The Roots of Progress

The Gifts of Athena

Historical Origins of the Knowledge Economy

Joel Mokyr

What is the relationship between knowledge, especially science, and technological progress? From the preface: “This book is about the proposition that what people knew about their physical environment was of great importance to them and became increasingly so in recent centuries. It is about the history of economic growth, but far more than that, it is the history of economic welfare, of longer, healthier, and more secure lives, of more leisure and material comfort, of reducing mortality, morbidity, pain, and sorrow.” This book brought my understanding of the relationship between science and technology to a new level.

I greatly enjoyed this book, highlighting over 200 passages. Recommended for all my followers.

Get the book

Amazon (affiliate link), WorldCat

Other books by Joel Mokyr

A Culture of Growth