足足有兩個世紀，雅典人擁有著經濟增長的絕佳條件：民主製度、財産權、自由市場以及一個自由的中産階級，可是為何他們在這一時期仍然處於極度貧睏之中？

世界經濟增長的分水嶺大約齣現在19世紀。19世紀前，大多數人的生活狀態就是“貧窮和短缺”，凶殺比意外死亡更常見，綁架是種謀生之道。甚至，英國首相如果不攜帶劍、匕首或手槍，絕不敢貿然上街。但在19世紀後，大多數人的生活都發生瞭翻天覆地的變化。

這一切究竟是如何發生的？為瞭迴答這一重大問題，本書作者威廉•伯恩斯坦為自己設定瞭一個任務：探索19世紀早期引發當代經濟起飛的文化和曆史因素。一方麵，作者獨具匠心地采集瞭眾多引人入勝的曆史故事，讓人讀來興趣盎然。另一方麵，他提齣瞭一個理論框架，能夠解釋國傢何以富裕或貧窮，何以民主或集權，何以弱小或強大，甚至還能夠迴答一國國民是否對其生活狀態感到滿意。

這個解釋框架包括財産權、科學理性主義（或科學方法）、資本市場、交通和通訊技術改善這四大因素，在它們的共同作用下，現代財富增長逐漸生根發芽。

'...a tour de force...prepare to be amazed' - John C. Bogle, founder and former CEO, The Vanguard Group. A bold new look at the continuing era of prosperity - how we got here, and where we could be headed. Why didn't the Florentines invent the steam engines and flying machines that Da Vinci sketched? What kept the master metallurgists of ancient Rome from discovering electricity? "The Birth of Plenty" takes a fascinating new look at the key conditions that had to be in place before world economic growth - and the technological progress underlying it - could occur, why those pathways are still absent in many parts of today's world, and what must be done before true, universal prosperity can become a reality.'Not long after 1820, prosperity began flowing in an ever increasing torrent; with each successive generation, the life of the son became observably more comfortable, informed, and predictable than that of the father. This book will examine the nature, causes, and consequences of this transformation...' - From the Introduction."The Birth of Plenty" doesn't mean to suggest that nothing of note existed before 1820. What "The Birth of Plenty" suggests - and supports with irrefutable fact and groundbreaking analysis - is that, from the dawn of recorded history through 1820, the 'mass of man' experienced essentially zero growth, either in economic standing or living standards. It was only in the third decade of the nineteenth century that the much of the world's standard of living began to inexorably and irreversibly improve, and the modern world was born. But what changed, and why then?Noted financial expert and neurologist William Bernstein isolates the four conditions which, when occurring simultaneously, constitute an all-inclusive formula for human progress: Property rights - creators must have proper incentives to create scientific rationalism - innovators must be allowed to innovate without fear of retribution; Capital markets - entrepreneurs must be given access to capital to pursue their visions; transportation/communication - society must provide mechanisms for effective communication of ideas and transport of finished products. Beyond just shining a light on how quickly progress occurs once the building blocks are in place, however, "The Birth of Plenty" examines how their absence constitutes nothing less than a prescription for continued human struggle and pain.Why do so many parts of the world remain behind, while others learn to adapt, adopt, and move forward? What must long-troubled nations do to pull themselves from the never-ending spiral of defeatism? "The Birth of Plenty" addresses these timely and vital questions head-on, empirically and without apology, and provides answers that are both thought-provoking and troubling. "The Birth of Plenty" frames the modern world's prosperity - or, in far too many cases, continuing lack of prosperity - in terms that are ingenious yet simple, complex yet easily understood. Entertaining and provocative, it will forever change the way you view the human pursuit of happiness, and bring the conflicts of both the world's superpowers and developing nations into a fascinating and informative new light.