For over thirty years David S. Landes's The Unbound Prometheus has offered an unrivalled history of industrial revolution and economic development in Europe. Now, in this updated edition, the author reframes and reasserts his original arguments in the light of debates about globalisation and comparative economic growth. The book begins with a classic account of the characteristics, progress, and political, economic and social implications of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, France and Germany. Professor Landes here raises the much-debated question: why was Europe the first to industrialise? He then charts the economic history of the twentieth-century: the effect of the First World War in accelerating the dissolution of the old international economy; the economic crisis of 1929-32; Europe's recovery and unprecedented economic growth following the Second World War. He concludes that only by continuous industrial revolution can Europe and the world sustain itself in the years ahead.

Chosen by BusinessWeek as One of the Top Ten Business Books of the Year
With apologies to Hegel, Marx, and Lenin, the basic unit of modern society is neither the state, nor the commune, nor the party; it is the company. From this bold premise, John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge chart the rise of one of history’s great catalysts for good and evil.
In a “fast-paced and well-written” work (Forbes), the authors reveal how innovations such as limitations on liability have permitted companies to rival religions and even states in importance, governing the flow of wealth and controlling human affairs–all while being largely exempt from the rules that govern our lives.
The Company is that rare, remarkable book that fills a major gap we scarcely knew existed. With it, we are better able to make sense of the past four centuries, as well as the events of today.

Ancient China collides with newfangled America in this epic tale of opium smugglers, sea pirates, and dueling clipper ships.
Brilliantly illuminating one of the least-understood areas of American history, best-selling author Eric Jay Dolin now traces our fraught relationship with China back to its roots: the unforgiving nineteenth-century seas that separated a brash, rising naval power from a battered ancient empire. It is a prescient fable for our time, one that surprisingly continues to shed light on our modern relationship with China. Indeed, the furious trade in furs, opium, and bêche-de-mer--a rare sea cucumber delicacy--might have catalyzed America's emerging economy, but it also sparked an ecological and human rights catastrophe of such epic proportions that the reverberations can still be felt today. Peopled with fascinating characters--from the "Financier of the Revolution" Robert Morris to the Chinese emperor Qianlong, who considered foreigners inferior beings--this page-turning saga of pirates and politicians, coolies and concubines becomes a must-read for any fan of Nathaniel Philbrick's Mayflower or Mark Kurlansky's Cod. Two maps, and 16 pages of color and 83 black-and-white illustrations.

Throughout time, from ancient Rome to modern Britain, the great empires built and maintained their domination through force of arms and political power. But not the United States. America has dominated the world in a new, peaceful, and pervasive way -- through the continued creation of staggering wealth. In this authoritative, engrossing history, John Steele Gordon captures as never before the true source of our nation's global influence: wealth and the capacity to create more of it. This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

From the author of the immensely influential and best-selling Of Paradise and Power— a major reevaluation of America’s place in the world from the colonial era to the turn of the twentieth century.
Robert Kagan strips away the myth of America’s isolationist tradition and reveals a more complicated reality: that Americans have been increasing their global power and influence steadily for the past four centuries. Even from the time of the Puritans, he reveals, America was no shining “city up on a hill” but an engine of commercial and territorial expansion that drove Native Americans, as well as French, Spanish, Russian, and ultimately even British power, from the North American continent. Even before the birth of the nation, Americans believed they were destined for global leadership. Underlying their ambitions, Kagan argues, was a set of ideas and ideals about the world and human nature. He focuses on the Declaration of Independence as the document that firmly established the American conviction that the inalienable rights of all mankind transcended territorial borders and blood ties. American nationalism, he shows, was always internationalist at its core. He also makes a startling discovery: that the Civil War and the abolition of slavery—the fulfillment of the ideals of the Declaration—were the decisive turning point in the history of American foreign policy as well. Kagan's brilliant and comprehensive reexamination of early American foreign policy makes clear why America, from its very beginning, has been viewed worldwide not only as a wellspring of political, cultural, and social revolution, but as an ambitious and, at times, dangerous nation.

