A thorough investigation into a descriptive theory concerning the nation state and its endurance.

Not sure I can give this a thorough review though, since this really is a thesis concerning a non-trivial social theory, much of which I am not qualified to comment on or well read enough in this field to identify deficiencies in arguments.

Seemingly though, the text answers many concerns fired at other theories in this field quite well, and the authors give ample case studies (sometimes too many) to shore up their theory. If you're interested in a bit of social theory history, this book is actually laid out quite nice to give you context there, even if you skim over the model aspect of the work.

The final two or so chapters state, again at length, how and where to apply their theory, and why specific predictions are nonsensical, although some relative trending is most likely possible in their context.

With that being said, I found perhaps two things that were unsatisfactorily answered or discussed:
- Is there a strong causality between inclusiveness and success? The authors generally state that extractive societies may see growth (e.g. China), but only temporarily, then decline unless institutions change. The flip side is not discussed: failed states with inclusive and functional institutions. Is this because the authors do not see relevant examples of these states or is this an omission?
- How does the friction at the state level interact with sub-cultures of the nation? There are some points considered here: comparing the power structure of Botswana and Sierra Leone is helpful. I'd be interested to know though, how lag/lead time on institutions shape culture. Do the authors think that US slavery (ended 1865) & segregation acts (ended 1960s) still shape the endemic issues of the black communities in that country?