Comsats University Islamabad

Abbottabad Campus

Course Title : Communication skills

Assignment number : 03
Submitted by : M SOHAIB KHAN
Registration Number : FA20-CVE-068
Section : B
Submitted to : Maa’m Alia Bashir Tanoli
Date of submission : 17/4/21

WHY NATIONS FAIL: the origin of power, prosperity and poverty.

(By Daron Acemoglu and James A Robinson)

A book review by Muhammad Shoaib Khan

INTRODUCTION:

Daron Acemoglu is a Turkish-American economist currently working as a professor at

Massachusetts institute of technology (MIT).He is removed economist with worldwide
readership. Her has publish various research works and has authored many other books on
economics.

The book is co-authored by James A Robinson. He is a prominent British economist and political
scientist. He is currently serving as a professor of Global conflict studies at university if Chicago.

both the authored has blended knowledge and analysis to create this masterpiece which
greatly illustrates the fate of various countries across the globe based on their respective social
and political conducts.in short this book is a bird eye view of various regions across the globe
that has clearly shown how economic conditions alter.

DISCUSSION:

Drawing on the case studies of several countries the authors have shown how some of them
are successful while others are not. The authors showed that how some countries eradicated
poverty and set forth a path of success for others. While those who failed were in hands of
elites – “disinterested in creating prosperity”.

The book revolves around the concept of Inclusive and Extractive institutions which creates
loops both negative and positive. Inclusive institutions create prosperity and extractive
institutions are correlative with poverty. In other words, the book explains how political and
economic conditions of a country correlate to create poverty or prosperity. However, the
authors dismiss the role of geography and culture. They argue that it is the only type of
institutions and the cycle they create (The vicious or virtuous ) that matters.

I personally like the book and its ideas very much. However, I do not agree with the point that
the geography and culture does not play part in the economic conditions of a country.
Geography adds to the importance in trade and culture decides the trading behavior of the
people. Thus, these two factors cannot be neglected while considering the economic account of
a country or region.
CONCLUSION:

in a nutshell Why nations fail is great blend of economics and analysis to chart out a way for any
nation that wants to learn from the past of various countries. It has very well shown both the
paths of economic uplift and economy doomed the choice to follow one of the paths lays barely
in the hands of reader.