Robert Gordon’s recently published book “The Rise and Fall of American Growth” (Princeton University Press) has already generated considerable debate and will likely be the most influential book of the year. Here are a few reviews of the excellent book:
Harvard economist Edward Glaeser's thoughtful review in the WSJ:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/20/business/economy/a-somber-view-of-americas-pace-of-progress.html
Paul Krugman’s Review:
Krugman notes –
“Robert J. Gordon, a distinguished macroeconomist and economic historian at Northwestern, has been arguing for a long time against the techno-optimism that saturates our culture, with its constant assertion that we’re in the midst of revolutionary change. Starting at the height of the dot-com frenzy, he has repeatedly called for perspective: Developments in information and communication technology, he has insisted, just don’t measure up to past achievements. Specifically, he has argued that the I.T. revolution is less important than any one of the five Great Inventions that powered economic growth from 1870 to 1970: electricity, urban sanitation, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, the internal combustion engine and modern communication.”