Contents

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents v
3. Preface: An Autobiographical Note vii
4. 1. Introduction: A Systematic Agenda 1
5. 2. Rational Choices and Responsible Decisionmaking 5
6. 3. Collective Action, Government, and Property Rights 23
7. 4. Disunity, Law, and Liberty: The Rise of the West Compared with Stagnation in the Great Asian Civilizations 37
8. 5. Why People Stay Poor El sewhere 65
9. 6. The West in Decline and the Rise of East Asia 91
10. 7. War and Peace in the Contemporary World 119
11. 8. Conclusions: Distributional Coalitions and Rent-Seeking 151
12. Bibliography 171
13. Index 195
14. About the Book 204