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Book Reviews on...

The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution by Francis Fukuyama
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The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution

by Francis Fukuyama

Recommendations from our site

“This two-volume book is basically a very extended study of history from that starting point of ‘What happens if you look at history as a convergent evolutionary path that seems to end in liberal democracy?” Read more...

The best books on How the World Works

Venkatesh Rao, Entrepreneurs & Business People

The book, according to the author

I wrote two very long books, The Origins of Political Order and Political Order and Political Decay. In them, I laid out the tripartite framework—about needing to understand that you’ve got these three components: the state (and hopefully a modern state), the rule of law, and democratic accountability, and that they are all separate. Historically, they appeared at different times. And you can mix and match. So Iran has kind of democratic elections—they just had one. They’re not so free and fair but sometimes there’s a surprise. What they don’t have is anything like a real rule of law that constrains their state. Singapore doesn’t have elections—or has kind of fake elections—but it has a pretty strong rule of law. It’s a way of understanding the diversity of political forms around the world, and also where they came from. The disadvantage is these two books, together, are around 1100 pages long. It’s not like you can go to them for a quick summary and get all that content in a really easy way.

The best books on Liberal Democracy recommended by Francis Fukuyama

Other books by Francis Fukuyama

Liberalism and Its Discontents by Francis Fukuyama

Liberalism and Its Discontents
by Francis Fukuyama

Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment by Francis Fukuyama

Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment
by Francis Fukuyama

Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalization of Democracy by Francis Fukuyama

Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalization of Democracy
by Francis Fukuyama

After the End of History: Conversations with Francis Fukuyama by Francis Fukuyama & Mathilde Fasting

After the End of History: Conversations with Francis Fukuyama
by Francis Fukuyama & Mathilde Fasting

The End of History and the Last Man by Francis Fukuyama

The End of History and the Last Man
by Francis Fukuyama

Our most recommended books

  • War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

    War and Peace
    by Leo Tolstoy

  • On Liberty
    by John Stuart Mill

  • Middlemarch
    by George Eliot

  • Nineteen Eighty-Four
    by George Orwell

  • The Confessions
    by Augustine (translated by Maria Boulding)

  • The Odyssey
    by Homer and translated by Emily Wilson

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