The Lever of Riches: Technological Creativity and Economic ProgressIn a world of supercomputers, genetic engineering, and fiber optics, technological creativity is ever more the key to economic success. But why are some nations more creative than others, and why do some highly innovative societies--such as ancient China, or Britain in the industrial revolution--pass into stagnation? Beginning with a fascinating, concise history of technological progress, Mokyr sets the background for his analysis by tracing the major inventions and innovations that have transformed society since ancient Greece and Rome. What emerges from this survey is often surprising: the classical world, for instance, was largely barren of new technology, the relatively backward society of medieval Europe bristled with inventions, and the period between the Reformation and the Industrial Revolution was one of slow and unspectacular progress in technology, despite the tumultuous developments associated with the Voyages of Discovery and the Scientific Revolution. What were the causes of technological creativity? Mokyr distinguishes between the relationship of inventors and their physical environment--which determined their willingness to challenge nature--and the social environment, which determined the openness to new ideas. He discusses a long list of such factors, showing how they interact to help or hinder a nation's creativity, and then illustrates them by a number of detailed comparative studies, examining the differences between Europe and China, between classical antiquity and medieval Europe, and between Britain and the rest of Europe during the industrial revolution. He examines such aspects as the role of the state (the Chinese gave up a millennium-wide lead in shipping to the Europeans, for example, when an Emperor banned large ocean-going vessels), the impact of science, as well as religion, politics, and even nutrition. He questions the importance of such commonly-cited factors as the spill-over benefits of war, the abundance of natural resources, life expectancy, and labor costs. Today, an ever greater number of industrial economies are competing in the global market, locked in a struggle that revolves around technological ingenuity. The Lever of Riches, with its keen analysis derived from a sweeping survey of creativity throughout history, offers telling insights into the question of how Western economies can maintain, and developing nations can unlock, their creative potential. |
Other editions - View all
The Lever of Riches: Technological Creativity and Economic Progress Joel Mokyr No preview available - 1990 |
The Lever of Riches: Technological Creativity and Economic Progress Joel Mokyr No preview available - 1990 |
Common terms and phrases
achieved adaptive adopted agriculture analogy applied argued became biological breakthroughs Britain British built century B.C. chemical China Chinese classical clock competition Continent costs cotton created devices diffusion early economic growth economic history economists effects efficient Empire environment Europe European eventually evolutionary evolutionary biology example factors famous furnaces historians History of Technology human ideas important improvements increase Industrial Revolution innovation invention inventors iron Islamic Jacquard loom knowledge known labor loom Lynn White machine macroinventions macromutations manufacturing mechanical medieval ment Middle Ages military mills mining modern Moreover nature Needham nineteenth century nological nomic occurred patent system period political population problem production pump Roman sail Schumpeterian growth scientific ships slow Smithian growth social society Source species spinning steam engine steel success tech technical techniques techno technological change technological creativity technological progress textiles theory tion water frame waterpower waterwheel West Western wheel