Person
Every book Joel Mokyr recommended on podcasts
Joel Mokyr appears on Conversations with Tyler as an economic historian deeply concerned with technological progress, institutional structures, and the historical divergence of global economies. In discussing the technological stagnation of China after 1400, Mokyr references Joseph Needham's multi-volume work 'Science and Civilisation in China', citing Needham's extensive research into Chinese technology and science. Expanding on cultural differences and family structures, Mokyr cites Joseph Henrich's book 'The WEIRDest People in the World', pointing to Henrich's arguments regarding how Western civilization developed a distinct cultural and psychological exception. Furthermore, Mokyr examines the grim realities of industrialization, referencing Friedrich Engels's 'The Condition of the Working-Class in England' to highlight the terrible living and working conditions in nineteenth-century industrial cities, while noting that Engels's work drew heavily upon contemporary medical reports. Through these historical and sociological references, Mokyr illustrates the complex institutional and cultural factors that drive or hinder human economic development across centuries.
Books recommended by Joel Mokyr
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Science and Civilisation in China
Science and Civilisation in China by Joseph Needham, Ling Wang, and Gwei-Djen Lu is a monumental multi-volume scholarly work documenting the vast history of science, technology, and innovation in Chinese civilization.
Discussed“Somebody actually went out and looked at Joseph Needham’s many volumes on Chinese technology and science, or Science and Civilisation [in China], as he called it”
Where to get it
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The Condition of the Working-Class in England
Discussed“The most famous book about that was, of course, Friedrich Engels’ Condition of the Working-Class in England, which was largely plagiarized from a whole bunch of doctors living in the Midlands”
Where to get it
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The WEIRDest People in the World
The WEIRDest People in the World by Joseph Patrick Henrich explores how Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic societies developed distinct psychological profiles shaped by historical shifts in family structures and religious institutions.
Discussed“That’s essentially the tenor of Joe Henrich’s book called The WEIRDest People, in which he points this out.”
Where to get it
Books Joel Mokyr wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joel Mokyr on Clans, Corporations, and a Culture of Growth | Conversations with Tyler | 2026-07-08 | 4 |