Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle over Technology and Prosperity

This review examines the main arguments presented in the book "Power and Progress" by Acemoglu and Johnson. The review proceeds in two steps. First, it discusses the main ideas of the book, focusing on the thesis that an increase in productivity does not automatically lead to an increase in wages. Second, the review raises some doubts about specific points made by the authors, in particular regarding the role of substitutive automation as a possible source of collective benefits.