Avner Greif et al., "Two Paths to Prosperity: Culture and Institutions in Europe and China, 1000–2000" (Princeton UP, 2025)
From Asian Review of Books by New Books Network
April 2, 2026 · 51 min
About this episode
The episode explores the reasons behind China's economic decline compared to Europe from 1000 to 2000, focusing on cultural and institutional differences.
It’s one of the biggest questions in economic history: How did a richer, more advanced China fall behind Europe? Why was Europe the home of the Industrial Revolution, and not China? And what does that journey tell us about politics and culture? In Two Paths to Prosperity: Culture and Institutions in Europe and China, 1000–2000 (Princeton UP, 2025), Guido Tabellini, alongside his co-authors, argues that the answer comes from how European and Chinese organized cooperation—through corporations in Europe and through clans in China—and how that shaped each one’s society. Guido Tabellini is the Intesa Sanpaolo Chair in Political Economics and Vice President at Bocconi University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/asian-review
People in this episode
Guest: Guido Tabellini
Topics covered
- economic history
- China
- Europe
- Industrial Revolution
- politics
- culture
Keywords
- economic history
- China
- Europe
- Industrial Revolution
- politics
- culture
- cooperation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Princeton UP, Bocconi University
Books & works: Two Paths to Prosperity: Culture and Institutions in Europe and China, 1000–2000
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