What this book argues: where a nation’s money goes shapes its future.
It uses historical statistics to show how misapplied spending can cripple production and welfare. Readable and challenging, it asks readers to reconsider everyday choices about how wealth is earned and spent.
The author compares large-scale spending on intoxicating liquors with the buying of essential goods like cotton, arguing that waste in one area can suppress demand for others. Through concrete data and careful reasoning, it lays out how patterns of production, consumption, and policy connect to national prosperity.
- See how household and national budgets interact with industry and labor.
- Learn how data interpretation and comparison affect conclusions about trade and welfare.
- Explore appendices that detail sources, calculations, and historical context.
- Understand the author's call for more disciplined spending to support work and growth.
Ideal for readers of economic history and policy debates who want a blunt look at how choices about money and resources impact a nation’s prosperity.