantage in the 17th century? What led Great Britain to set the pace for the Industrial Revolution? Why have Latin America, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa lagged behind more developed nations? Such questions, while of momentous import, hold potential for both political correctness and Western chauvinism. In truth, Landes (emeritus professor of history at Harvard; Revolution in Time, 1983) verges close to the latter. Yet one cannot help admiring his breadth of scholarship as he glides smoothly through geography, religion, economics, technology, politics, and war. Western Europe (and later America), he contends, led the way in economic progress because of its curiosity, toleration, and loose restraints on commerce, while other areas fell behind because of xenophobia, religious intolerance, bureaucratic corruption, and state edicts that stifled enterprise. He details, for instance, how Moghul misrule enabled Robert Clive to find a Hindu ally who helped him seize India, and how Argentina, despite abundant natural resources, fostered a low rate of savings and fell into a pattern of dependency on Europe and America. Landes's examples are dense in detail, yet he also leavens his arguments with elegant ironies (e.g., on Ottoman encouragement of enterprise by minority communities: "In despotisms, it is dangerous to be rich without power"). However, while Landes labels as "groupthink" some historians' objections to capitalism, imperialism, and the "Black Legend" of conquistador misrule, he also ignores questions that call into doubt his contention that toleration spawns innovation (e.g., British hostility to Catholics did not impede progress in the U.K., nor did the kaiser's authoritarianism retard Germany's industrialization before WW I). Sometimes too airily dismissive of legitimate challenges, for all that, never less than scintillating, witty, and brilliant. (Kirkus Reviews)

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23 Reviews 5 star:  (14) 4 star:  (4) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:  (4) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.2 out of 5 stars (23 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   9 of 11 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Packed with Knowledge!, 1 Mar 2004 By  Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    David S. Landes has written an extraordinary economic history that will open your eyes about countries’ economic flops and good fortune. He also covers what makes a country achieve — and keep — great economic success. The book will appeal not only to economic history buffs, but also to the average person who needs to know how to keep a company or a country from economic trouble. Not to mention, he offers lots of great cocktail party anecdotes to impress your friends. Landes builds on solid economic data, but his unusual factual nuggets and vivid commentary are what make the book such a pleasure to read. In an age where politicians seek to make sure America stays economically relevant amid huge trade friction, We believe this book is a must-read for not just the chief executive officer, but for the rank-and-file workers who want to make sure they will be winners, not losers, in international trade. Landes has cooked up a great feast of economic history. Come, draw up a chair to the table and partake of this rich bounty. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   15 of 19 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Provocative but a bit shallow, 3 May 2002 By A Customer My opinion of this book is that anyone who wants to know "the causes of the wealth and poverty of nations" would do better to read Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs and Steel" which is more thoroughly researched, more original, more thought through and more readable. Having said that, Landes' book, while covering exactly the same subject, is as different from Diamond's as it is possible to be, and I would certainly recommend anyone who found GG&S interesting to read this too. I liked this book for its ideas, its ambition and broad range and the many fascinating facts, stories and anecdotes. On the other hand on those subjects I have some knowledge of I found it rather shallow and sometimes inaccurate or out-of-date. Landes has a take-no-prisoners style. At first I found this refreshing and enjoyable (since I mostly agree with what he has to say), but eventually I just got sick of his constant whinging about foreigners, political correctness and academic rivals... Despite what the other reviewers may say I would recommend not to read this book all in one go - unless you are a Daily Telegraph reader, in which case I guess you can cope! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Incomplete, 7 May 2001 By A Customer It is a nice book but the question why some are so rich and some so poor has not been fully answered. The subject is just too broad I guess. Landes for instance almost completely ignores the development of agriculture. I can recommend this book but for the full picture one must read more about the subject than just this. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 23 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, especially the first half This book gives a very fine overview of why certain countries have accumulated more wealth than others. Read more Published on 16 May 2007 by E. Smakman 4.0 out of 5 stars Impressive, but not always right Landes' The wealth and poverty of nations is an impressive book. It gives a pretty comprehenisive overview of the economic history, and it explains the success of some and the... Read more Published on 15 Oct 2006 by Mat H 2.0 out of 5 stars Better and more thorough books available Not all cultures and societies measure success in term of material wealth. Other things may be more important. Read more Published on 5 Aug 2006 by Jim 5.0 out of 5 stars The Wealth and Poverty of Nations is a fantastic read I would recommend this book to anyone who wonders why is it that some nations are rich and others poor. Read more Published on 13 Feb 2005 by Mr. Richard Bristol 5.0 out of 5 stars Making the 'invisble hand' visible I really like this book, I could not put it down, I found all the episodes of a huge narrative utterly exciting. Read more Published on 16 Feb 2004 by Antal, Daniel 4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking and pulls no punches A fascinating lifetimes study of what makes nations fail or succeed. Written in an easy, fluid style that demands that you keep reading. Read more Published on 14 April 2002 by peter@pdavison.com 2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing Landes has written a hymn to protestantism, hard work and the American (& Japanese) way of life. Read more Published on 15 Mar 2002 by N G Silver 4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, with reservations The role of apparently insignificant inventions and discoveries in bringing about momentous developments in technology and civilisation is brilliantly depicted in Landes' book... Read more Published on 24 Aug 2001 5.0 out of 5 stars No political correctness in this magnificent scholarship. David Landes has an engaging and light style beneath which is an incisive analysis. He will make no friends amongst the apologists for Western success and expansion. Read more Published on 16 Aug 2001 5.0 out of 5 stars A modern classic Landes courts controversy by daring to suggest that the primary source of third world poverty is the collective mentality of the nation, instead of explaining it away as a legacy... Read more Published on 11 Jul 2001 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 23 customer reviews...

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