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Title: Wishful Thinking, finely wrought
Review: A rich gravy of erudition smothers a thin slice of slightly tainted meat, i.e. the thesis (it's all geography & luck) is undoubtedly wrong, or, at the very best, accounts for tiny proportion of the discrepancies he attempts to explain. For detailed analysis, see the # 1 review by Christopher Smith (whom I don't know). There's more critical thought in that review than in the book itself.On the other hand, the "gravy" alone, the research and erudition, is probably worth the price of the book. Otherwise, see David Landes, "The Wealth and Poverty of Nations."
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