About
Carlo Maria Cipolla (1922-2000) was an Italian economic historian, professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Pavia. A specialist in medieval and early modern economic history, he authored over twenty books on money, demography, literacy, and technology. He is also known for his satirical essay 'The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity' (1976), which became an international bestseller. Winner of the Balzan Prize in 1995, he was a member of several prestigious academies.
* 1922-08-15 — † 2000-09-05
Major works
- The Economic History of World Population (1962)essay
- Guns and Sails in the Early Phase of European Expansion (1965)essay
- Clocks and Culture, 1300–1700 (1967)essay
- Before the Industrial Revolution (1976)essay
- Allegro ma non troppo (1988)essay
Key milestones
- 1944Graduated in political science from the University of Pavia.
- 1959Appointed full professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
- 1995Awarded the International Balzan Prize for Economic History.
Themes
Economic historyMonetary historyHistorical demographyLiteracyHistory of technology
Sources: newsarchive.berkeley.edu · balzan.org · amacad.org