“As we will show, poor countries are poor because those who have power make choices that create poverty.”
Why Nations Fail is a captivating study into one of the most commonly asked questions that continues to stump those with an interest in global affairs: why do some countries succeed whilst others fail? Based on a fifteen-year-long study, authors Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson explore the biggest issues such as wealth, poverty and the impact of politics and economics on a nation’s success or struggle. One of the most influential books on global affairs, if you loved Why Nations Fail join us today at What We Reading as we pull together some of our favourite works featuring historical analyses, world power shifts and global inequality that help you become better acquainted with the challenges facing the developing world and the origins of a country’s success.
Prisoners Of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need To Know About Global Politics (Politics Of Place #1) – Tim Marshall
Kicking off our list of the best books like Why Nations Fail is Tim Marshall’s Prisoners of Geography, one of the best works for understanding how countries and world leaders are constrained by the geography surrounding them. In it, Marshall examines Russia, China, the US, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Japan and Korea, Greenland and the Arctic to present how the physical characteristics of countries affect their strengths, vulnerabilities and the decisions made by their leaders.
Featuring ten updated maps of each region, Marshall explains in clear and engaging prose the complex geo-political strategies of these vital parts of the globe. Prisoners of Geography is a vital guide to one of the most major, albeit overlooked, determining factors in world history.
Capital In The Twenty-First Century – Thomas Piketty
Capital in the Twenty-First Century is an economic book by Thomas Piketty, one of the world’s leading experts on wealth and income inequality. Similarly to Why Nations Fail, Piketty analyses a unique collection of data from twenty individual countries from as far back as the eighteenth century to unearth the key economic and social patterns that lie at the centre of political economy.
Through his work, Piketty demonstrates that modern economic growth and the diffusion of knowledge have allowed global society to avoid the jaw-dropping inequalities the likes of Marx predicted. However, he also argues that this is not far enough. Capital in the Twenty-First Century serves as a reminder that returns on capital exceeding the rate of economic growth is the greatest driver of extreme inequalities. Pikkety makes the case that these inequalities have led to dangerous consequences in the past and, if left unchecked, could do so again.
The Origins Of Political Order: From Prehuman Times To The French Revolution – Francis Fukuyama
Almost every single human society began as organised tribes that, over time, developed new political institutions which featured a central state that could keep the peace and construct laws that applied to its citizens. In the developed world, we often take these institutions for granted. Yet, they are often absent in the developing world, leading to often dire and disastrous consequences.
Francis Fukuyama, bestselling author of The End of History and the Last Man, provides readers with a sweeping account of how today’s basic political institutions were developed in The Origins of Political Order. Beginning with our primate ancestors, through to the first modern state in China and concluding with the emergence of political accountability on the eve of the French Revolution, it draws on Fukuyama’s extensive knowledge and offers fresh insights into the origins of democratic societies that any reader of Why Nations Fail are sure to enjoy.
Guns, Germs And Steel: The Fates Of Human Societies (Civilizations Rise And Fall #1) – Jared Diamond
In Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond convincingly argues that geographical and environmental factors influenced the modern world we see today. Like books like Why Nations Fail, he argues that societies that had a head start in food production advanced beyond the hunter-gatherer stage of development. They then pioneered writing, technology, government and organised religion – as well as the devastating weapons of war and germs – and set out on adventures on sea and land to conquer and decimate preliterate cultures around the world.
One of the most defining works for understanding human societies both past and present, Guns, Germs and Steel chronicles the way that the modern world came to be, and cuts through the racial-based theories that have dominated theories on human history.
How Democracies Die: What History Reveals About Our Future – Steven Levitsky And Daniel Ziblatt
Penned in the wake of Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory, How Democracies Die is a political book by Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. Having spent more than twenty years studying the breakdown of democracies in Europe, they conclude that democracies around the world are in peril. Rather than vanishing with a loud bang, they are that the erosion of democracy is now a slow and gradual dismantling of long-standing political norms.
Drawing on decades’ worth of research and a broad range of historical and global examples ranging from 1930s Europe to contemporary Turkey, Hungary, Venezuela to the American South during the Jim Crow era, How Democracies Die is one of the best follow-ups to Why Nations Fail for any readers looking for another work on the importance of preserving democracy for successful states.
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Sapiens: A Brief History Of Humankind – Yuval Noah Harari
Sapiens is a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution from renowned historian Yuvavi Noah Harari that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined our species and enhanced our comprehension of what it means to be ‘human’.
Unlike other books on the history of evolution, Dr Harari breaks the mould with his account that opened 70,000 years ago with the emergence of modern cognition. From examining the role of humans in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens is a captivating blend of science and history that encourages readers to think bigger about the future, and the ways in which our technological developments have the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves.
Why Government Fails So Often: And How It Can Do Better – Peter H. Schuck
From healthcare to the workplace and campus conduct, the influence of the federal government has never been felt more. At the same time, trust in Washington from Americans has never been lower, viewing it now as intrusive, incompetent and wasteful. In an effort to understand why government fails so often and so consistently, Peter H. Schuck’s work argues that ineffective policy-making is caused by deep structural failures that exist regardless of whichever party is at the helm.
Similar to Why Nations Fail, Schuck provides an exhaustive range of examples and an enormous body of evidence to explain why so many domestic policies go awry and what the best course of action is to correct them. Timely and urgent in its delivery, Why Government Fails So Often is essential reading for anyone looking to learn more about why government is floundering and how it can be so much better.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
