A landmark comparative history of Europe and China that examines why the Industrial Revolution emerged in the West
The Great Divergence sheds light on one of the great questions of history: Why did sustained industrial growth begin in Northwest Europe? Historian Kenneth Pomeranz shows that as recently as 1750, life expectancy, consumption, and product and factor markets were comparable in Europe and East Asia. Moreover, key regions in China and Japan were no worse off ecologically than those in Western Europe, with each region facing corresponding shortages of land-intensive products. Pomeranz's comparative lens reveals the two critical factors resulting in Europe's nineteenth-century divergence-the fortunate location of coal and access to trade with the New World. As East Asia's economy stagnated, Europe narrowly escaped the same fate largely due to favorable resource stocks from underground and overseas. This Princeton Classics edition includes a preface from the author and makes a powerful historical work available to new readers.
| ISBN: | 9780691217185 |
| Publication date: | 9th April 2021 |
| Author: | Kenneth Pomeranz |
| Publisher: | Princeton University Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 404 pages |
| Series: | The Princeton Economic History of the Western World |
| Genres: |
General and world history |
A landmark comparative history of Europe and China that examines why the Industrial Revolution emerged in the West
The Great Divergence sheds light on one of the great questions of history: Why did sustained industrial growth begin in Northwest Europe? Historian Kenneth Pomeranz shows that as recently as 1750, life expectancy, consumption, and product and factor markets were comparable in Europe and East Asia. Moreover, key regions in China and Japan were no worse off ecologically than those in Western Europe, with each region facing corresponding shortages of land-intensive products. Pomeranz's comparative lens reveals the two critical factors resulting in Europe's nineteenth-century divergence-the fortunate location of coal and access to trade with the New World. As East Asia's economy stagnated, Europe narrowly escaped the same fate largely due to favorable resource stocks from underground and overseas. This Princeton Classics edition includes a preface from the author and makes a powerful historical work available to new readers.
The Great Divergence features in the following genres: General and world history
The Great Divergence is available in Paperback
The Great Divergence was written by Kenneth Pomeranz and published by Princeton University Press
The Great Divergence has 404 pages
Yes it is part of The Princeton Economic History of the Western World series
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