Emre Poyraz
asked:
KARL, IS THAT YOU? I have not read the book yet. I was just browsing the reviews to see if I read the book. I am pretty surprised by how Marxist it all sounds. Inclusive economic institutions? Elites exploiting the masses? Historical determinism? Does this sound a lot like "Marxism without capitalism" or is it me?
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Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty,
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Lalit Kumar
This book is not a fan of Communism at all. In contrast, it has criticised Stalin, Mao in a crude manner. China was responsible for Black plague, I got to know about that in this book. Elites exploiting the masses is a reality even today. And the same doesn't happen in capitalist economies exclusively. China is a so called communist country but their population lives in an extremely exploitative atmosphere. The work culture is capitalist. Companies are capitalist. China is a bizarre country in itself. Book is not that great when it comes to delving into the topic. It has only touched upon all the topic and left it to conclude by the reader.
Daniel
The book steps outside the Marxist/Capitalist dichotomy to tackle the more pressing idea of inclusive versus exclusive institutions as the parameters for prosperity. It's a compelling perspective.
Alex P
The book is not fantastic, however it tries to suggest some answers from a certain perspective. Unfortunately this theory is not a "one-size-fits-all" but I consider it is a good starting point to more complex views/ theories. Wonderful by its background, though.
Menno Vis
The book is not like that at all; in brief it explains why some countries are rich and others are not. It is an interesting read and makes you think.
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