In this landmark work, a Nobel Prize-winning economist develops a new way of understanding the process by which economies change. Douglass North inspired a revolution in economic history a generation ago by demonstrating that economic performance is determined largely by the kind and quality of...

Introduction (Martin Lutz and Tanja Skambraks) -- Part 1: Antiquity and Middle Ages -- Chapter 1.The Popular Morality of Ancient Greek Commerce (Moritz Hinsch) -- Chapter 2. Early medieval property transfers in favour of the church between religion and economy (Franziska Quaas) -- Chapter 3....