The world is a better place than it used to be. People are wealthier and healthier, and live longer lives. Yet the escapes from destitution by so many have left gaping inequalities between people and between nations. In The Great Escape, Angus Deaton--one of the foremost experts on economic...

I explore the connection between income inequality and health in both poor and rich countries. I discuss a range of mechanisms, including nonlinear income effects, credit restrictions, nutritional traps, public goods provision, and relative deprivation. I review the evidence on the effects of...

In this essay, I review Robert Fogel's The Escape from Hunger and Premature Death, 1700-2100 which is concerned with the past, present, and future of human health. Fogel's work places great emphasis on nutrition, not only for the history of health, but for explaining aspects of current health,...

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Preface -- Introduction: What This Book Is About -- 1. The Wellbeing of the World -- PART I. LIFE AND DEATH -- 2. From Prehistory to 1945 -- 3. Escaping Death in the Tropics -- 4. Health in the Modern World -- PART II. MONEY -- 5. Material Wellbeing in the United...