The Wealth and Poverty of Nations

[Jim heartfield]

In message <362FCF37.BE61099D at Lorainccc.edu>, Tom Lehman
<uswa12 at lorainccc.edu> writes
>Dear Doug and the LBOers,
>
>Does anyone have any comments on the book The Wealth and Poverty of
>Nations by Harvard economics prof David Landes.
>
>The book has gotten some so-so reviews.  Personally, I found it to be
>entertaining light reading.  How would Landes stack up against List?
>
>Sincerely,
>Tom Lehman
>

Many years ago Landes wrote Prometheus Unbound, a history of
industrialisation. The book is a brilliant example of the way that
traditional economics distills human relations into relations between
things. It is full of phrases like 'the coal industry built the
railways' and 'steam power opened up the seas' (a bit like Mark Jones
recent contribution on the struggle between carbon and hydrogen). That
said it is a very good and comprehensive history. I look forward to
Wealth and POverty of Nations.
-- 
Jim heartfield