In this unique anthology, Steckel and Floud coordinate ten essays that bring a new perspective to inquiry about standard of living in modern times. These papers are arranged for international comparison, and they individually examine evidence of health and welfare during and after...

Biographical note: KainJohn F.: John F. Kain is Professor of Economics and Professor of City Planning, Harvard University.MeyerJohn R.: John R. Meyer was the James W. Harpel Professor of Capital Formation Emeritus at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

America’s expansion to one of the richest nations in the world was partly due to a steady increase in labor productivity, which in turn depends upon the invention and deployment of new technologies and on investments in both human and physical capital. The accumulation of human capital—the...