Why Nations Fail
The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty
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Why Nations Fail
Narrated by:
Dan Woren
Buy Now for £16.99
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Narrated by:
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Dan Woren
About this listen
“A wildly ambitious work that hopscotches through history and around the world to answer the very big question of why some countries get rich and others don’t.”—The New York Times
FINALIST: Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, Financial Times, The Economist, BusinessWeek, Bloomberg, The Christian Science Monitor, The Plain Dealer
Why are some nations rich and others poor, divided by wealth and poverty, health and sickness, food and famine? Is it culture, the weather, or geography that determines prosperity or poverty? As Why Nations Failshows, none of these factors is either definitive or destiny.
Drawing on fifteen years of original research, Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson conclusively show that it is our man-made political and economic institutions that underlie economic success (or the lack of it). Korea, to take just one example, is a remarkably homogenous nation, yet the people of North Korea are among the poorest on earth while their brothers and sisters in South Korea are among the richest. The differences between the Koreas is due to the politics that created those two different institutional trajectories. Acemoglu and Robinson marshal extraordinary historical evidence from the Roman Empire, the Mayan city-states, the Soviet Union, the United States, and Africa to build a new theory of political economy with great relevance for the big questions of today, among them:
• Will China’s economy continue to grow at such a high speed and ultimately overwhelm the West?
• Are America’s best days behind it? Are we creating a vicious cycle that enriches and empowers a small minority?
*Includes a downloadable PDF of maps from the book
“This book will change the way people think about the wealth and poverty of nations . . . as ambitious as Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel.”—BusinessWeek
Listeners also enjoyed...
History made science
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If you could sum up Why Nations Fail in three words, what would they be?
The core idea is brilliant.The examples from world history are fascinating.
The discussion of past theories on the subject are thought provoking.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Why Nations Fail?
When in the UK the elites were whigs and Tories, they actually decided to live by the rule 'of' law. This was because of the history in regard of the the fact that the ECW and glorious revolution were revolutions against absolutism, as opposed to just another elite. It was also because of the fact that there were now many more paws in government, so it was harder for the Whigs not to just become another set of elites.Which character – as performed by Dan Woren – was your favourite?
N/AWas this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
NoAny additional comments?
It might help if the reader knew the basics of English history.Thought provoking and lots of interesting history
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What did you like best about Why Nations Fail? What did you like least?
It's an interesting look back at the history of how many of the world's richest nations came to be that way, but that's not really what the title says it's about. It doesn't highlight why nations fail, only how the successful ones got where they are.Would you recommend Why Nations Fail to your friends? Why or why not?
No, too long, too boring, to badly read.Would you be willing to try another one of Dan Woren’s performances?
Not based on this.Any additional comments?
There are books that you can’t put down and there are books you can’t wait to end. This was the latter for me.The experience started badly in fairness. The opening chapters are a deluge of information and facts that come at you in an endless tirade with barely a pause for breath (literally in the audio version). Dan Woren reads the words legibly enough (if with some odd pronunciations to British ears), but so quickly and with so little emphasis on important points as to make it overwhelming.
After being bamboozled at the start, I found myself often having to skip back and re-listen to sections because I’d tuned out. I’m not sure if that was down to the laconic voice or the unengaging content.
Don’t let the title fool you either, this isn’t about why nations fail. It’s a history lesson in why some countries are rich and others poor in the modern world. It charts everything from the Glorious Revolution in England, to the exploitation of South America by the Spanish, to the rise of China.
Their argument is simple enough: inclusive institutions. By that, they mean political and social institutions where the people have a say, be that laws to insure the state can’t simple take what you have built, or democratically elected officials.
That’s not a reason why nations fail, its a reason why they don’t have long term stability, which generally seems to come along with prosperity, education and free discussion, looking at the examples stated.
I’m reading a similar book, Paul Collier’s The Bottom Billion, which delves into far more detail about the reasons nations fail to get out of poverty, and provides much greater insight.
Why Nations Fail is actually a history book, a look back at how various countries navigated their way into the top tier, or at least put themselves on the path towards it.
The book doesn’t attempt to provide answers, other than ‘because they don’t have inclusive institutions.’ It’s an interesting look back at the reasons certain things happened in particular countries, although each of those can only go so deep. It really only serves to highlight how little any of them shared.
If economic history interests you, then worth a look, but if you want to understand why nations fail, look elsewhere.
Not really what the title says
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Theory meh, history top notch.
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What did you like most about Why Nations Fail?
Clear and detailed argument put forwardWhat was one of the most memorable moments of Why Nations Fail?
Looking back in hindsight at how much new knowledge I have gained from listening to it.Which character – as performed by Dan Woren – was your favourite?
N/AWas there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
N/AAny additional comments?
Great book, I highly recommendExceptionally informative
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