Read the book and enjoyed it. Love that you posted both complements and criticism of the book.
Having, ironically, just read Hobsbawms Age of Capital the contrast in focus from 'class' to DeLong's focus on aggregate outcomes stood out for me. Technology does not always improve the lives of all people and class matters in determining what laws are in place when technology advances take place. More unequal distribution of the profits produces more focus on class (Like with the Cotton-gin which was a massive technological advance and also produced more not fewer slaves) while more equal distribution of profits (like the automobile or electricity during the period after WW2) which produced decreasing focus on class. With the Auto and Electricity the government stepped in built highways and roads that made access to the outputs from auto's more available to all Americans, same with Electricity which got pushed out to all Americans rural and urban at affordable costs thanks to government intervention.
Daron Acemoglu's "Power and Progress" digs deeper into the history of how technology advances have always either hurt classes or improved their lives dependent entirely on how the government in charge legislated.
Read the book and enjoyed it. Love that you posted both complements and criticism of the book.
Having, ironically, just read Hobsbawms Age of Capital the contrast in focus from 'class' to DeLong's focus on aggregate outcomes stood out for me. Technology does not always improve the lives of all people and class matters in determining what laws are in place when technology advances take place. More unequal distribution of the profits produces more focus on class (Like with the Cotton-gin which was a massive technological advance and also produced more not fewer slaves) while more equal distribution of profits (like the automobile or electricity during the period after WW2) which produced decreasing focus on class. With the Auto and Electricity the government stepped in built highways and roads that made access to the outputs from auto's more available to all Americans, same with Electricity which got pushed out to all Americans rural and urban at affordable costs thanks to government intervention.
Daron Acemoglu's "Power and Progress" digs deeper into the history of how technology advances have always either hurt classes or improved their lives dependent entirely on how the government in charge legislated.