"...the concern with poverty works like an anesthetic to the bad conscience of the many."

New post: “The printing press, identity, and the formation of diaspora in early modernity - my review of Sebouh Aslanian's book” open.substack.com/pub/proseont...

In response, to a rightful challenge on my recent '#AI at universities' essay, the short answer can be "use it to learn but not to substitute for your own work"... The rest is in here⤵️

Comparative economics is an incredibly important subject that opens up a whole new world in understanding the macroeconomic and public policies dynamics as well as varying dimensions of complex social-cultural structures. More on that via @brankomilan.bsky.social

Snow day = carpets day to neighbors envy:-)

NEW - just published a chapter by Dmitry Pozhidaev in the @oxunipress.bsky.social Handbook of Post-Socialist Economies (that I'm editing)! The chapter covers #economic #history of the #Soviet Union 1917-1953 -- an incredibly interesting & informed analytical piece! READ: doi.org/10.1093/oxfo...

Several people have asked me for my recent syllabus. Here it is. stonecenter.gc.cuny.edu/files/2026/0... The title of this class is "From Pareto to the Kuznets waves", but it does cover (in one session), classical writers too.

NEW - just published a chapter by Dmitry Pozhidaev in the @oxunipress.bsky.social Handbook of Post-Socialist Economies (that I'm editing)! The chapter covers #economic #history of the #Soviet Union 1917-1953 -- an incredibly interesting & informed analytical piece! READ: doi.org/10.1093/oxfo...

Snow day = carpets day to neighbors envy:-)

Comparative economics is an incredibly important subject that opens up a whole new world in understanding the macroeconomic and public policies dynamics as well as varying dimensions of complex social-cultural structures. More on that via @brankomilan.bsky.social

"The true value and game changing AI-adoption practice, instead, will come from universities looking back into their origins..." new substack proseontherocks.substack.com/p/for-univer...

In response, to a rightful challenge on my recent '#AI at universities' essay, the short answer can be "use it to learn but not to substitute for your own work"... The rest is in here⤵️

New post is up: a mix of thoughts on AI and education open.substack.com/pub/proseont...

"The true value and game changing AI-adoption practice, instead, will come from universities looking back into their origins..." new substack proseontherocks.substack.com/p/for-univer...

New post is up: a mix of thoughts on AI and education open.substack.com/pub/proseont...

IN PRINT!!!!! Our paper with Samar Issa on the Lebanese #diaspora is now available in print in the first 2026 issue of the Review of Development Economics! doi.org/10.1111/rode...

Much pessimism about the economics profession. This year's #ASSA2026 reminded of that + see a reflection by @soumayakeynes.ft.com in @financialtimes.com [in comments]. But WHY? The answer is multidimensional. My Substack (read, like, subscribe, share): open.substack.com/pub/proseont...

“Publish or vanish” indeed - been receiving a lot of clearly AI generated papers for review past few months … preserving even ChatGPT formats (bold font subtitles etc) 🤷‍♂️

Much pessimism about the economics profession. This year's #ASSA2026 reminded of that + see a reflection by @soumayakeynes.ft.com in @financialtimes.com [in comments]. But WHY? The answer is multidimensional. My Substack (read, like, subscribe, share): open.substack.com/pub/proseont...

IN PRINT!!!!! Our paper with Samar Issa on the Lebanese #diaspora is now available in print in the first 2026 issue of the Review of Development Economics! doi.org/10.1111/rode...

The story of Italy is emblematic of western Europe. In 1952 when the modern GDP data begin, Italy's real GDP per capita was slightly less than twice the world average. It passed the 2 landmark in 1956. It continued its upward trajectory of the Trente Glorieuses.

Earlier this am (like 5am) catching @Amtrak to #ASSA2026. Lots of graduate students on the train + in the conf this year (not as many exhibitors as six years ago but). Is the annual grand meeting of economists @assameeting.bsky.social bouncing back?

So, how accurately does the Economic Complexity Index capture the “economic complexity”? Most recent evidence from very small #TransitionEconomies suggests that final goods production matters more than just exports… See you at the #ASSA2026 proseontherocks.substack.com/p/have-the-s...

In the new year, whatever else you do, keep climbing! [2025 at Khustup and Smbataberd]

New Substack! With transient economic successes, it is important to talk "industrial policy" or strategic macroeconomic development now in the very small open post-socialist economies. proseontherocks.substack.com/p/have-the-s...

