📚 5 Books mentioned in "124. Daron Acemoglu on Economics, Politics, and Power | People I (Mostly) Admire" of People I (Mostly) Admire

People I (Mostly) Admire

Podcast: People I (Mostly) Admire

Episode: 124. Daron Acemoglu on Economics, Politics, and Power | People I (Mostly) Admire

Published on February 5, 2024

Here’s a list of all the books mentioned in this episode. Click on the links to watch specific excerpts on YouTube and feel free to purchase the books if they caught your interest!

Eve Cover

Eve

by Cat Bohannon

Buy Eve by Cat Bohannon on Amazon

My guest will be Cat Bohannan, who has written an absolutely stunning book; it's called "Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution."

Steve Levitt introduces his next guest, Cat Bohannon, who has authored a remarkable book titled "Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution."

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Power and Progress Cover

Power and Progress

by Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson

Buy Power and Progress by Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson on Amazon

My guest today, Daron Acemoglu, is a professor of Economics at MIT and co-author of a number of influential books written for a popular audience, including "Why Nations Fail" and "Power and Progress."

In this episode, podcast host Steve Levitt introduces his guest, Daron Acemoglu, highlighting that he is the co-author of 'Power and Progress,' among other influential books aimed at a general audience.

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Power and Progress Cover

Power and Progress

by Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson

Buy Power and Progress by Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson on Amazon

That's what triggered the "Why Nations Fail" book, which you have so kindly explained in such a masterly way, and that's also what motivated my more recent book "Power and Progress."

Daron Acemoglu explains that the concepts discussed served as inspiration for his book 'Power and Progress', elaborating on the motivations behind his recent work.

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Another point that you make really forcefully in your book is the importance of property rights.

In this segment, podcast host Steve Levitt discusses the significance of property rights, referencing the book 'Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity' as 'your book'. While the title is not stated outright, the context of the discussion makes the reference clear.

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I want to talk about your most recent book; it's co-authored with Simon Johnson and it's called "Power and Progress," it came out in May of 2023.

In the podcast, host Steve Levitt discusses the latest book of Daron Acemoglu, which he co-authored with Simon Johnson, titled "Power and Progress," released in May 2023.

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You have a lot of examples in the book of technologies which create a lot of good, but almost all of that good is gobbled up by a set of elites, and it leaves the rest of society no better off.

In this segment, podcast host Steve Levitt discusses concepts and examples from 'Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity,' highlighting how technological advancements often benefit a select group while leaving the broader society unchanged.

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The example that Simon and I give quite centrally in the book is Henry Ford's factories, which were at the forefront of automation.

Steve Levitt discusses an example from the book related to Henry Ford's factories and their role in automation, clarifying that the book in question is 'Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity'.

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If you want more of Daron Acemoglu's thinking, my two favorite books of his are the ones we talked about today: "Why Nations Fail" and his most recent book, "Power and Progress."

In this segment, podcast host Steve Levitt shares his two favorite books by Daron Acemoglu, highlighting 'Power and Progress' as the most recent recommendation.

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Why Nations Fail Cover

Why Nations Fail

by Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson

Buy Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson on Amazon

My guest today, Daron Acemoglu, is a professor of Economics at MIT and co-author of a number of influential books written for a popular audience, including "Why Nations Fail" and "Power and Progress."

In this episode, host Steve Levitt introduces his guest, Daron Acemoglu, highlighting him as the co-author of the influential book 'Why Nations Fail,' which has gained recognition for its insights into economics.

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Okay, so back in 2012, you and James Robinson published a book called "Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty."

In this segment, Steve Levitt refers to the book 'Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty', co-authored by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson, highlighting its significance in the discussion.

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You give fascinating examples in the book "Why Nations Fail," like there was this guy named William Lee who invented something called a stocking frame that dramatically sped up the rate at which people could knit, and one would expect this guy would get a hero's welcome, but you tell the story in the book that it was quite the opposite.

In this segment, podcast host Steve Levitt discusses the book 'Why Nations Fail,' highlighting intriguing examples, including the narrative of inventor William Lee, who created a stocking frame that significantly increased knitting efficiency, yet faced an unexpected reception.

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That's what triggered the "Why Nations Fail" book, which you have so kindly explained in such a masterly way, and that's also what motivated my more recent book "Power and Progress."

Daron Acemoglu discusses how the ideas he presented were the inspiration for his book 'Why Nations Fail', while also referencing the motivation behind his more recent work, 'Power and Progress'.

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But looking back over human history, and I hadn't really fully understood this until I read "Why Nations Fail," not only are all of these pretty rare, but the set of circumstances that led to rule of law and property rights and democracy taking hold first in England and then spreading actually seems somewhat miraculous, that at some point early on an autocrat didn't stop the whole process dead and go back to this central control of all the assets.

Podcast host Steve Levitt reflects on how he gained insights into the principles of rule of law by reading 'Why Nations Fail,' a book by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson.

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Why Nations Fail Cover

Why Nations Fail

by Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson

Buy Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson on Amazon

If you want more of Daron Acemoglu's thinking, my two favorite books of his are the ones we talked about today: "Why Nations Fail" and his most recent book, "Power and Progress."

In this segment, podcast host Steve Levitt shares his recommendations for two of Daron Acemoglu's books, highlighting 'Why Nations Fail' as one of his favorites.

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