The Rise and Decline of Nations: Economic Growth, Stagflation, and Social Rigidities: Amazon.ca: Mancur Olson: Books

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The years since World War II have seen rapid shifts in the relative positions of different countries and regions. Leading political economist Mancur Olson offers a new and compelling theory to explain these shifts in fortune and then tests his theory against evidence from many periods of history and many parts of the world.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A parsimonious argument., Jan 18 2004

By

frumiousb "frumiousb" (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rise and Decline of Nations: Economic Growth, Stagflation, and Social Rigidities (Paperback)

When I picked up this book to begin reading it, I was quite frankly nervous. I'd heard it recommended in so many places that I wanted to read it, but I am not an economist by training and so was not sure that I was going to be able to follow the arguments that it laid out.

While I'm certainly not going to claim that I understood everything, I think that I did manage to follow the majority of Olson's points. Furthermore, I believe that this owes more to the lucid and well-structured nature of the book than it does to me being blessed with any unusual intelligence.

_The Rise and Decline of Nations_ begins with an explanation of the questions that the book will explore and sets the standards for the consideration of a satisfactory answer. It then works out the logic of the offered argument and breaks that argument down into 9 well-described implications. It then goes on to test and explain that logic and those implications. Olson does a wonderful job of providing adequate support the concepts that he introduces, even to the point of pointing out areas where non-economists might have special trouble or require further information. As a result of all his hard work, the book has the feeling of being exactly as long as it needs to be, and no longer.

I was certainly convinced by his arguments about how special interest groups affect economic growth. I understood why he was unwilling to take it farther into the area of policy, but couldn't help but wonder what the eventual policy implications would be, assuming that his theory is further tested and developed. I also found myself wondering if this argument would work in the same way *within* a corporation and whether it might say something about reorganisation and restructuring exercises.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and recommend it wholeheartedly.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Power groups disected, Sep 25 2001

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Maarten de Kok (Amsterdam Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rise and Decline of Nations: Economic Growth, Stagflation, and Social Rigidities (Paperback)

In this extremely well written book Mancur Olson applies his Noble Price winning 'Logic of Collective Action' to the real world. It tries to give a partial answer to the question: why do some countries get rich and others do not? Well: power groups emerge and make a society rigid. The society cannot properly respond to changes anymore. The theory is applied to a very large number of nations throughout recorded histrory: from ancient China and caste India to apartheid South Africa and post-industrial-revolution England. The only country/nation throughout the entire human histry he admids he has trouble understanding with this great theory is France. Read it!

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5.0 out of 5 stars Elegant Theory Elegantly Presented, Aug 9 2001

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Sam Maverick (Washington, DC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rise and Decline of Nations: Economic Growth, Stagflation, and Social Rigidities (Paperback)

Professor Olson describes a wide range of social/economic structures and processes (unions, big government, high and rising taxes, regulation, monopolies, etc.) that characterize most economies but more so the aging economies of Western Europe (This book was written before the unification of eastern and western Europe). He then proceeds to show us what these all have in common: They each, together and with time, contribute in increasingly slowing down and stifling a nation's economy. Reading this book leads one to see that the USA is also involved in a similar progression, albeit at an earlier stage. I first read this book as an Economics student about 15 years ago. I enjoyed it tremendously. I also learned from it. His clear and powerful conveyance of concepts have kept the ideas with me. He explains the economics simply yet completely. One need not have studied Economics to follow him. I highly recommend this book. Even though the author's forescast is gloomy, his book is brilliant. Sherry S.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic in the world of political economy.....
It surprises me that I haven't reviewed this book..... Anyway, this is one of the classic works on political economy: it builds on the Olson's earlier (and perhaps even better... Read more

Published on Oct 12 2000 by J. Michael Showalter

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic in the world of political economy.....
It surprises me that I haven't reviewed this book..... Anyway, this is one of the classic works on political economy: it builds on the Olson's earlier (and perhaps even better... Read more

Published on Oct 12 2000 by J. Michael Showalter