Introduction -- What it's all about : a short primer on GDP -- William petty and political arithmetic : the origins of GDP -- The frustrations of Colin Clark : England -- Simon Kuznets and the politics of gross national product : the United States -- War, kidnapping, and data theft : Germany --...

In The Power of a Single Number, Philipp Lepenies tells the lively, unpredictable history of GDP's political acceptance—and eventual dominance. Since it was first widely used in the mid-twentieth century, GDP (gross domestic product) has become the world's most powerful statistical indicator...

Intro -- Table of Contents -- Introduction -- 1. What It's All About: A Short Primer on GDP -- 2. William Petty and Political Arithmetic: The Origins of GDP -- 3. The Frustrations of Colin Clark: England -- 4. Simon Kuznets and the Politics of Gross National Product: The United States -- 5. War,...