After a preliminary canter across the historical background of the industrial revolution and the possible problems of coming first, he devotes the heart of his book to case studies of big industries, ranging from textiles to aerospace, and from cars to pharmaceuticals.

ECONOMIST: British industrial decline

He spoke of what he called historical, moral and theological problems raised by the Holocaust - when millions of Jews were killed by Nazi Germany.

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If the problems in chemistry are political, those in astronomy tend to be historical.

ECONOMIST: Today we have naming of parts

The similarities between this quasi-dollar standard and the original Bretton Woods system mean that many of today's problems have historical parallels.

ECONOMIST: Is there a better way to organise the world��s currencies?

In light of this, one might rightly ask whether the protection of historical sites should be much of a priority, especially when more pressing problems require our attention.

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