Main description: Why did sustained economic growth arise in Europe rather than in China? The authors combine economic theory and historical evidence to argue that political processes drove the economic divergence between the two world regions, with continued consequences today that become clear...

Listen to a short interview with Philip T. Hoffman Host: Chris Gondek ] Producer: Heron & Crane Financial disasters often have long-range institutional consequences. When financial institutions--banks, insurance companies, brokerage firms, stock exchanges--collapse, new ones take their place,...

Intro -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1. The Political Economy of Financial Crises -- 2. Information and Crises -- 3. Crises and the Middle Class -- 4. What Happens after Crises -- 5. Financial Intermediaries and the Demand for Change -- 6. Governments and the Demand for Reform...

Intro -- Contents -- Preface -- Introduction: Miracles, Myths, and Explanations in Economic History -- 1. Space and Politics -- 2. Population, Resources, and Economic Growth -- 3. Formal and Informal Mechanisms for Market Development -- 4. Warfare, Location of Manufacturing, and Economic Growth...