The main idea of this book is to provide context and understanding to the question evident in the book’s title, why are some nations so rich and why are some nations so poor? Although the author does not claim to have an answer to the question, Landes does a phenomenal job in aggregating the works of countless scholars to provide a cohesive framework based on four key ideas. These major points consist of: the ideals of the society, Technological innovation, economic resources and environmental favors, and cultural influence.
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David Landes uses an immensely extensive variety of resources for his book, whose bibliography spans over 65 pages ranging from academic articles in journals to newspaper articles from around the world. Landes …show more content…
He agrees with Adam Smith, stating that “that division of labor and widening of the market encourage technological innovation” (pg 46). Landes argues that it was due to many key inventions that allowed for great momentum of economical production that lasted for centuries. One such invention was the water wheel, which Europe easily had tens of thousands of by the 11th century. The water wheel allowed Europeans to utilize water as a ubiquitous source of power, providing a monumental increase in the production of grain, cloth, metalworking, beer, and later paper. Skilled craftsmen in Europe also saw a boon with the invention of the eyeglass. Skilled workers such as toolmakers, weavers, metalworkers, and readers constantly worked closely with their raw materials, often focusing intently at the job in front of them. This however, puts a lot of strain on their eyes and by the age of 40 most craftsmen develop eye problems that render them unable to work. However, with the advent of the eyeglass, they can continue to work for another 20 years. These technologies as well as countless others all share a common theme according to Landes; they increased productivity that they became extremely high demand, so much so that Europeans could not make enough to export to other countries. This in turn led to a rapidly growing economic disparity between the Europeans and the other
Sources:
David Landes uses an immensely extensive variety of resources for his book, whose bibliography spans over 65 pages ranging from academic articles in journals to newspaper articles from around the world. Landes …show more content…
He agrees with Adam Smith, stating that “that division of labor and widening of the market encourage technological innovation” (pg 46). Landes argues that it was due to many key inventions that allowed for great momentum of economical production that lasted for centuries. One such invention was the water wheel, which Europe easily had tens of thousands of by the 11th century. The water wheel allowed Europeans to utilize water as a ubiquitous source of power, providing a monumental increase in the production of grain, cloth, metalworking, beer, and later paper. Skilled craftsmen in Europe also saw a boon with the invention of the eyeglass. Skilled workers such as toolmakers, weavers, metalworkers, and readers constantly worked closely with their raw materials, often focusing intently at the job in front of them. This however, puts a lot of strain on their eyes and by the age of 40 most craftsmen develop eye problems that render them unable to work. However, with the advent of the eyeglass, they can continue to work for another 20 years. These technologies as well as countless others all share a common theme according to Landes; they increased productivity that they became extremely high demand, so much so that Europeans could not make enough to export to other countries. This in turn led to a rapidly growing economic disparity between the Europeans and the other