Nordhaus (2008) has developed a testing strategy for what he calls "Baumol's diseases", by which name he designates a number of by-products of structural change that are unwanted from an economic policy perspective. He finds that the U.S. economy is strongly affected by the "diseases". This...

"Using case studies from around the globe and multiple time periods, Smith makes the case that abundance provides an essential explanatory perspective on ancient peoples' choices and activities. Focusing on plentitude enables the understanding of cohesive behaviors that were equally important...