The Evolution of Wealth: An Economic History of Innovation and Capitalism, the Role of Government, and the Hazards of Democracy

Ward, Jerry D.

ISBN 10: 0985012609 / ISBN 13: 9780985012601

Published by Del Cerro Publishing, 2012

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Evolution of Wealth: An Economic History of Innovation and Capitalism, the Role of Government, and the Hazards of Democracy
• Publisher: Del Cerro Publishing
• Publication Date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0985012609
• ISBN 13: 9780985012601
• Binding: paperback
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

This book first recounts the historical progression of innovation and the evolution of capitalism. It illuminates why capitalist economies have been so effective in producing wealth, and why, after thousands of years of almost no material improvement in average people’s lives, the last 300 or have produced the abundance the capitalist nations enjoy today. It identifies the specific reasons that free market capitalism has been so superior to state-controlled economies. The book also explains why, given capitalism’s clear success, it is so disliked and mistrusted by so many people. With its focus narrowed to the United States, the book then addresses issues in our continuing evolution. It discusses how government’s actions impact economic growth, and how the political system biases those actions toward imprudence and inefficiency. It presents options to alleviate these shortcomings, including suggestions for a much more effective K-12 education industry. This is a short, lean book – just long enough to tell the essential story of the evolution of wealth and convey a broad understanding of how our economy works, it’s problems, and fruitful directions for its future evolution.

About the Author

For years--usually with friends and a bit of wine--I puzzled over the question of why, for thousands and thousands of years, very little seemed to change in terms of the material lives of average people, then all of a sudden we had an Industrial Revolution. Capitalism, whatever that was, came along and now we are all rich--at least relative to non-capitalist nations. A dozen or so years ago I got serious about understanding what had really happened. After a lot of reading, a lot of thinking, and far more writing than has made the cut here, out came this book.

I have a BS in Physics from Caltech and, in my 40's, took a year off from real life to earn a Masters in Business Economics from UCLA. I am far from being an economist, but have found that I was quite comfortable with economic thinking--I tend to be kind of a policy wonk.

  

I am coauthor with Professor Emeritus William L. Garrison of UC Berkeley of Tomorrow's Transportation: Changing Cities, Economies, and Lives published in 2000 by Artech House.

 

I am now retired and living in San Diego with my wife Penny and our two poodles, Britain and Paris.