Before and Beyond Divergence addresses the old 'Why Europe? Why not China?' question by presenting clear, original, and provocative arguments. It is an important contribution, both substantively and methodologically. -- Kenneth Pomeranz, University of California, Irvine An important contribution that will force a wide variety of scholars to rethink what they know about both China and Europe and that lays out a model for doing big comparative research projects in the social sciences. -- Timothy W. Guinnane, Yale University
Jean-Laurent Rosenthal is the Rea A. and Lela G. Axline Professor of Business Economics at the California Institute of Technology. R. Bin Wong is Distinguished Professor of History and Director of the Asia Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Before and Beyond Divergence addresses the old 'Why Europe? Why not
China?' question by presenting clear, original, and provocative
arguments. It is an important contribution, both substantively and
methodologically.
*Kenneth Pomeranz, University of California, Irvine*
An important contribution that will force a wide variety of
scholars to rethink what they know about both China and Europe and
that lays out a model for doing big comparative research projects
in the social sciences.
*Timothy W. Guinnane, Yale University*
With its sustained, rigorous economic analysis and frequently
compressed exposition of complex arguments, this taut monograph is
a formidable but rewarding read. Rosenthal and Wong boldly tackle
one of the most challenging questions in comparative economic
history: why did sustained economic growth arise in Europe rather
than China? The authors systematically demolish conventional
narratives touting the superiority of European political, social,
and economic institutions over their Chinese counterparts. They
find convincing explanations for Sino-Western divergence in
contrasting processes of long-term political development
originating centuries before Europe's industrial revolution. Over
the course of a millennium, the huge size, prosperity, and relative
stability of China's empire conferred significant economic
advantages that long eluded Europe's fragmented, bellicose
polities. Rosenthal and Wong nonetheless conclude that the costly
military competitions that habitually distorted European history
had unintended consequences. By impelling urbanization and a demand
for capital-using technologies, Europe's constant wars rather than
China's long peace laid the groundwork for modern economic
growth.
*Choice*
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