The Land Trap

A New History of the World's Oldest Asset

By: Mike Bird

Narrated by: Mike Bird

How the world’s oldest asset secretly shapes our modern economy

In The Land Trap, Mike Bird—Wall Street editor at The Economist—reveals how this ancient asset still exerts outsize influence over the modern world. From the speculative land grabs of colonial America to China's real estate crisis today, Bird shows how fortunes are built—and destroyed—on the bedrock of land.

Tracing three centuries of history, Bird explores how land quietly became the linchpin of the global banking system, driving everything from soaring housing prices to rising geopolitical tensisons. As governments wrestle with inequality and land grows ever scarcer, The Land Trap offers a powerful new framework for understanding the hidden force behind today's most urgent challenges.

This is the book for anyone who wants to see beyond markets and money to the real game being played on a foundation as old as civilization itself. Timely, provocative, and essential, The Land Trap will change how you see the ground beneath your feet.

too short

no thorough enough. Just few notes about few countries and few decades. no Africa, Latin America or Europe or history beyond 19th century

Great learning opportunity

Well narrated, easily understood concepts, with a plethora of real world case studies. Only concern is no cases which might indicate a contrary position, but that was okay

Must read to understand the current economy and politics

I loved this book. It is well read and written explaining from the beginning to end how our current economy and politics got to where it is. In some ways, one may be able to have some “predictive” power on where things might go.

superb book

brilliantly written. lays out both the history and the problems that comes with land. how land creates issues both in a countries financial stability, but also creates massive wealth disaparities.

I think anyone would learn a good deal from this book. however it is especially well suited for anyone interested in finance, economics, history, real estate, the housing crisis, or equity