The late economic historian, Raymond Crotty, a specialist on economic development in Ireland, left a challenging work that addresses the processes of world history from the neolithic revoution up to the end of the 20th century. On the way, Crotty tried to explain phenomena as diverse as the role of pastoral migrations, India's holy cows, the decline of the Roman empire, feudalism, slavery, Britain's early modern development, the patterns of Western colonization, the lack of socio-economic development in the contemporary third world, and the developmental success of Japan and China. Crotty's interdisciplinary framework combines elements agricultural economics, nutritional science, development studies, and demography into a comprehensive theory of history that will challenge and intrigue historians, social scientists, and their students.

The late Raymond Crotty taught agricultural economics at Trinity College, Dublin, and wrote extensively on Ireland. Lars Mjoset is a sociologist at University of Oslo.

Chapter 1 Foreword by Lars Mjoset
Chapter 2 Preface by Raymond Crotty, Jr.
Chapter 3 1. Introduction and Background
Chapter 4 2. Early Agriculture
Chapter 5 3. The Emergence of Individualism in Europe
Chapter 6 4. The Growth of Individualistic Capitalism
Chapter 7 5. Europe of the Regions
Chapter 8 6. Capitalist Colonialism
Chapter 9 7. Political Independence
Chapter 10 8. The Capitalist Colonization of Ireland
Chapter 11 9. The Aftermath of Capitalist Colonialism- Ireland as a Case Study
Chapter 12 10. From Undevelopment to Development
Chapter 13 Notes
Chapter 14 Index