Comments on: Angus Maddison, RIP

By: mjturner

mjturner — Sat, 01 May 2010 07:25:00 +0000

China – per capita GDP, not GDP (which had grown a lot due to population rises)

By: drewbie

drewbie — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:57:15 +0000

For some reason, the “shorter” dictionary reminds me of 1984.

By: darms

darms — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:32:32 +0000

One reservation, though (and I say this because I’m a published ancient historian, as well as a classicist in general). While it was fun for Maddison to do everything he reasonably could to estimate “world GDP” from 1-1500 ad, that part serves basically as a flat line with comparatively small variations that then starts upwards from 1500 on, the grounds on which we estimate that flat line in and for itself being notoriously airy and weak, and the flat line when all is said and done mainly there to point up the last 500 years of growth. Thus the real “masterpiece” part seems to me to be early modern (1500) till now, where the guesswork part reduces itself to the manageable.

By: david3

david3 — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:27:25 +0000

I purchased his masterpiece last fall and it sits upon my work bookshelf. Excellent stuff. I have used it in a few reports.