Podcast: People I (Mostly) Admire
Episode: Nobel Laureate Daron Acemoglu on Economics, Politics, and Power (REPLAY) | People I (Mostly) Admire
Here’s a list of all the books mentioned in this episode, complete with an Amazon buy link and quotes from the episode.
Why Nations Fail
Buy on Amazon"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."
Why Nations Fail
Buy on Amazon"Living in the United States in the 21st century, it seems normal, almost inevitable, that there's rule of law, that there are property rights, that there's democracy, but looking back over human history—and I hadn't really fully understood this till 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, derail it, and go back to this central control of all the assets."
Power and Progress
Buy 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.' And next week, we are back with a brand new episode featuring Richard Reeves; his research into the struggles of boys and men is stunning, sobering, and extremely important."
Why Nations Fail
Buy 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.' And next week, we are back with a brand new episode featuring Richard Reeves; his research into the struggles of boys and men is stunning, sobering, and extremely important."