The Great Degeneration

How Institutions Decay and Economies Die

Niall Ferguson

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English

Portfolio Press
14 March 2014

Niall Ferguson's bold, pithy and insightful analysis of the degeneration of the West. The decline of the West is something that has long been prophesied. Symptoms of decline are all around us today: slowing growth, crushing debts, aging populations. But what exactly is amiss with Western civilization? The answer, Niall Ferguson argues, is that our institutions - the intricate frameworks within which a society can flourish or fail - are degenerating. Representative government, the free market, the rule of law and civil society were once the four pillars of West European and North American societies. In our time, however, these institutions have deteriorated. The Great Degeneration is a powerful indictment of an era of negligence and complacency. While the Arab world struggles to adopt democracy, and while China struggles to move from economic liberalization to the rule of law, the West is frittering away the institutional inheritance of centuries. To arrest the decline, Ferguson warns, will take heroic leadership and radical reform.

By: Niall Ferguson
Imprint: Portfolio Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 197mm, Width: 131mm, Spine: 11mm
Weight: 148g
ISBN: 9780141975238
ISBN 10: 0141975237
Pages: 192
Publication Date: 14 March 2014
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , General/trade , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Niall Ferguson is one of Britain's most renowned historians.He is the author of Paper and Iron, The House of Rothschild, The Pity of War, The Cash Nexus, Empire, Colossus, The War of the World, The Ascent of Money, High Financier and Civilization. He has written and presented six highly successful television series for Channel Four: Empire, American Colossus, The War of the World, The Ascent of Money, Civilization and China: Triumph and Turmoil.

Reviews for The Great Degeneration: How Institutions Decay and Economies Die

Brings history alive for the reader with a dazzling knowledge ... peerless * Independent on Sunday * A masterpiece ... fascinating facts burst like fireworks on every page * Sunday Times * This is sharp. It feels urgent. Ferguson... twists his knife with great literary brio -- Andrew Marr (on Civilization) A dazzling history of Western ideas ... epic * Economist * Brilliantly written, full of wit and virtuosity, stuffed with memorable lines and gorgeous bits of information. A great read * The Times (on Civilization) *