Reviewed summary
The Great Divergence: China, Europe, and the Making of the Modern World Economy
Ever wonder why Europe suddenly took off with the Industrial Revolution while China, a powerhouse in its own right, didn’t? It’s not because Europe was just smarter or better at everything. Kenneth Pomeranz’s “The Great Divergence” throws cold water on the usual ‘Western exceptionalism’ story and digs into the nitty-gritty of how luck, geography, and a bit of global exploitation flipped the script.
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