Gregory_clark - A_farewell_to_alms.pdf Apr 2026

Clark’s most controversial claim is that the Industrial Revolution was driven by rather than just institutions or geography. A Farewell to Alms: - Economics

The average person in 1800 was no better off—and possibly worse off—than a hunter-gatherer from 100,000 BC. Gregory_Clark - A_Farewell_to_Alms.pdf

In this world, events that reduced population (like the Black Death) temporarily raised living standards for survivors, while "good" things like peace and stability could actually lower per capita income by increasing population density. The Breakout: "Survival of the Richest" Clark’s most controversial claim is that the Industrial