Industrial Development Through Urbanization
Description
Does economic prosperity depend on natural resources, religion and cultural history, or does it hinge on the desire of people to improve their lives? Based on empirical data from all parts of the world, economic historian Franz Mathis challenges conventionally-held perceptions tying prosperity to Western values. The key to prosperity is a rise in the productivity of human labor, which has primarily been achieved through industrialization. As Mathis shows in this provocative work, wherever and whenever big cities emerged industrialization followed. In fact, industrialization is neither a European nor a non-European phenomenon, but, rather, the mass demand of big cities is the decisive and ultimate cause for worthwhile and profitable industrial enterprise.
Reviews
"The book is a major contribution to business history. It challenges the conventional wisdom that new technology was the primary driver of industrialization. In a carefully crafted argument he shows that urbanization is the starting point of development and technology a logic consequence of the conditions that arise. A must read for historians, economists and policy makers alike."
-Christian Stadler, Professor of Strategic Management at Warwick Business School, UK.
Author Bio
Franz Mathis is a retired professor for economic and social history at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. His main fields of interest and research are business history, comparative urban history, and global economic development in general. He worked as a guest scientist at the Harvard Business School and was a visiting professor at the University of New Orleans.
