The Price of Progress

The Price of Progress: Economic Growth in the High Middle Ages by Ryan Evans offers an in-depth exploration of the transformative economic developments during the High Middle Ages. The book examines how innovations in agricultural practices, the rise of urban trade, the growth of banking, and the increasing importance of the merchant class reshaped medieval Europe. It delves into the shift from a feudal, agrarian economy to a more complex, market-driven system that laid the groundwork for the early modern capitalist economy. Through detailed analysis of the era's key technological, social, and financial advancements, Evans highlights how these changes, while driving economic progress, also created new challenges and tensions that would define Europe's future trajectory. This work explores both the benefits and costs of progress, emphasizing the role of power, land ownership, and class dynamics in shaping the medieval economic landscape.