First published by George Routledge & Sons Ltd. in 1924, 1930 and 1936.
When first published in 1924, Knowles' first volume on the economic history of the British Empire offered a ground-breaking comparative study, ranging from slavery to Factory Acts, from cold storage to ticks and mosquitoes, from rural cultures to plantation products, and from bush paths to railways. Following her untimely death in 1926, the manuscripts for her second and third volumes were completed and published by her husband, C.M. Knowles, in 1930 and 1936.
Volume I deals with economic and development issues relating to the Empire as a whole and also specifically with India, Malaya, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda, while Volume II focuses more closely on Canada. Volume III covers the economic history of Australasia and South Africa.

A History of Portuguese Overseas Expansion 1400-1668 provides an accessible survey of how the Portuguese became so influential during this period and how Portuguese settlements were founded in areas as far flung as Asia, Africa and South America. Malyn Newitt examines how the ideas and institutions of a late medieval society were deployed to aid expansion into Africa and the Atlantic islands, as well as how, through rivalry with Castile, this grew into a worldwide commercial enterprise. Finally, he considers how resilient the Portuguese overseas communities were, surviving wars and natural disasters, and fending off attacks by the more heavily armed English and Dutch invaders until well into the 1600s. Including a detailed bibliography and glossary, A History of Portuguese Overseas Expansion 1400-1668 is an invaluable textbook for all those studying this fascinating period of European expansion

In the century after the Civil War, an economic revolution improved the American standard of living in ways previously unimaginable. Electric lighting, indoor plumbing, home appliances, motor vehicles, air travel, air conditioning, and television transformed households and workplaces. With medical advances, life expectancy between 1870 and 1970 grew from forty-five to seventy-two years. Weaving together a vivid narrative, historical anecdotes, and economic analysis, The Rise and Fall of American Growth provides an in-depth account of this momentous era. But has that era of unprecedented growth come to an end?
Gordon challenges the view that economic growth can or will continue unabated, and he demonstrates that the life-altering scale of innovations between 1870 and 1970 can't be repeated. He contends that the nation's productivity growth, which has already slowed to a crawl, will be further held back by the vexing headwinds of rising inequality, stagnating education, an aging population, and the rising debt of college students and the federal government. Gordon warns that the younger generation may be the first in American history that fails to exceed their parents' standard of living, and that rather than depend on the great advances of the past, we must find new solutions to overcome the challenges facing us.
A critical voice in the debates over economic stagnation, The Rise and Fall of American Growth is at once a tribute to a century of radical change and a harbinger of tougher times to come.

