The Rise and Fall of American Growth

Nate Silver Predicts a ‘Momentous’ Midterm

The Ezra Klein Show, 27 October 2026. The book comes up at 54 min 33 sec in. Said by Nate Silver.

Nate Silver recommends this book by economic historian Robert Gordon, which he read while at a poker tournament in Paris. He describes its thesis that America's biggest economic gains came between roughly 1870 and 1970, and uses the Industrial Revolution's initially terrible living conditions as a caution against easy AI optimism. He calls it detailed, compelling on changes not captured by GDP, and not a beach read.

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