The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War (The Princeton Economic History of the Western World)

Economic historian Robert Gordon argues that the transformative period of American growth between 1870 and 1970, which produced electric lighting, indoor plumbing, automobiles, and modern medicine, was a singular event unlikely to be repeated, and that the productivity gains promised by digital technology fall far short of what those earlier innovations delivered. The book is a counterargument to techno-optimism, grounded in meticulous historical data and a deep familiarity with how the material conditions of American life actually changed across a century.

Michael Butler Murray brings scholarly authority to a text that is dense with statistics and economic argument, keeping the material navigable through clear enunciation and steady pacing. At over thirty hours, this is a substantial commitment, but Murray's measured narration suits a book built for readers who want to examine the evidence rather than skim the argument. The historical sections on how ordinary life changed are particularly vivid in audio.