商品没有腿，却比人走得更远。
文明因交换而出现，世界因商业而诞生。
二十一种商品，从丝绸到石油。
商业革命与现代社会格局之形成。
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丝绸连起了一个旧世界，
香料促使哥伦布发现新大陆，
鳕鱼将欧洲人带到北美，
毛皮令俄国人征服西伯利亚，
白银改写了中国历史，
郁金香导致世界第一场经济危机，
鸦片引发中英战争，
土豆和玉米带来人口爆炸，
香烟和咖啡颠覆传统文化，
棉花和煤炭催生工业革命，
橡胶和石油塑造了我们身处的现代社会……
每一次影响和改变世界的重大事件背后，都离不开商业革命。借助流动的商品，不同民族、文明、观念碰撞沟通，现代文化与今日社会之格局终得以形成。
每个人都无法摆脱历史，你我皆生活在其中。
历史终结的地方，生活还在继续。
从当下这个消费时代，回看历代商业革命，意义似乎更加深远。
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◎「食货」二字语出《尚书》，《史记·平准书》开「食货志」先河。班固《汉书》曰：「一曰食，二曰货。食谓农殖嘉谷可食之物，货谓布帛可衣，及金刀龟贝，所以分财布利通有无者也。二者，生民之本……食足货通，然后国实民富，而教化成。」其后，历代官方「食货志」主记田制、户口、赋役、漕运、仓库、钱法、盐法、杂税、矿冶、市籴、会计等。如今，「食货」二字基本涵盖国民经济生活的方方面面。本书取名《新食货志》，意在取历代「食货志」之思想精髓与历史精神，以现代历史观重新审视人类历史。谨以此书向中国历史之「食货志」致敬。
◎从“食”到“货”，是从贫穷到富裕，从短缺到过剩，从农业到工业，从古代到现代，从国家到全球化的历程。杜君立前作《现代的历程》主题是工业革命与现代，《新食货志》的主题则是商业革命与现代。《新食货志》可看作是《现代的历程》前传，二者互相印证，构成一个完整的世界经济史和人类文明史。
◎在许多国家，世界史教育比重已超过了本国史，学习世界史已成为现代公民的基本素质。中国公民也应该是世界公民。当代中国人生活在一个全球化的经济和物质社会，与农耕的古代中国社会大相径庭。只有了解相应的世界史，才能更好地理解当下生活。
◎本书为三十二开本精装书，内文为七十克优选鸿雅轻型纸，七百页的历史著作可以庞大，但不未必要沉重。外封食货图像元素皆取自西方铜版画，内封与环衬则印有百衲本《汉书·食货志》选段，呼应本书“致敬古代食货志”及“一部完整的世界经济史”主题。
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◎杜先生不是专业史家，但他是个关怀终生的知识分子，因而能比专家关心更大的问题。近年来，中华文化圈内的各处似乎都在警觉世界正亟，各个领域都有人关怀未来，悲欣交集，杜先生同样是关心者，我同意他的许多见解，也盼望他的作品。——许倬云
◎《新食货志》是特别好看的书。它最大的美妙是让我们理解：历史最好的馈赠，莫过于此时此刻的幸福生活本身。一件件微小事物温暖地围绕在身边，养活、滋润、丰富着生活，让辛劳的人生旅途足够多姿多彩，百味无穷，这是本书带给我们的最大满足。——陶林
◎两只狗不懂得互相之间交换骨头，是商业让人类不必再将需求完全诉诸暴力。如今，我们所食所用所看所听，无一不是「世界商品」。以今日眼光看待过去的中国与世界，就会发现一个不同的中国，一个不同的世界，一个不同的历史。读者要进入世界史，不妨选择一些小的入口，从小历史理解大历史，本书的意义就在于此。——杜君立

A “stimulating” account of the capitalists who changed America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, setting the stage for the 1929 crash and Great Depression (Kirkus Reviews).
In the decades following the Civil War, America entered an era of unprecedented corporate expansion, with ultimate financial power in the hands of a few wealthy industrialists who exploited the system for everything it was worth. The Rockefellers, Fords, Morgans, and Vanderbilts were the “lords of creation” who, along with like-minded magnates, controlled the economic destiny of the country, unrestrained by regulations or moral imperatives. Through a combination of foresight, ingenuity, ruthlessness, and greed, America’s giants of industry remolded the US economy in their own image. They established their power and authority, ensuring that they—and they alone—would control the means of production, transportation, energy, and commerce—creating the conditions for the stock market collapse of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed.
As modern society continues to be affected by wealth inequality and cycles of boom and bust, it’s as important as ever to understand the origins of financial disaster, and the policies, practices, and people who bring them on. The Lords of Creation, first published when the catastrophe of the 1930s was still painfully fresh, is a fascinating story of bankers, railroad tycoons, steel magnates, speculators, scoundrels, and robber barons. It is a tale of innovation and shocking exploitation—and a sobering reminder that history can indeed repeat itself.

