False Economy: A Surprising Economic History of the World - Tapa dura

Why do oil and diamonds lead to economic disaster more often than boom? Why doesn't Africa grow cocaine? Why might believing in God be good for your balance-sheet?

In 2001 Argentina's government bankrupted itself, yet for the past two hundred years it had enjoyed a vista of economic opportunity almost identical to that of the USA. Why did the USA succeed while Argentina stalled? Botswana and Sierra Leone are both blessed with abundant diamonds. Why did Botswana became the world's fastest-growing economy while Sierra Leone suffered a decade of brutal civil war?

The path to prosperity is rarely obvious and the sources of success are often unexpected. Time and again, world leaders have failed to learn the lessons of economic history, and their mistakes continue to have surprising and catastrophic consequences. In False Economy, Alan Beattie uses extraordinary stories of economic triumph and disaster to explain how some countries went wrong while others went right, and why it's so difficult to change course once you're on the path to ruin.

Why are Giant Pandas more trouble than they're worth?
Why does you keyboard still spell QWERTY?
Why do oil and diamonds lead to economic disaster more often than boom?
Why might believing in God be good for your balance-sheet?
Why did Indonesia prosper under a corrupt ruler while Tanzania stayed poor under an honest one?Why is Egypt, once the bread basket of the Mediterranean, now one of the biggest grain-importers in the world?

"Alan Beattie's forensic analysis shows facts can be a force for change. Give people the facts, and they'll do the right thing." - Bono