Historia Económica Mundial: Desde el Paleolítico hasta el Presente

by Rondo Cameron

Esta obra clásica ofrece una panorámica de la historia económica mundial desde la Prehistoria hasta la actualidad y analiza la disparidad de riqueza entre los países. En esta cuarta edición el texto ha sido actualizado para mostrar los sorprendentes cambios en la economía mundial desde 1989. Esta definitiva historia de la globalización, en su nueva edición, se ha ampliado para incluir los desarrollos más recientes de la Unión Europea, el este de Asia y, en general, las economías en transición. Traducido a once idiomas, este excelente texto sigue siendo imprescindible por su amplitud, amenidad y accesibilidad para estudiantes de historia económica europea, historia de la globalización y desarrollo mundial, tanto para graduados como licenciados. Contiene abundantes ilustraciones, mapas y figuras y una bibliografía comentada completamente actualizada.

Genres: Economics, History, Nonfiction, Reference, World History, Finance, Research

520 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Steph]

My issue with the study of economics is that it is presented in piecemeal fashion, large dabs of theory without a wider structure to delineate the boundaries and intersections of different domains of knowledge. This book provides a great framework that contextualizes the application of economics and allows holistic thinkers (in contrast to detail/linear thinkers) to flesh out their understanding of economics. The history is certainly abridged and superficial to some extent, but it can help to generate a better sense of how economics developed, both as a field and as a means of interpreting our world.

[Coco]

Malditos trabajos de Universidad, y malditos libros sobre economía que me obligan a leer.

[Dorotea]

History has always been one of my least favourite subjects, but economic history changes everything. For once, it makes sense. I don't know why is that, but I love it. It's about the bigger picture, making sense of the past, and growth economics.

Up to the 11th chapter (or around that) I was dreading reading this book. Boring, boring, boring. Then, something changed. It also changed the way the topic was taught. Now I had to do way more external readings (books, papers, etc) and in class we were discussing those. And suddenly this book was invaluable - this was the link between those readings and history, and everything made sense.

What I did not like: the first chapters are slow and rather boring, and, although the 2016 edition claims to have incorporated more content on Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, it is still lacking.

[Andrew Breslin]

I went into this expecting that some of the economics might go over my head. It did not. There are virtually no references to esoteric terms like pareto efficiencies and yield curve inversions. There is no math whatsoever, and any reasonably well-read and intelligent person will not find the economics too difficult to follow. You do not need to have read the basic Economics 101 textbook. You do not even need to have read the Cliff's Notes for it.

On the other hand, the book assumes a fairly deep familiarity with the History 101 textbook (or at least the European History 101 text). My general knowledge of European history can be summed up as "various nations in Europe went to war with other nations in Europe for various reasons over and over for many centuries." The book assumes you know which specific nations went to war with which other specific nations, and that you also know why and approximately when.

The US represents the largest GDP history has ever seen; its role in economic history deserves some prominence, even allowing for the fact that it has only been on the world stage for a little over two centuries, but the book skews very much toward a Eurocentric view. Take this excerpt:

The nineteenth century witnessed no massive, devastating wars such as the Napoleonic Wars that began it, or World War I which ended it.

From the perspective of a U.S. citizen, there was a massive, devastating war, smack dab in the middle of the 19th century. It permanently transformed what was soon to be the most powerful economy the world had ever seen. The American Civil War barely gets a mention, and when it does, the text skirts the fact that the war was about the enslavement of a large proportion of the American labor force.

The largest economy the world has ever seen is currently undergoing an existential threat to its democratic foundations. I would argue that this is because that massive, devastating war has never really ended. Witness the masses of insurrectionist traitors, seeking to overturn the results of a free and fair election, who recently marched through the Capitol, bearing the flag of the single greatest enemy the United States of America has ever faced.

Those who do not study (economic) history are doomed to repeat it.

[Fernando]

Chapter 7,8,9 are the best ones.

