
Why Europe?
The Great Divergence and the West's Rise to Global Predominance
Philip T. Hoffman(Author)
Cambridge University Press
Will be published approx. on 16. July 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-0-521-73844-6 (ISBN)
Description
Economic growth transformed the world. It freed us from a world where nearly everyone was mired in poverty and half of all children died before reaching adulthood. However, these benefits have not been felt everywhere, nor by everyone. In this groundbreaking new account of the divergence between east and west, Philip T. Hoffman uncovers the ultimate causes of economic growth and the reasons why it originated in seventeenth-century western Europe. He examines the relative impacts of a wide range of economic, political, and social factors, from high wages, cheap capital, and financial institutions to political fragmentation, porous borders, and interstate warfare. Through accessible economic principles and fascinating case studies, he demonstrates why growth began in Britain, why it spread so unevenly elsewhere, and why inequality inhibits growth.
Reviews / Votes
'Why Europe? succeeds in the miracle of combining great breadth and major depth of analysis in a short volume. The test of time for any book lies in whether the questions it raises are intellectually exciting. The questions raised and addressed in Phil Hoffman's latest book will keep everyone awake at night wanting to learn more.' Maristella Botticini, author of The Chosen Few: How Education Shaped Jewish History, 70-1492 'Hoffman's question 'Why Europe' is one of those historical questions that once you start thinking about them, it is hard to think of anything else. This volume, as eloquent as it is thoughtful and erudite, provides persuasive and informed answers. It is mandatory reading for anyone who has ever wondered why our world looks the way it does.' Joel Mokyr, author of A Culture of Growth: Origins of the Modern EconomyMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises
ISBN-13
978-0-521-73844-6 (9780521738446)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
approx. 07/2026
Cambridge University Press
€99.00
Not yet published
Person
Philip T. Hoffman is Emeritus Professor of Business Economics and History at the California Institute of Technology. A Guggenheim Fellow and former president of the Economic History Association and the Social Science History Association, he is also the author of Dark Matter Credit (2019).
Content
1. Introduction; 2. Europe's advantages: demography, agriculture, and the environment; 3. War, conquest, and politics in Europe's rise; 4. Ideas, beliefs, and culture; 5. Why Britain was the first country in Europe to industrialize; 6. Institutions and Britain's pioneering industrialization; 7. Why some economies grew rich and others fell behind; Bibliography; Index.