Kyle Harrison
to-read
The Rise and Fall of American Growth
The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War
- Author
- Robert J. Gordon
- Published
- 2016
- Pages
- 762
- Recommended
- Once
Why it’s on the list: Gordon’s 762-page case that 1870–1970 was a one-off: electricity, sanitation, the internal combustion engine and the telephone transformed daily life in a way the information revolution has not matched.
Where I saw it: Posted by @AlecStapp on X (June 27, 2025): “13-hour flight, time to lock in.”
Connections
- Economic Growth — the central claim about its rate.
- Progress Studies — the field organized largely around disputing this book.
- Innovation — which innovations actually moved the standard of living.