Books by Jon Elster

The impressive Jon Elster has just published America Before 1787: The Unraveling of a Colonial Regime .

1. Jon Elster, France Before 1789: The Unraveling of an Absolutist Regime .  A useful historical introduction to the period, but most notable for taking canons of good social science explanation seriously throughout each step of the analysis.  For one thing, it helps you realize how few people do that, but at the same time you wonder how much restating events in terms of social science mechanisms actually helps historical explanation.  A smart book and very well-informed book in any case.

Elster has been writing excellent books for over thirty years, and you can buy this book here .