On The Causes of Economic Growth - Lessons from History (Hardcover)


Editorial ReviewsProduct Description
In a sweeping review of economic history, the author presents the salient facts of booms and slowdowns in the major economies of the world, in 50-year intervals and demonstrates the weakness of orthodox theories. The only factor that consistently causes growth, he shows, is centralized support for manufacturing, which spurs the creation of new technologies, which lead to wealth creation.
Since the earliest of times, human beings have endeavored to uncover the causes of prosperity. Step by step, Sabillon tests the principal theories on the causes of economic growth against the facts of history.
Here, the economic statistics of the world are presented in a rationalized format that allows for comparison across countries and through time, with a challenge to those who study them -- to determine, with an open mind, what the statistics show and what are the trends -- beyond cherished theories that suit various political purposes?
Tested against the historical data, textbook ideas and theories consistently come up short. Such analyses are highly troubling because they reveal an absence of correlation between theory and reality.
The data, statistics illustrating the development of the world economy during the last several centuries, were extracted from economic, history and economic history books, from publications of the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, the United Nations specialized agencies, research institutes and country statistical publications, and other books and journals.
Analyzing the data over geography and time, Sabillon concludes that contrary to contemporary wisdom, left to market forces alone the economy will not and does not flourish. Only decisive intervention in support of manufacturing and technological advancement can provide growth.
This systematic review of history and test of accepted dogma challenges economic theorists to consider one part of the equation of economic policy that has been wiped off the blackboard in today's politically-correct debates.


About the Author
Carlos Sabillon holds an advanced degree from the Graduate Institute of International Studies (Geneva, Switzerland) in Economic History, where he specializes in the study of causes of economic growth.
His previous books include Manufacturing, Technology, and Economic Growth (M.E. Sharpe Inc., 2000) and World Economic Historic Statistics (Algora, 2005).
The current long-term analysis of economic history is drawn in part from a four-year research project supported by the Swiss National Fund for Scientific Research, the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland, and by the Geneva Business Institute.

Product Details Hardcover: 300 pages Publisher: Algora Publishing (February 28, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 0875865895 ISBN-13: 978-0875865898 Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first. Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,583,349 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books