Episode · Conversations with Tyler · 2026-02-18
Tyler Cowen & Joe Studwell: books mentioned on Conversations with Tyler
Joe Studwell on Africa, Asia, and What Development Actually Requires
When Tyler called Joe Studwell's How Asia Works "perhaps my favorite economics book of the year" back in 2013, he wasn't alone: it became one of the most influential treatments of industrial policy ever written. Now Studwell has turned his attention to Africa with How Africa Works.
Tyler Cowen discussed How Asia Works by Joe Studwell and How Africa Works by JOE STUDWELL.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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How Asia Works
How Asia Works by Joe Studwell is a prominent economic study that analyzes the developmental trajectories of East Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Discussed“The first is How Asia Works, which is extremely well known and has had major impact.”
Where to get it
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How Africa Works
How Africa Works by Joe Studwell is a rigorous economic analysis that investigates the successes and failures of development policies across various nations on the African continent.
Discussed“It is called How Africa Works: Success and Failure on the World's Last Developmental Frontier.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“I talk about it in the book, but it's principally been the hydrocarbon states that have had the most volatile growth over time.”
“I think that there is, but that is why my book concentrates - when it's presenting optimism - on what is going on in the private sector, and particularly what's going on in agriculture...”