New Substack! With transient economic successes, it is important to talk "industrial policy" or strategic macroeconomic development now in the very small open post-socialist economies. proseontherocks.substack.com/p/have-the-s...

New Substack post up... (and a review of How Global Currencies Work) "Amidst recent speculations on the US dollar's status as world's reserve, it is the history of currency rises and falls that offers a reasonable conceptual framework to ponder on the future." open.substack.com/pub/proseont...

Read and subscribe to Prose on the Rocks (aka my Substack) open.substack.com/pub/proseont...

New Substack post up... (and a review of How Global Currencies Work) "Amidst recent speculations on the US dollar's status as world's reserve, it is the history of currency rises and falls that offers a reasonable conceptual framework to ponder on the future." open.substack.com/pub/proseont...

I was reading @johncassidysays.bsky.social "Capitalism and its critics". Highly recommend. Very well written, easy to read, well-informed. Goes from Adam Smith to Piketty.

When you know it’s not so: “One would be forgiven for concluding that anything that could be said about that difficult [Soviet] period has already been said and multiple times over.” READ: proseontherocks.substack.com/p/soviet-his...

There are few surprises in this book. One is the explanation of Mikoyan’s leading role in 1950s in bringing back entire peoples of the North Caucasus back to their ancestral lands from their exile in Central Asia. But who remembers today…? ⤵️

There are few surprises in this book. One is the explanation of Mikoyan’s leading role in 1950s in bringing back entire peoples of the North Caucasus back to their ancestral lands from their exile in Central Asia. But who remembers today…? ⤵️

New Substack! Soviet history's unknown: Anastas Mikoyan. Review of Pietro Shakarian's "Anastas Mikoyan: an Armenian Reformer in Khrushchev's Kremlin" FYI @iupress.bsky.social @aseees.bsky.social READ: proseontherocks.substack.com/p/soviet-his...

New Substack! Soviet history's unknown: Anastas Mikoyan. Review of Pietro Shakarian's "Anastas Mikoyan: an Armenian Reformer in Khrushchev's Kremlin" FYI @iupress.bsky.social @aseees.bsky.social READ: proseontherocks.substack.com/p/soviet-his...

From the Substack open.substack.com/pub/proseont...

The "transition" period had a major destructive impact on the societies / economies of the small post-socialist economies. Here via the decline in average height during the tumultuous 1990s... data: @OurWorldInData Read the book: goo.gl/HGy6pt Read the substack: proseontherocks.substack.com

The "transition" period had a major destructive impact on the societies / economies of the small post-socialist economies. Here via the decline in average height during the tumultuous 1990s... data: @OurWorldInData Read the book: goo.gl/HGy6pt Read the substack: proseontherocks.substack.com

The glorious mount Ararat at dawn and sunset… the history the identity the eternal hope

In this latest podcast we touch on complex problems of the state of the field of economics and what it actually means to be an economist… No way that was easy. But hopefully there’s something reasonable for everyone www.hgsss.org/the-henry-ge...

"one thing is clear -- #commodities prices will continue in their volatility..." but what of #development? open.substack.com/pub/proseont...

From the Substack open.substack.com/pub/proseont...

Next Monday (Oct 6) the two-days conference "Inequality & History" will begin, hosted by @dondenacentre.bsky.social at Bocconi University (Milan). Join us to explore & debate inequality across history, from Classical Antiquity until today! Remote attendance possible; QR code in the program below👇

"[Econ History and History of Econ orient] an economist on a vast landscape of [...] problems not as some always random phenomena but as something that systemically evolves through the complexity of social interactions and policy decisions over time."

"So, professor, how do we correct economics?" - I was asked a month or so ago... The result is a podcast & a quick Substack on economics education and economists. proseontherocks.substack.com/p/what-does-...

"So, professor, how do we correct economics?" - I was asked a month or so ago... The result is a podcast & a quick Substack on economics education and economists. proseontherocks.substack.com/p/what-does-...

"one thing is clear -- #commodities prices will continue in their volatility..." but what of #development? open.substack.com/pub/proseont...

In this latest podcast we touch on complex problems of the state of the field of economics and what it actually means to be an economist… No way that was easy. But hopefully there’s something reasonable for everyone www.hgsss.org/the-henry-ge...

So, what is your strategy to reviewing such a paper for a leading journal in your field?

The big conversation - taking place now at the @thegraduatecenter.bsky.social - discussing demographics, development, inequality, perceptions in / of #China with @brankomilan.bsky.social @janetgornick.bsky.social & others on the panel.