Book description
All societies must deal with the possibility of violence, and they do so in different ways. This book integrates the problem of violence into a larger social science and historical framework, showing how economic and political behavior are closely linked. Most societies, which we call natural states, limit violence by…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Violence and Social Orders as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
This is a landmark book in political economy and economic history.
Douglass North won the Noble Prize in Economics in part for the study of institutions in economic history.
This was his final work (coauthored with Wallis and Weingast). And while the lessons of North's earlier work on institutions have been incorporated into the wider body of scholarship in economic history and development economics, I think the lessons of this book haven't been fully absorbed.
The fundamental idea is that all societies face "the problem of violence". They have to deter individuals from resorting to violence in order to take…
From Mark's list on politics and economics in preindustrial societies.
As the subtitle suggests the authors of this book do not have modest ambitions. And for the most part, they deliver. Modern economics focuses mainly on market interactions. But those markets are embedded in institutional and personal networks that are undergirded by the use or threat of use of force. This book provides a framework for understanding how the ability to use force undergirds modern political systems and why that matters.
From Joshua's list on understanding the modern capitalist economy.
If you love Violence and Social Orders...
These Blue Mountains
A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.
German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…
Want books like Violence and Social Orders?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Violence and Social Orders.
Share your top 3 reads of 2025!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,366
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like Violence and Social Orders, you might also like...
Deadly Revenge
Deputy Jenna Hart has only been working in her sleepy hometown of Pearl Springs for seven months when city officials begin to be targeted by a killer. Twenty years ago, the construction of a dam caused people to lose their land to eminent domain. That wound has not healed with…
The Duty of Memory
Separating the true stories from the myths, The Duty of Memory provides a deeper understanding of the diverse motivations that drove ordinary people to join an underground network of French Resistants despite terrible odds and horrifying consequences.
This book takes the reader inside the true story of men and women…
