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A Culture of Growth
The Origins of the Modern Economy
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A Culture of Growth
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Ideal for readers interested in economic history, the Enlightenment, and the scientific roots of modern society, this book appeals to scholars and general readers seeking a deep understanding of the cultural forces behind economic growth.
Why Enlightenment culture sparked the Industrial RevolutionDuring the late eighteenth century, innovations in Europe triggered the Industrial Revolution and the sustained economic progress that spread across the globe. While much has been made of the details of the Industrial Revolution, what remains a mystery is why it took place at all. Why d
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Why did Enlightenment culture spark the Industrial Revolution? During the late eighteenth century, innovations in Europe triggered the Industrial Revolution and the sustained economic progress that spread across the globe. While much has been made of the details of the Industrial Revolution, what remains a mystery is why it took place at all. Why did this revolution begin in the West and not elsewhere, and why did it continue, leading to today's unprecedented prosperity?
In this groundbreaking book, celebrated economic historian Joel Mokyr argues that a culture of growth specific to early modern Europe and the European Enlightenment laid the foundations for the scientific advances and pioneering inventions that would instigate explosive technological and economic development. Bringing together economics, the history of science and technology, and models of cultural evolution, Mokyr demonstrates that culture—the beliefs, values, and preferences in society that are capable of changing behaviour—was a deciding factor in societal transformations.
Mokyr looks at the period 1500–1700 to show that a politically fragmented Europe fostered a competitive "market for ideas" and a willingness to investigate the secrets of nature. At the same time, a transnational community of brilliant thinkers known as the "Republic of Letters" freely circulated and distributed ideas and writings. This political fragmentation and the supportive intellectual environment explain how the Industrial Revolution happened in Europe but not China, despite similar levels of technology and intellectual activity. In Europe, heterodox and creative thinkers could find sanctuary in other countries and spread their thinking across borders. In contrast, China's version of the Enlightenment remained controlled by the ruling elite.
Combining ideas from economics and cultural evolution, A Culture of Growth provides startling reasons for why the foundations of our modern economy were laid in the mere two centuries between Columbus and Newton.
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Winner of the 2018 Allan Sharlin Memorial Award and finalist for the 2017 Hayek Prize, A Culture of Growth has been praised for its insightful blending of economics, science history, and cultural evolution. The New Yorker calls it "fascinating," highlighting Mokyr’s focus on science as the driver of Europe's dominance. The Wall Street Journal hails it as "a fine book" that deepens understanding of humanity's greatest welfare transformation. Its wide-ranging, erudite analysis challenges simplistic economic histories, stressing the power of ideas and individual agency.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780691180960
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 12 June 2018
Country: United States
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Illustration: 1 line illus.
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 133.0mm
Height: 203.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 424
About the Author
Joel Mokyr, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, is the Robert H. Strotz Professor of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Economics and History at Northwestern University and Senior Professor at the Eitan Berglas School of Economics at Tel Aviv University. His books include (with Avner Greif and Guido Tabellini) Two Paths to Prosperity: Culture and Institutions in Europe and China, 10002000 (Princeton).
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