Anecdotes, not analysis, 2000-09-20What's wrong with the book is that Landes never proves, or even makes a satisfactory compelling argument for the above thesis. What's right with the book is that it is entertaining and informative. He supports his thesis with hundreds of fascinating historical and economic anecdotes. While interesting, even casual students of economic history will realize that these anecdotes are no substitute for a comprehensive (and especially quantitative) analysis. On the other hand, such anecdotes are eminently more readable for the casual student. I enjoyed the book greatly, though I disagreed with the author in some places and felt he was guilty of sins of omission in others. The book is thoroughly footnoted, with a massive bibliography for the reader who cares to dig deeper. But make no mistake, the book is a popularization, not an academic tract.
I take issue with other reviewers' claims of the author's racism. I found him to be extremely even handed in his treatment of sensitive issues. This sensitivity and evenhandedness was surprising because early on he makes promises of being a radical iconoclast of politcal correctness, promises which I don't believe he ever delivers on.
This review was cited from Amazon.ca.
This item was also found at:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.ca
Amazon.fr
Amazon.de
Amazon.co.jp
Google Books
Compare prices across all Amazons at AmazonDotStar.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment