False Economy: A Surprising Economic History of the World

(Paperback)

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Why do oil and diamonds lead to economic disaster more often than boom Why doesn't Africa grow cocaine Why might believing in God be good for your balance-sheet In 2001 Argentina's government bankrupted itself, yet for the past two hundred years it had enjoyed a vista of economic opportunity almost identical to that of the USA. Why did the USA succeed while Argentina stalled Botswana and Sierra Leone are both blessed with abundant diamonds. Why did Botswana became the world's fastest-growing economy while Sierra Leone suffered a decade of brutal civil war In False Economy, Alan Beattie uses extraordinary stories of economic triumph and disaster to explain how some countries went wrong while others went right, and why it's so difficult to change course once you're on the path to ruin.

Author Bio

Born in Chester, Alan Beattie attended a local comprehensive school before graduating from Balliol College, Oxford, with a degree in history. After taking a master's degree in economics at Cambridge, he worked as an economist at the Bank of England and then joined the Financial Times in 1998. Currently the FT's world trade editor, he writes about economics, globalisation and development. He lives in London.