Summary of The Rise and Fall of American Growth: by Robert J. Gordon | Includes Analysis

by Instaread Summaries

 
The Rise and Fall of American Growth is an analysis of American growth from 1870 to the present. It focuses especially on the unprecedented “special century” of 1870-1970. Throughout most of human history, economic growth was basically flat or advanced very slowly. After the Civil War in the United States, however, life began to improve exponentially. This was due to a series of “Great Inventions,” including, most notably, electricity, the means of channeling and directing electricity, and the internal combustion engine. Homes became tied to systems of electricity, heat, and sewage. The last was particularly important, as cleaner water, abetted by new medicines that immunized against childhood disease, led to a dramatic drop in infant and child mortality. The progress between 1870 and 1970 is routinely underestimated by measures of gross domestic product (GDP) because GDP does not measure the quality of life improvement by increased life expectancy…       ·      Overview of the book ·      Important People ·      Key Takeaways ·      Analysis of Key Takeaways   With Instaread, you can get the key takeaways, summary and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

34 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 4, 2016

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With Instaread, you can get the summary and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, summarize and analyze it for your convenience.

Reviews

[Charles Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life-changing inventions during the period 1870 to 1970, especially electricity, the telephone and clean water systems, led to a century of sustained growth in the American economy that was not accurately or completely reflected in measures of GDP because they impacted on quality of life, not just per capita earnings. Since 1970, despite advances in communication technology, the economy has not experienced the same rate of growth, and until some other technology that has life-altering impact is created, the rapid growth of the U.S. economy is in our rearview mirror.
In an apolitical and somewhat wonky book, economist Robert J. Gordon addresses this issue. Designed for both economists and lay readers, the book, though about an important subject, fails to resonate effectively with both. It should, however, be read—even it’s an effort—because it points out that neither of the current political parties is on the right track to substantially change the direction of the economy.
Summary of The Rise and Fall of the American Economy by Robert J. Gordon by Instaread analyzes the book, with its main themes and the author’s credentials. This is an excellent resource to aid readers in getting a sense of new books and making buy or no-buy decisions. Objective and unauthorized by the authors or publishers, this no-holds-barred analysis should be the first thing a reader thinks of before deciding if a book is worth the effort.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.