Books and authors

All the difference in the worldIn new book, economists Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson assert that above all else, political institutions — not culture or natural resources — determine the wealth of nations.

Erica Caple James receives $25,000 Levitan Prize in the HumanitiesA 'consummate anthropologist'

Lots of troubleIn a new book, an MIT urban planner rethinks the mundane, ubiquitous parking lot.

Q&A with Rosalind Williams on history in the age of human empireNew book examines the critical juncture when human endeavors began to dominate the planet.

National Engineers Week: A Q&A with Richard de NeufvilleOn engineering design and the book 'Flexibility in Engineering Design'

National Engineers Week: A Q&A with Nancy LevesonOn system safety and the book "Engineering a Safer World:Systems Thinking Applied to Safety"

Unique languages, universal patternsMIT linguist reveals how modern English resembles Old Japanese, and other surprising convergences between far-flung tongues.

National Engineers Week: A Q&A with Olivier de WeckOn engineering systems and the book Engineering Systems: Meeting Human Needs in a Complex Technological World

MIT Press book Engineering Systems wins Honorable Mention for 2011 PROSE Award

An important new book on alumnus Robert TaylorThe nation’s first professionally trained African-American architect

Said and Done for January 2012The humanities, arts and social sciences monthly digest.

Third book in new MIT Press Engineering Systems Book Series now availableEngineering a Safer World: Systems Thinking Applied to Safety by Nancy Leveson

MIT faculty see promise in American manufacturingStudy group is tackling hard questions about what it will take to stoke renewal.

How to kick-start new energy technologiesThree-year study produces proposals for boosting energy innovation to meet growing demand, curb global warming.

Bridging the divideNew study shows how integrated institutions can lead diverse populations to cooperate in rebuilding countries.

Vegan chef and author dishes on healthy food and dining at MIT3 Questions with a Bon Appétit chef visiting campus this week to showcase vegan cooking in the dining halls and dorm kitchens.

Professor emeritus Adel Sarofim SM ’57, ScD ’62 dies at 77

MIT Sloan professor and alumnus earn places on year-end best books list

IPC Forum on Energy InnovationNew ways of developing clean, reliable, affordable U.S. energy supplies

How we (should) decidePhilosopher aims to develop theories of practical rationality that may just help us make real-world decisions.

Engineering Systems Division and MIT Press launch book series

Rethinking the fall of Rome’s republicHistorian’s innovative hypothesis paints new picture of ancient Italy and aims to explain how the Roman Republic fell.

Second book in new MIT Press Engineering Systems Book Series now available

New books from the School of Architecture + PlanningAddressing the environment, cities, architecture, angry people and ‘Creative Magic’

Pulling back the curtainMIT anthropologist Graham Jones peers into the mysterious world of professional magicians.

Said and Done for September 2011The humanities, arts and social sciences monthly digest

Cracking the codeMIT sociologist’s book takes an insider look at investment banking and the high-risk trades that can spin out of control.