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Why Nations Fail
- The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Brilliant and engagingly written, Why Nations Fail answers the question that has stumped the experts for centuries: Why are some nations rich and others poor, divided by wealth and poverty, health and sickness, food and famine?
Is it culture, the weather, geography? Perhaps ignorance of what the right policies are?
Simply, no. None of these factors is either definitive or destiny. Otherwise, how to explain why Botswana has become one of the fastest growing countries in the world, while other African nations, such as Zimbabwe, the Congo, and Sierra Leone, are mired in poverty and violence?
Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson conclusively show that it is man-made political and economic institutions that underlie economic success (or lack of it). Korea, to take just one of their fascinating examples, is a remarkably homogeneous 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 south forged a society that created incentives, rewarded innovation, and allowed everyone to participate in economic opportunities. The economic success thus spurred was sustained because the government became accountable and responsive to citizens and the great mass of people. Sadly, the people of the north have endured decades of famine, political repression, and very different economic institutions - with no end in sight. The differences between the Koreas is due to the politics that created these completely different institutional trajectories.
Based on 15 years of original research Acemoglu and Robinson marshall extraordinary historical evidence from the Roman Empire, the Mayan city-states, medieval Venice, the Soviet Union, Latin America, England, Europe, the United States, and Africa to build a new theory of political economy with great relevance for the big questions of today, including:
- China has built an authoritarian growth machine. Will it continue to grow at such high speed and overwhelm the West?
- Are America’s best days behind it? Are we moving from a virtuous circle in which efforts by elites to aggrandize power are resisted to a vicious one that enriches and empowers a small minority?
- What is the most effective way to help move billions of people from the rut of poverty to prosperity? More philanthropy from the wealthy nations of the West? Or learning the hard-won lessons of Acemoglu and Robinson’s breakthrough ideas on the interplay between inclusive political and economic institutions?
Why Nations Fail will change the way you look at—and understand—the world.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
Critic Reviews
"Why Nations Fail is a truly awesome book. Acemoglu and Robinson tackle one of the most important problems in the social sciences - a question that has bedeviled leading thinkers for centuries - and offer an answer that is brilliant in its simplicity and power. A wonderfully readable mix of history, political science, and economics, this book will change the way we think about economic development. Why Nations Fail is a must-read book." (Steven Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics)
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- James Cooper
- 23-07-2021
A Must Read
If you want to learn about what real democracy is and when it succeeds and fails read this book.
The best book I have read
Listened to twice and i guess i will do so again
What we can learn from history!
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- Lee
- 11-04-2017
a review
Quite long and dragged on at times but overall I learnt a hell of a lot and it puts a lot of things in perspective.
Narrator did a great job of place names too 🖒
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- Daniel
- 23-06-2015
Entertaining, funny, and deeply insightful
Daron Acemoglu tackles brilliantly the main question of all political libertarians: Why revolutions fail. Why as much as we try to change the political landscape, power institutions seem to metamorphose and continue to prosper, maintaining and even deepening inequality. He does not offer solutions, but he does give deeply insightful examples in history, including recent, of nations that either evolved more humane institutions versus those that failed miserably. And no surprise, it all has to do with economics. However, he makes a very original defence of capitalism as redistributive only if and when the political system ensures fairness and a chance for individuals to threaten the status quo. I rank this book as good as The Shield of Achilles in shedding light on what drives history.
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- Anonymous User
- 08-01-2022
rollicking introduction to global inequality
sweeping summary of inequality, reads like narrative history.
gripping listen, perfect for my weak grasp of economics and global politics, but I think others would enjoy it too.
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- Anonymous User
- 09-10-2022
An interesting look how we got to where we are
to know where we are, it can be helpful to know where we come from. it appears the global society is on the cusp of serious changes
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- Oli
- 02-08-2018
Outstanding!
Worth every penny if you are interested in geopolitical literature, great case studies and well presented throughout.
Performance was also first class! Highly recommended!!
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- Amazon Customer
- 26-01-2017
Eye Opening
A well researched and well told insight. Looking at the global economy and why there is such differences in income, economic stability, and overall prosperity between different nations.
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- Javier
- 10-07-2017
Thumbs up
I'd recommend this book geopolitics enthusiast, history lovers, or anyone keen to learn about economic and political institutions. A great listen.
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- Amazon Customer
- 14-01-2023
Mandatory reading for every citizen!
Clear , concise and entertaining. In a world where information and free press are key , inclusive institutions is what determines the wealth and well-being of nations.
Welll written and greatly narrated.
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- Roger
- 22-12-2015
The secrets of national success and failure
This is an academic book with a serious treatment of its subject, but the explanations are clear and well presented. The authors use examples from countries around the world and through history to show consistent patterns in success and failure.
The encyclopedic examples bring the book alive. As you follow the developing argument, you also develop political and economic understanding of countries you are familiar with. The authors' predictions about the future of the Chinese economic miracle are particularly challenging.
It's a long audio book, but never tedious. Dan Woren's voice is pleasant, and he sounds like he knows what he is talking about.
If I had bought this on paper, it would probably still be on my bookshelf with a bookmark in chapter 1. As an audio book on my phone, it fits my busy life.
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3 people found this helpful