Bad Samaritans
by Ha-Joon Chang · first published 1998
65% recommend35% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Accessible argument that rich countries, including South Korea, Japan and England, developed through protectionism and industrial policy rather than free trade. Suits readers questioning free-trade orthodoxy.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A radical look by a leading economist at the issues surrounding globalization...It's rare that a book appears with a fresh perspective on world affairs, but renowned economist Ha-Joon Chang has some startlingly original things to say about the future of globalization. In theory, he argues, the world's wealthiest countries and supra-national institutions like the IMF, World Bank and WTO want to see all nations developing into modern industrial societies. In practice, though, those at the top are 'kicking away the ladder' to wealth that they themselves climbed. Why? Self-interest certainly plays
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2010–2026Kicking away the ladder
Ha-Joon Chang
Recommended by 16 · mentioned by 2716 recommend · 27 mention16 recommend · 2716 recommend
2015–2024Things hidden since the foundation of the world
René Girard, Jean-Michel Oughourlian, Guy Lefort
Recommended by 6 · mentioned by 126 recommend · 12 mention6 recommend · 126 recommend
2013–2025The first and last freedom
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Recommended by 3 · mentioned by 43 recommend · 4 mention3 recommend · 43 recommend
2012–2022Free will
Sam Harris
Recommended by 15 · mentioned by 2015 recommend · 20 mention15 recommend · 2015 recommend
2007–2022Origin of Wealth
Eric D. Beinhocker
Recommended by 15 · mentioned by 1915 recommend · 19 mention15 recommend · 1915 recommend
2010–2026The Human Use of Human Beings
Norbert Wiener
Recommended by 12 · mentioned by 3212 recommend · 32 mention12 recommend · 3212 recommend
2015–2024The Master Algorithm
Pedro Domingos
Recommended by 23 · mentioned by 4023 recommend · 40 mention23 recommend · 4023 recommend
2007–2026Poor Charlie's Almanack
Charles T. Munger
Recommended by 34 · mentioned by 5434 recommend · 54 mention34 recommend · 5434 recommend
…every nation after they have achieved development and wealth. Pretty much all of whom got wealthy by pointedly ignoring free trade. There's a decent book from 10 or 15 years ago by Ha-Joon Chang called Bad Samaritans that explores globalisation, free trade and in particular the insistence of WTO, World Bank and developed nations forcing free trade on the developing world as a condition of loan, or agreements. He…
on “Economists are now admitting that they were wrong about globalization” ↗…the state, taxing to feed soldiers for war, and that the drive to pay off one's debt fueled a lot of the cruelty of mankind (eg. Hernan Cortez, Casimir). 21 Things they don't tell you about Capitalism, Bad Samaritans (Ha Joon Chang) - Learned that free trade is generally bad for developing countries, countries need to build out high productivity industries to grow their economy in the long term and avoid a balance…
on “Ask HN: What books have made the biggest impact on your mental models?” ↗It's unfortunate you're being downvoted. I highly recommend the book, Bad Samaritans [1] as it shows that all developed countries followed a similar pattern of IP theft and protectionism. 1. https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Samaritans-Secret-History-Capital...
on “12,000 startups are being created every day in China [video]” ↗In fact you didn't really have to look up to China to show that. Reading up the first dozen or so pages of "Bad Samaritans" by Cambridge economist Ha-Joon Chang would reveal how South Korea is a fairly contemporary counterexample to the (largely mythical) official narrative; also worth taking a look at his paper "Kicking…
on “China’s great leap forward in science” ↗The Korean economist Ha-Joon Chang makes similar arguments in his book Bad samaritans. He argues that this model was successfully followed by Korea (Samsung, Hyundai, etc), Japan, and even Henry VII in 15th century England - well worth a read.
on “Ghana will no longer sell cocoa to Switzerland” ↗https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1032019.Bad_Samaritans This is a good book that goes through how economies develop and the role of State Owned/sponsored Enterprises are helpful in developing a nation's technology competencies. The author uses South Korea…
on “Intel's $20B Ohio factory could become world's largest chip plant” ↗…unfortunate how few people recognize that, but then most people don't get beyond Econ 101 thinking. It's worse than if they had not learned any economics at all. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1032019.Bad_Samaritans
on “Tariffs Tax the Poor More Than the Rich” ↗There is a very telling story in the great book "Bad samaritans" ( http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Samaritans-Secret-History-Capitali... ). Among other things -- the author explains how in the 1850s, American travellers in Japan were surprised by the Japanese laziness and…
on “The Rise of the New Global Elite” ↗Ha-Joon Chang's "Bad Samaritans" is interesting in this regard. Accessible, too.
on “I got hired at a Bangladesh sweatshop. Meet my 9-year-old boss [video]” ↗There's an argument that strongly protectionist policies are in fact very useful for developing an economy. Protect your own markets, but appropriate other's IP. See Bad Samaritans by Ha-Joon Chang. http://www.powells.com/biblio/2-9781596915985-7
on “All Our Patent Are Belong To You” ↗Facebook also incubated itself for a time in a space that MySpace didn't effectively own or control. See Ha-Joon Chang's Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism for more on this. "Chang blasts holes in the “World I s Flat” orthodoxy of T homas Friedman and other liberal economists who argue that only…
on “Peter Thiel: Competition is for losers” ↗"Bad Samaritans" by Ha-Joon Chang, a South Korean economist now at Cambridge University, is a good light read fleshing out these ideas.
on “China Just Blocked Thousands of Websites” ↗…http://d1.islamhouse.com/data/en/ih_books/single/en_What_Isl... Both made it less nebulous to me of what is otherwise a largely irreconcilably contradictory narrative (http://nypost.com/2015/11/22/missing-paris-attacker-loved-ga...). Bad Samaritans, Ha-Joon Chang : a neat illuminating read on economic development matters that are not typically articulated in discussions of relevance and dominance.
on “Ask HN: What book that you read in 2015 significantly affected how you think?” ↗…of the successful asian tigers really follow a laissez-faire system. Pundits will argue they could have been more successful if they did, but I am not convinced. Great post. I'm reminded of the book "Bad Samaritans" by Ha-Joon Chang.
on “Andy Grove’s Warning to Silicon Valley” ↗Ha-Joon Chang has very approachable books about capitalism and economics. * Twenty-Three Things They Don't Tell You about Capitalism [1] * Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism [2] [1] https://www.amazon.com/Things-They-Dont-About-Capitalism/dp/... [2] https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Samaritans-Secret-History-Capital...
on “Summer Reading List” ↗