Green Shoots Bustin' Out All Over

"Get all the stimulicious economic news you can handle"

Green Shoots Bustin' Out All Over: How Much More Awesome News Can One Economy Take? - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine

States by GDP

"North Dakota wins the bragging rights for growing the most last year, up 7.1% from in 2009."

States by GDP: How North Dakota outpaced the U.S. economy - Jun. 16, 2011

When Government Picks “Winners"

"The government isn’t very good at picking technologies to invest in."

When Government Picks “Winners,” They Sometimes Turn Out to Be Losers | The Foundry

China As No. 1? Give Us A Break

"The old saying among economists is that you have to get rich before you get old. China's losing that race."

China As No. 1? Give Us A Break - Investors.com

The More Things Exchange

"The Rational Optimist is an intelligent and interesting guide to mankind's cultural evolution and technological innovation. This is sufficient reason for us to be grateful for this very impressive book. "

The American Spectator : The More Things Exchange

Does Illusion Drive Economic Development?

Bad News, In Perspective

"For 200 years living standards have been accelerating upwards because trade and communication have been getting easier.

On present trends the average citizen of earth will be at least twice as rich as the average American is today by 2100 - corrected for inflation."

IN the past month the news has been all bad, but here an academic puts it into perspective | The Sun |Features

Pushing Buttons Like the Jetsons

"Human nature and the structure of reality itself doesn't change. Only the gizmos we use change."

Pushing Buttons Like the Jetsons - Jeffrey A. Tucker - Mises Daily

A Hopeful Message for the World

"The gains in health and education over the last few decades have been unprecedented for much of the world."

‘Getting Better,’ by Charles Kenny - A Hopeful Message for the World - NYTimes.com

Ferraris for All

"Daniel Ben-Ami reminds the world how crucial economic growth has been – not just for better conditions for humanity over the past two centuries, including improvements not directly related to extra consumption, but also to many non-material aspects of our lives."

FT.com / Special Reports - Books: Ferraris for All by Daniel Ben-Ami

Wealth and Technology Make the Death Toll Smaller, Not Larger

"Which would you rather have? A more realistic sense of your place in the world -- or your life?"

Wealth and technology make the death toll smaller, not larger | The Rational Optimist…

Triumph of the City

"The early industrial cities were disease ridden and dirty. But they were, more importantly, efficient and profitable and there were enormous commercial and political incentives to make them work."

Literary Review - Bryan Appleyard on Triumph of the City by Edward L Glaeser

‘The Information’ by James Gleick

"If Mr. Gleick has one overriding goal it is to provide an animated history of scientific progress, specifically the progress of the technology that allows information to be recorded, transmitted and analyzed."

‘The Information’ by James Gleick - Review - NYTimes.com

Don't Despair, Be Ambitious

Matt Ridley responds to Bill Gates' criticism of his views on Africa and climate change, and in so doing gives us a motto for the decades ahead. Not "Don't worry, be happy," but "Don't despair, be ambitious."

Matt Ridley on Where Progress Comes From - WSJ.com

Progress Q & A

"China has also pulled off a breathtaking economic transformation which will soon see it become the mightiest economic power in the world. It will challenge American hegemony as never before in modern times."

Read more: John Humphrys, in the Daily Mail

Question: How did China pull off its breathtaking economic transformation?

Answer: By encouraging markets more and using government less.

Question: How might a country pull off a breathtaking economic decline?

Answer: By doing the exact opposite.

Matt Ridley on Rational Optimism