Summary of Why Nations Fail

Daron Acemoğlu, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and James A. Robinson, a political scientist and economist at the University of Chicago, recognize that whether you’re from a wealthy or impoverished nation, you probably wondered why your country inhabits its place in the international hierarchy. Culture? Natural resources? Luck? Acemoğlu and Robinson offer a compelling and, ultimately, hopeful assessment of why certain nations enjoy economic primacy.

The authors are recognized as among the foremost authorities in the world in their field. Accordingly, The Wall Street Journal called this, “a splendid piece of scholarship and a showcase of economic rigor.” The New York Review of Books wrote, “Should be required reading for politicians and anyone concerned with economic development.”