How the West grew rich: the economic transformation of the industrial world

Sinopsis

Rosenberg and Birdzell examine how the West--Europe, Canada, and the United States--escaped from poverty into sustained economic growth and material well-being. They present an interpretative study of the economic development of the Western world since the Middle Ages and argue that the political pluralism and flexibility of the West's institutions explain its prosperity and wealth. The authors demonstrate that the break-up of centralized political and religious controls encouraged the expansion of trade and the growth of urban culture, along with the scientific, cultural, and political freedom that was necessary to feed economic and technological innovations. ISBN 0-465-03108-0 : $19.95.