Lavin is proud to congratulate Daron and James, exclusive Lavin speakers since 2013, on winning the 2024 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences!
As internationally bestselling co-authors of Why Nations Fail and The Narrow Corridor, Daron and James have long been two of the world’s leading voices on what makes some countries thrive while others struggle.
For example, they compare living standards in two towns called Nogales, one in Arizona and one just south of the border in Mexico. They reveal how strong local institutions in Nogales, Arizona have made that town more prosperous than its immediate neighbor—despite the similar climates, cultures, and demographics—and what we can learn from that to strengthen our communities and countries.
Citing Daron and James’s work, the Nobel Committee explained how the institutions implemented in colonized societies determined the fate of those countries: strong political and economic systems allowed countries to boost their economy and innovation, whereas systems designed to exploit and oppress the wider population to benefit the elite ultimately led to poorer countries and stifled growth.
“Reducing the vast differences in income between countries is one of our time’s greatest challenges,” says the chair of the committee of the Nobel Prize in Economics. “The laureates have demonstrated the importance of societal institutions for achieving this.” In a moment when our democracy stands at a crossroads, Daron and James’s work has never been more vital.
Daron is a professor at MIT, the third most cited economist in the world, and co-author, most recently, of Power and Progress (with Simon Johnson, co-winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics). James is a professor at the University of Chicago, and Institute Director of that university’s Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts.
Their first book, Why Nations Fail, is a landmark exploration of why political and economic institutions—not climate, culture, demographics, or effort—make or break a country’s success. It was a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, and was named a best book of the year by The Washington Post, Financial Times, The Economist, Bloomberg, and more.
In their highly anticipated follow-up, The Narrow Corridor, they argue that liberty is the result of a continuous battle between state and society, showing what it takes to strike that delicate balance and secure prosperity and safety. Nobel Laureate George Akerlof says that “The Narrow Corridor takes us on a fascinating journey, across continents and through human history, to discover the critical ingredient of liberty. In these times, there can be no more important search—nor any more important book.”
Daron and James accept a select number of speaking engagements per year—get in touch with us today to invite them to speak at your event!
Lavin is proud to congratulate Daron and James, exclusive Lavin speakers since 2013, on winning the 2024 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences!
As internationally bestselling co-authors of
Why Nations Fail and
The Narrow Corridor, Daron and James have long been two of the world's leading voices on what makes some countries thrive while others struggle.
For example, they compare living standards in two towns called Nogales, one in Arizona and one just south of the border in Mexico. They reveal how strong local institutions in Nogales, Arizona have made that town more prosperous than its immediate neighbor—despite the similar climates, cultures, and demographics—and what we can learn from that to strengthen our communities and countries.
Citing Daron and James's work, the Nobel Committee explained how the institutions implemented in colonized societies determined the fate of those countries: strong political and economic systems allowed countries to boost their economy and innovation, whereas systems designed to exploit and oppress the wider population to benefit the elite ultimately led to poorer countries and stifled growth.
"Reducing the vast differences in income between countries is one of our time’s greatest challenges," says the chair of the committee of the Nobel Prize in Economics. "The laureates have demonstrated the importance of societal institutions for achieving this." In a moment when our democracy stands at a crossroads, Daron and James's work has never been more vital.
Daron is a professor at MIT, the third most cited economist in the world, and co-author, most recently, of
Power and Progress (with Simon Johnson, co-winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics). James is a professor at the University of Chicago, and Institute Director of that university's Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts.
Their first book,
Why Nations Fail, is a landmark exploration of why political and economic institutions—not climate, culture, demographics, or effort—make or break a country's success. It was a
New York Times and
Wall Street Journal bestseller, and was named a best book of the year by
The Washington Post,
Financial Times,
The Economist,
Bloomberg, and more.
In their highly anticipated follow-up,
The Narrow Corridor, they argue that liberty is the result of a continuous battle between state and society, showing what it takes to strike that delicate balance and secure prosperity and safety. Nobel Laureate George Akerlof says that "
The Narrow Corridor takes us on a fascinating journey, across continents and through human history, to discover the critical ingredient of liberty. In these times, there can be no more important search—nor any more important book."
Daron and James accept a select number of speaking engagements per year—
get in touch with us today to invite them to speak at your event!
