In his efforts to illustrate the similarities between 17th-18th century China and Great Britain, Pomeranz seems to over-emphasize certain pieces of data and de-emphasize factors that are also probably worth mentioning. He still does not manage to solve the great mystery of what catalyzed the Industrial Revolution in Europe, but he does present a good argument (if not a revolutionary one) that New World development was key to the role that Europe eventually played in the global economy.