[Keith Karr]

Economics underlies the shape and function of a culture and influences how cultures interact. If a general history mentions economics, the discussion is generally brief and centered around major significant events such as a recession or depression, or major ideological or systemic conflicts of shifts. This work presents a broad outline of human history, focusing on how economic forces shaped society and the events that followed. Major technical and technological developments, as well as resource developments, are also at the center of attention on how they shaped individual nations and society at large. This book does not present an investigation of economic theories or the major figures that shaped economic thought. While significant figures and systems are mentioned where appropriate, the focus is on history and not theory. This perhaps is the works weakness. While the focus on economic forces is unique, much of the material covered briefly in each chapter would be covered in a competent more detailed examination of the respective periods. The book simply reverses the normal proportion of economic discussion and historical narrative and instead places the economic factors in the foreground. While this highlights certain features that are easily overlooked and tells the familiar historical narrative through a distinctive slant, this will do little to build understanding of economics itself.

[Mark Isaak]

This book is what the title says. Being only 400 pages, it cannot go into much depth anywhere, but for those who want more depth, it includes an annotated list of suggested readings to go with each chapter. The reader needs virtually no knowledge of economics to follow the book, but a thorough general knowledge of history would, I think, add to one's appreciation of it. This edition does not get into the 21st century (there is a newer 4th edition), but it still has good sections on the breakup of the Soviet Union and the formation of the EU.

[Daniel Nguyen]

This is a solid read if you know nothing about the topic, so most people should probably read it. There is not much new and it would be a little bit more interesting if it had a little bit more economics theory and charts and graphs and stuff and a little more stuff outside of Europe but its very good.

[Evan]

A very slow read, as it is essentially a textbook. Far from a history of the world, it is really just a history of Europe, with a few sections every 200 pages on Asia and Africa. Looking forward to finding a more comprehensive text (that is also more well-written).

[Ryan O'B]

It's basically just a textbook. Probably relevant for research purposes, but unlikely to be of interest to anyone who is not in academia. I read it through, all the way, because I felt like I had to. It was a trying time.

[Pía López Copetti]

Un libro fascinante que cualquier estudiante universitario debe leer al menos una vez en su vida.

[Hélder Verdade Fontes]

Uma análise histórica e concisa à evolução da ciência social que é a Economia e como esta foi sendo moldada pelos povos. É possível notar algum enviesamento nos autores (para a direita liberal).

[candemar]

debut y despedida de la historia desde el feudalismo hasta las guerras mundiales de ahora en mas prefiero vivir en la ignorancia gracias

[Elliot Daniels]

Had to read for class. Good stuff!

[George Kettler]

A nice overview of the economic history of the West. At times a bit repetitive, but overall does a good job of explaining the major themes in economic development on a large timescale. The chapters on the early modern and industrial periods were by far the best, while the section the premodern period and 20th-century on wards dragged through somewhat tired descriptions. Overall a good read for anyone interested in the interactions between technology, social structures, material condition and cultures. Also, this is written from a highly Eurocentric perspective so "Economic History of the World" is more than a bit of a misnomer.

[Reynolds]

Mucho no se puede opinar de un libro de economía para la facultad, pero acá estamos.

La información es precisa, no es demasiado rebuscado como otros textos que leí, por lo que se puede entender sin pocas lecturas la información que presenta. Es ligero, aunque cuenta con muchos datos puntuales que a veces dificulta la lectura, Cameron se caracteriza por dar muchas cifras para ejemplificar.

Pero si están estudiando Historia económica mundial ───o necesitan tener un contexto histórico para economía─── es un buen libro para tener para consultas.

[Curtis]

Minus one star because it wasn't really a history of WORLD economics. So it would have been a 4 if it weren't for the title. Longer review at curtisknowsnothing.blogspot.com

[Jim Swike]

Very good textbook, as the title states about Economic history. IF this is a topic you are researching, worth a read. Enjoy!

[John]

An excellent overview of the world's economic development up unto the early 2000s. Highly recommended for anyone interested in history or economics.

[Tc Emin]

This book very good and this web-site is incrediable

[Taylor]

Skipped ch 10 and 12

[Emincan]

this book read for study economics