Slouching Towards Utopia by J. Bradford DeLong Summary
Overview of Slouching Towards Utopia
DeLong's magisterial economic history reveals why unprecedented wealth creation between 1870-2010 failed to deliver utopia. Praised by Krugman and Wolf as essential reading, it brilliantly dissects the Hayek-Keynes-Polanyi debates that still shape our understanding of markets, prosperity, and inequality today.
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Key takeaways
When Everything Changed Forever
Between 1870 and 2010, humanity experienced the most dramatic transformation in its entire existence. For thousands of years, life had barely changed-a person from ancient Rome would recognize medieval Europe without much surprise. Then suddenly, within just 140 years, everything exploded. Wealth multiplied 21 times over. Life expectancy doubled. Extreme poverty plummeted from 70% to under 9%. Yet here's the puzzle: despite achieving material abundance beyond our ancestors' wildest dreams, we still haven't reached utopia. Depression, anxiety, and inequality plague even the wealthiest societies. What went wrong? Understanding this paradox isn't just academic curiosity-it's essential for anyone hoping to shape a better future. For millennia, humanity was stuck in what economists call the Malthusian trap. Any technological improvement-a better plow, a new crop-simply allowed more people to survive at the same miserable standard of living. Between the years 1 and 1500, technology improved at just 0.04% annually, barely perceptible across generations. Population growth consumed nearly all gains. People spent half their resources securing bare minimum calories, living in constant fear of famine. Disease was rampant, literacy rare, and life expectancy hovered around 30 years.
The Great Escape and Its Uneven Rewards
The Age of Systematic Innovation
Democracy, Markets, and Social Conflict
When Progress Collapsed Into Catastrophe
War, Recovery, and the Golden Age
The Unraveling of the Dream
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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