Why Nations Fail: The Origins Of Power, Prosperity, & Poverty – Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson (Paperback, Crown Business, March 20, 2012) combines fifteen years of historical research to explain why some nations thrive while others stagnate. Exploring regions from the Roman Empire to contemporary Africa, and contrasting cases like South vs. North Korea, the authors argue that inclusive political and economic institutions—not geography, culture, or policy mistakes—determine a nation’s success. A New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller and critical of extractive systems, the book also earned both authors the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics.