# Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson

9 Hacker News commenters recommended Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 7 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** People recommend it for a simple thesis that institutions decide whether nations prosper, backed by many historical examples and ideas on how countries got where they are.

## Why people recommend it

- Institutions decide whether countries prosper (3 comments): "pointed out this exact issue that institutions that doesn't serve the people's interests is the main culprit" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47954987)) "build and strengthen institutions and your country prospers" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49903395)) "Read "why nations fail". It essentially covers this." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48078866))
- Many historical examples of economic outcomes (3 comments): "makes a compelling case that the encomienda system put in place by the conquistadors impoverished South America" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45805195)) "it's fascinating to learn how deliberately Apartheid South Africa was engineered to impoverish black farmers" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50133732)) "both books are a simple thesis and lots of historical examples IMHO" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47380810))
- Introduces interesting ideas about how nations got here (2 comments): "I loved his book "Why Nations Fail" for introducing lots of interesting ideas to me" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48769434)) "many good ideas about how we got here and what we might do to get out" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50278616))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty](https://hackerapproved.com/p/capital-in-the-twenty-first-century.md): 12 recommend
- [Progress and Poverty by Henry George](https://hackerapproved.com/p/progress-and-poverty.md): 6 recommend
- [Free to Choose by Milton Friedman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/free-to-choose.md): 5 recommend
- [Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism by Vladimir Lenin](https://hackerapproved.com/p/imperialism-the-highest-stage-of-capitalism.md): 5 recommend
- [Trade Wars are Class Wars by Matthew C. Klein and Michael Pettis](https://hackerapproved.com/p/trade-wars-are-class-wars.md): 4 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307719219?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780307719218) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson", https://hackerapproved.com/p/why-nations-fail/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).