There's also ReOrient by Andre Gunder Frank ... its important to remember that while Europe is growing faster than East Asia when Voltaire is writing, its not yet wealthier than East Asia ... that the great trading fortunes of the 1600's and 1700's are based on taking New World silver to finance a stake in the East Asian carrying trade. It is in the 1800's that Europe advances in the Eurasian trading system from the position of rapidly growing semi-peripheral economy to core economy.


I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.