本书论述了资本主义世界经济体系，即现代世界体系的起源与发展的历程。现代世界体系发端于欧洲的部分地区，后来不断发展，逐渐把世界其他一些地区纳入其中，直至覆盖全球。作者认为，21世界中期资本主义世界体系将让位于后继的体系（一个或多个）。我们不能预测他会是一个什么样的体系，但能通过我们目前政治的和道德的活动来影响其结果。本书享誉西方学术界，是西方大学生必读的参考书。它不是一般的世界近现代史著作，而是一部整体地阐述近5个半世纪世界历史进程的综合性宏观论著。

本书论述了资本主义世界经济体系，即现代世界体系的起源与发展的历程。现代世界体系发端于欧洲的部分地区，后来不断发展，逐渐把世界其他一些地区纳入其中，直至覆盖全球。作者认为，21世界中期资本主义世界体系将让位于后继的体系（一个或多个）。我们不能预测他会是一个什么样的体系，但能通过我们目前政治的和道德的活动来影响其结果。本书享誉西方学术界，是西方大学生必读的参考书。它不是一般的世界近现代史著作，而是一部整体地阐述近5个半世纪世界历史进程的综合性宏观论著。

本书以全新的视角阐述了15世纪以来资本主义世界体系自萌芽、产生，到发展、繁荣、衰落的历史过程。16世纪时，随着资本主义生产方式的发展，以西北欧为中心，形成“世界性经济体系”，即“资本主义的世界经济体”，它由中心区、半边缘区和边缘区三个组成部分联结成为一个整体的结构。自该体系形成之后，始终处于变动之中；其内部也经历了剧烈的斗争和不断的自我调节。该体系现已进入“混乱的告终”时期，势必要由一种具有更高生产效率和更合理的“收入分配制度”的新的世界体系取代。作者认为：到2l世纪中叶资本主义世界体系将让位于后继的体系，而我们目前的政治和道德的活动将对其结果有着重大的影响。本书的第一、二、三卷由高等教育出版社独家引进出版，第四卷尚待引进。

以横跨战中、战后两个年代而形成的框架为起码条件，高速增长在1955年以后正式地初绽花蕾，并在60年代达到顶峰。以1973年的石油危机为界线，增长率减至原来的一半，但与欧美各国相比较，日本仍旧保持住了高水准的增长率。于本卷，我们将追溯这一高速增长的开花及其以后增长所带来的积极与消极的影响。

第7卷的内容，主要论述从1937(昭和12)年中日战争爆发开始，历经1941年发动太平洋战争，1945年战败，联合国军开始占领日本，1951年签署《旧金山对日和约》，到1954年发生经济萧条这一动荡时期的日本经济。
“1 概述 1937—1954年” 试行概述这一时期的历史演变，也涉及所谓“大东亚共荣圈”和国民生活水平等问题．同时，在战时经济统制方面，介绍了以“经济新体制”论为代表的、批判资本主义而倡导“计划化”的经济思想，并认为，战后根据“民主化”思想实行的各项改革具有广泛而深远的“革命”作用。虽然本卷标题是根据这两个内容确定的．但为了充分体现时代意义，打算侧重论述第一个问题。

第6卷主题是展示1914年第一次世界大战爆发至1937年中日战争前夜期间的经济状况。1919年第一次世界大战结束到第二次世界大战前夕的这一段时期被称为两次世界大战之间时期。20世纪前叶，整个世界被战争搞得精疲力竭，此后迎来了短暂的和平，然而这也不过是县花一现，从两次大战之间时期这一说法中就可以略窥一斑。这一时期，世界经济困难重重。先是20世纪20年代的通货紧缩，随之而来的是30年代初期的世界经济危机。日本就是在这种风云变幻的世界形势下．顽强地发展着本国经济。
第6卷题为《双重结构》。这是在动荡不安的外部环境下，日本经济内部产生的结构性问题之一(且该问题于“二战”后重演)。正是在此期间日本经济内部发生了变化，长期以来被人们视为日本经济独特性之所在。然而以现代眼光来看，我们应当着眼于经济发展过程中以劳动力市场为代表的经济结构来寻其成因。本卷“3 双重结构”力图通过实例考证从工农业产业差别、劳动力流向城市到家务佣工和城市中小工商业的发展，即所谓的“双重结构”产生，发展的过程。