Ebook: The power of a single number: a political history of GDP

Widely used since the mid-20th century, GDP (gross domestic product) has become the world's most powerful statistical indicator of national development and progress. Practically all governments adhere to the idea that GDP growth is a primary economic target, and while criticism of this measure has grown, neither its champions nor its detractors deny its central importance in our political culture. Philipp Lepenies recounts the lively history of GDP's political acceptance - and eventual dominance. Locating the origins of GDP measurements in Renaissance England, he explores the social and political factors that originally hindered its use.