Every book Jeff Sachs recommended on podcasts

Jeff Sachs is an economist and academic who discusses global economics, history, and human well-being on prominent podcasts. On The Book Review and Freakonomics Radio, Sachs recommended and discussed several works that inform his teaching and philosophical framework. He strongly recommended Robert J. Gordon's book The Rise and Fall of American Growth, calling it phenomenal and noting that he regularly assigns it to his students to study and debate. Sachs praised the book specifically for its important distinction between measured economic growth according to gross domestic product and true progress in human well-being. In addition to contemporary economic history, Sachs frequently referenced Aristotle's classic philosophical work Nicomachean Ethics. He used the ancient text to discuss the philosophical foundations of human happiness, pointing out that Aristotle argued over two thousand years ago that achieving happiness requires having one's fundamental material needs met. Through these selections, Sachs bridges economic analysis and classical philosophy to examine the prerequisites for a good society and a fulfilling human life.