A study of the value and meaning of technological advance. The author considers how past physical and social conditions have influenced the development and reception of new ideas, and shows how these trends can guide future industrial strategies as more countries compete for technical ingenuity.

Part I: Introduction; Part II: Classical antiquity; The Middle Ages; The Renaissance and beyond; The years of miracles: the Industrial Revolution; The later Nineteenth century; Part III: Understanding technological progress; Classical and medieval technology; China and Europe; The industrial revolution: Britain and Europe; Part IV: Evolution and the dynamics of technological change

This is an important book about the determinants of technological creativity and why the West has been successful in promoting and adopting new technology for economic progress. The Lever of Riches is a valuable book that every economist should read.

"An excellent volume outlining in great detail, yet wide ranging in scope, the role of technological change in history. Will make a great supplemental text for our future World Economic History course that I'll be teaching."--Michael Haupert, Univ. of Wisconsin-LaCrosse "Mokyr has demonstrated, yet again, that he is one the best economic historians around. His book is a treasure trove of facts and insights about technological progress often overlooked in other accounts. Further, his argument that economics might do well to adopt the methodology of evolutionary biology instead of the standard application of Newtonian physics is cogent and convincing."--Howard Bodenhorn, St. Lawrence Univ. "An informative and well-written study of humankind's progress."--J.M. Skaggs,Wichita State Univ. "The history and the examples Mokyr uses are a delight to read."--Business Week "Joel Mokyr is a first-rate scholar who has read a wide body of literature. The book is very well written, lively and engaging. It is closely reasoned and well executed"--Nathan Rosenberg, Stanford University "Joel Mokyr likes telling his story and he tells it well; his book makes for good reading and rereading, and this in itself sets him apart from many of his fellow economic historians."--The New York Times Book Review "[Mokyr's] examples are so comprehensive, his knowledge so detailed, and his conclusions so broad and firmly drawn that the reader comes away full of insight."--The Christian Science Monitor "[A] rich, subtly flavored buffet of theories, ideas, insights and examples."--Wall Street Journal "Lucid and accessible."--Reason "Raise[s] some very insightful questions."--Informationweek "In this thought-provoking treatise, Mokyr explores the historical causes of economic growth, with special focus on technological creativity and its impact on economic progress and the quality of life."--Northwestern Perspective "This is an important book about the determinants of technological creativity and why the West has been successful in promoting and adopting new technology for economic progress....The Lever of Riches is a valuable book that every economist should read."--Gary D. Libecap, Journal of Comparative Economics "It brings together a wealth of information on the development of technology and the means of analyzing it, and ...it is so splendidly provocative."--Economic Historical Review "Very well written and edited."--John Murray, Ohio State University "Moykr is brilliant and insightful....his writing is always a delight to read."--Ane M. Quade, California State University at Sacramento "This is an ambitious and intriguing book....What marks it our is the sophisticated handling of the theory of technological change, within an evolutionary theoretical paradigm...This is an important, erudite and engrossing book, and is likely to be one of the key works in the emerging evolutionary analysis of technological change. It is essential reading for those interested in both economic history and the development of evolutionary economics."--Geoff Hodgson, University of Cambridge

Selling point: Begins with a fascinating, concise history of technological progress, which sets the background for analysis by tracing the major inventions and innovations that have transformed society since ancient Greece and Rome Selling point: Addresses what distinguishes between the relationship of inventors and their physical environment--which determined their willingness to challenge nature--and the social environment, which determined the openness to new ideas Selling point: Offers telling insights into the question of how Western economies can maintain, and developing nations can unlock, their creative potential

Selling point: Begins with a fascinating, concise history of technological progress, which sets the background for analysis by tracing the major inventions and innovations that have transformed society since ancient Greece and Rome Selling point: Addresses what distinguishes between the relationship of inventors and their physical environment--which determined their willingness to challenge nature--and the social environment, which determined the openness to new ideas Selling point: Offers telling insights into the question of how Western economies can maintain, and developing nations can unlock, their creative potential