From its inception, liberalism offered a glittering promise of shared prosperity, equality, democratic values and the free pursuit of knowledge. At first, it flourished. And then it faltered. Once a tantalising beacon of hope, it began to erode and decay at the hands of elitism, intolerance and rising autocracy. One could say that liberalism is broken. So what comes next? Nobel prize-winning co-author of Why Nations Fail Daron Acemoglu charts the rise and fall of liberal democracy, and offers hope for a way forward: a new theory that lays the groundwork for how we can - and must - remake liberalism before it's too late.

Praise for WHY NATIONS FAIL: An important book * New York Times *
A must-read. Acemoglu and Robinson are intellectual heavyweights of the first rank * Guardian *
An intellectually rich book that develops an important thesis with verve * Financial Times *
Two of the world's leading experts on development explain why it is not geography, disease, or culture which explains why some nations are rich and some poor, but rather a matter of institutions and politics. This highly accessible book provides welcome insight to specialists and general readers alike -- Francis Fukuyama, author of The End of History and The Last Man
A vital work for these times * Wall Street Journal *
A must-read. Acemoglu and Robinson are intellectual heavyweights of the first rank ... they have done you the courtesy of writing a book that while at the intellectual cutting edge is not just readable but engrossing ... erudite and fascinating * Observer *
Truly an awesome book. Acemoglu and Robinson tackle one of the most important problems in the social sciences - a question that has bedevilled leading thinkers for centuries - and offer an answer that is brilliant in its simplicity and power. A wonderfully readable mix of history, political science, and economics, this book will change the way we think about economic development. Why Nations Fail is a must read book -- Steven Levitt, author of Freakonomics

DARON ACEMOGLU is an institute professor at MIT and Faculty Co-Director of MIT's Shaping the Future of Work Initiative. He has been awarded, among others, the John Bates Clark Medal, the Nemmers Prize, the Global Economy Prize and the Nobel Prize in Economics. He is the co-author of Why Nations Fail.