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The Wealth and Poverty of Nations by David S. Landes (Hardcover, 1998)
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Publisher: Little, Brown ISBN 13: 9780316908672. Author: David S. Landes ISBN 10: 0316908673. Title: Wealth And Poverty Of Nations Item Condition: used item in a good condition. Books will be free of page markings.
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Product Information
Now that the old division of the world into the two power blocs of East and West has subsided, the great gap in wealth and health that separates North and South remains the single greatest problem and danger facing the world of the Third Millennium. The only challenge of comparable scope and difficulty is the threat of the environmental deterioration, and the two are intimately connected, indeed are one. David Landes argues that the North-South division is the great drama of our times, and that drama implies tension, passion, conflict and disappointment as well as happy outcomes. While Landes does not claim to have all the answers, he offers suggestions - although their impact is dependent upon a radical reappraisal of cultural values. Numerous historical examples are drawn together on global history, economics and the future.Product Identifiers
PublisherLittle, Brown & Company
ISBN-139780316908672
eBay Product ID (ePID)88221332
Product Key Features
Number of Pages672 Pages
Publication NameThe Wealth and Poverty of Nations
LanguageEnglish
SubjectEconomics, Geology, Government
Publication Year1998
TypeTextbook
Subject AreaEconomic Sociology
AuthorDavid S. Landes
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height234 mm
Item Weight1031 g
Item Width153 mm
Additional Product Features
Country/Region of ManufactureUnited States
Title_AuthorDavid S. Landes
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- 26 Dec, 2022
A fascinating book by an eminent author- but one that not evryone will agree with!
This book by the eminent Professor David Landes of Harvard University “does exactly what it says on the tin,” albeit not everyone will agree with Landes’ thesis. Using fascinating anecdotes and a lively wit, Landes sets out reasons for the wealth and poverty of nations in terms of geography, geology, cultural attitudes, social structures, and political leadership. I enjoyed this book very much, but sometimes it was a guilty pleasure because, like Hamlet when reading a book about the weaknesses of the elderly, I believed what I read to be true but felt it “not honesty to see it set down”! When writing this book, Landes was s at the end of his career, and maybe because of this, pulls no punches in his writing. How much you enjoy this book will depend on how hard you feel your beliefs are being hit! Some readers will feel Landes needed an editor to tell him to tone his writing down; others that it is refreshing when writers say things as they see them. The book dates from 1998 and I can recall some Senior Common room reviews from that time from left-of-centre academic colleagues. “It seems like an updated version of Max Weber’s protestant work ethics approach to me” said one. Another “I really didn’t like it; the author explains how Western countries got rich (rather minimising the helping hand from colonialism and slavery), then doesn’t discuss how these countries used economic imperialism to pull the ladder up behind them and keep poor countries poor.” Another dismissed the work as “this is just another load of Eurocentric claptrap!” So, there you go! As Landes himself comments, the topics discussed in this book are entwined with political and cultural viewpoints such that readers “know the answers” before reading the book. In my view, Landes makes a good case for his views overall. He goes for a European edge after 1500 in contrast to the California school which sets the date at abut 1800. Landes points to European technical superiority in clockmaking, wind power, the printing press, firearms, sailing and navigation by 1500 in contradiction to other authors who believe Europe was well behind China and other Asian civilisations in technology at this point. I feel the California school over-eggs its pudding, for example giving the example that battles between Asian and European powers could go either way until 1800; rather forgetting that Asian countries use European advisors and not the other way round, and that the battles were fought on Asian home turf- the idea of, say, the Mughals, sailing to England and conquering it is absurd in spite of the Mughals vastly larger population. Landes gives interesting descriptions and explanations and generates an effective narrative, but some readers will feel he sticks the boot into a number of cultures. For example, the Spanish and Portuguese Empires and South American States, the Chinese Empire, the Islamic empires, and modern Islamic states all get a bit of a kicking. Landes also gives short shrift to ideas of folk such as Tharoor who state that India was on the cusp of its own move to industry, unity, and democracy until forestalled by British colonialism. Landes dismisses refutations of his viewpoints as being the result of historians embellishing stories to make people with less fortunate economic histories feel better about themselves. However, Professor Landes himself sometimes comes across as rather smug with respect to the US compared to the rest, in the manner of an early 20th century British Imperialist looking down on other cultures and hence seems less than objective. As we have seen, some folks dismiss Landes’ arguments as Eurocentric bias. Landes deals with this by reminding readers to beware of name calling which dismisses rather than refutes arguments. Landes is doubtless very erudite ( I had to consult a dictionary a few times) but sometimes knows less than he thinks and on his writing about Chinese ships and firearms he makes some factual errors. Some parts if the book were better than others; the chapters on the rise of Japan were particularly informative. The book has some useful maps and tables, extensive notes, and a thorough bibliography. More data tables would have been of added value. Overall, this is a very good book, and few readers will not gain significant information from it. However, it remains that some readers will enjoy the book, and some hate it, based upon their worldview. For readers wanting to follow this book up with a balanced review of the topic of this book, I can recommend Jonathan Daly’s 2015 book “Historians debate the Rise of the West”.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 15 Sep, 2017
Good book as described value for money .
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
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