Mighti Jamie

No one ever goes into an argument intending to lose. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that every single person on the face of the planet—every man, woman and child—has, at some moment or another, tried to win an argument. Because arguments are everywhere. Whether it is in the comments section on Facebook, or in the Houses of Parliament, or at the dinner table. We cannot escape the human urge, need, and—yes—desire to argue. But arguing itself tends to get a bad rap. It’s blamed for everything from political polarization to marital breakdown.

Economics is broken. It has failed to predict, let alone prevent, financial crises that have shaken the foundations of our societies. Its outdated theories have permitted a world in which extreme poverty persists while the wealth of the super-rich grows year on year. And its blind spots have led to policies that are degrading the living world on a scale that threatens all of our futures. Can it be fixed?

Brilliant and engagingly written, Why Nations Fail answers the question that has stumped the experts for centuries: Why are some nations rich and others poor, divided by wealth and poverty, health and sickness, food and famine?