Part of what is behind a great inequality in the wealth of nations is institutional factors. The adoption of differential institutions across the globe, and cultural traits that are gross enhancing in some segments of the world. And on top of it, there is an argument that i hope we will have time to discuss, which is the issue of human diversity and how it interacts with with comparative development.
Oded Galor’s remarkable new book, The Journey of Humanity, can feel like seeing the world with fresh eyes. His analysis of the origins of wealth and inequality is compelling, original and, especially during these troubled times, refreshingly optimistic. Speaking across the political divide the book sets out a convincing blueprint for how a better life can be had by everyone on the planet. Galor, an economist at Brown University, upends many of our assumptions about human progress. For nearly all of human history humans lived a subsistence existence but something astonishing happened 200 years ago and the living standards of nearly all humans have skyrocketed – albeit unevenly – since then. Hosting the discussion is journalist, author and former BBC News Editorial Director, Kamal Ahmed.
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