The Gifts of Athena: Historical Origins of the Knowledge Economy Paperback - 2004

First line

The growth of human knowledge is one of the deepest and most elusive elements in history.

From the rear cover

"Everyone talks about knowledge and technology, but Mokyr's brilliant book is the rare exception that talks about the what, when, why, and where of the knowledge revolution. The book skillfully navigates a vast territory from the Industrial Revolution to the World Wide Web, from the revolution in health to that in housework, from technophobia to institutions. Mokyr demolishes stereotypes and generates a steady stream of fresh facts and insights that keep you turning the pages."--William Easterly, New York University, author of The Elusive Quest for Growth

"Economists, historians, and people who care about human progress will have to pay serious attention to Joel Mokyr's account of the role of knowledge in fueling economic development. He appears to be right about the West, and the implications for developing countries and their spending on education are staggering."--Margaret C. Jacob, University of California at Los Angeles

"The benefits of knowledge for health and wealth have been axiomatic for centuries. Showing just how science, technology, and medicine actually pay off is still not simple. The Gifts of Athena bridges history and economics with unusual learning and originality. Wise owls will want this book."--Edward Tenner, author of Why Things Bite Back: Technology and the Revenge of Unintended Consequences

"This is a splendid book. Highly illuminating and often strikingly original, it will be valuable to economists and economic theorists as well as to historians of all sorts but also, thanks to Mokyr's lively, often-provocative writing style, to a much wider audience."--Nathan Rosenberg, Stanford University, author of Exploring the Black Box

"An excellent and much-needed book. The Gifts of Athena embraces the varied scientific breakthroughs that eventuated in both modern economic growth and rapidly rising life expectancy. Mokyr's intellectual scope is impressive, and he has done scholars a great service by creating this pathbreaking work. The need for knowledge of this type, especially among economists, is great."--Richard A. Easterlin, University of Southern California, author of Growth Triumphant