Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century
From the juryt: In Spin Dictators, Guriev and Triesman paint a portrait of the new breed of dictators that control their populations by distorting information and simulating democratic processes. They have pioneered less violent, more covert, and more efficient and effective methods of repression. Guriev and Triesman show us how these new authoritarians come to…
Slouching Toward Utopia: An Economic History of the Twentieth Century
From the jury: Slouching toward Utopia is a gripping account of the economic and social dreams of Western countries in the 20th and early 21st centuries. J. Bradford DeLong tells a compelling story of flawed decision-making that failed to realize promise and left so many frustrated and open to easy and risky solutions. “Slouching” refers…
Revolution and Dictatorship: The Violent Origins of Durable Authoritarianism
From the jury: Revolution and Dictatorship changes the way we understand the staying power of authoritarian regimes. In a brilliant and original argument that draws deeply on history, Levitsky and Way show us how the origin of an authoritarian regime tells us a great deal about how long it is likely to last. Revolutionary regimes…
Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology
From the jury: In this gripping history of semiconductors, Chris Miller tells the contemporary history of the geopolitical competition between the United States and China. In compelling prose, Miller traces the history of a tiny silicon wafer that shapes technological development and economic growth in the global economy and is now at the forefront of…