This book is a bit uneven. I got the impression that at least some of the chapters had originally been written as separate pieces because the general argument seemed to lose traction every now and then. The author begins by presenting an economic theory of history which is amusingly myopic at times. For instance, he suggests that state's legal systems have two objectives, to provide a structure of property rights and to "foster maximum output" (p.24). I doubt if the latter can really be a legal objective. I can also easily think of ten additional objectives for legal systems. Furthermore, I disliked the author's crude classification of all non-economic phenomena under the nondescript label "ideology". His theory of history certainly exhibits all the limitations of economic thought even more early than its strengths.

But taken with a grain of salt it still provides some useful insights in the ensuing historical chapters. The ones on bronze age states, Greeks, Romans and feudalism seem to extend a bit beyond the author's expertise. He clearly comes into his own when he discusses the industrial revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries. These are the best chapters and the ones where his theoretical model is most useful. Overall I admire the author's broad perspective and I'm sure he was aware of the partial nature of economic explanations in world history. I would recommend this book particularly to readers interested in the European industrial revolution with a little bit of background in economics.