Economists mostly from Europe explore issues of institutional and social dynamics of economic growth and distribution, along with their theoretical, empirical, historical, and methodological
implications. Among the topics are institutions and the beginnings of economic growth in 18th-century Britain, the coevolution of institutions and preferences, politics and income distribution,
income distribution and the interaction between cycles and growth, the effects of bureaucrats' rent-seeking activity on market failures within poor institutions, evidence from Greek regions on
the role of human capital in economic growth, adult longevity and economic take-off from Malthus to Ben-Prath, exploring assortative mating among the bright and wealthy, and interaction between
economic and social variables. This is one of several volumes emerging from a December 2007 conference held in Lucca, Italy. Annotation 穢2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
