Power and Progress

Does technology always lead to progress for everyone? The answer is a surprising no. This book summary reveals why new technologies, from the Middle Ages to modern AI, often enrich a select few while leaving the rest of us behind, and what you can do about it. You'll discover the thousand-year-old power struggle between the elite who control technology and the workers who seek a share of the prosperity. Learn how we can redirect the path of innovation to create a future where technological advancements benefit all of society, not just the powerful.

Daron Acemoglu is an Institute Professor at MIT, one of the most cited economists in the world, and a leading expert on the institutional causes of economic development. His decades of research alongside former IMF chief economist Simon Johnson explore why technological advances do not automatically benefit everyone. Together, they investigate the historical power struggles that have determined whether innovation creates shared prosperity or concentrates wealth, offering a crucial framework for understanding our present and future.