Making growth benefit citizens; self-healing concrete and other must-read stories of the week

Economic growth that benefits citizens: these countries have the formula.

Latin American and Asian countries beat Europe at living well sustainably.

Female entrepreneurs face higher barriers. Your choices can lower them.

Robo-bees and self-healing concrete. How nature has inspired the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s most innovative creations.

The internet was meant to be a force for good. Instead, it could be the biggest threat yet to democracy.

Want to succeed in global trade? Get the logistics right.

Protect current migrants and trade access: what British business wants, post-Brexit.

How passion in your profession looks and feels.

The Rise and Fall of American Growth. Yale’s Bill Nordhaus reviews Robert Gordon’s pessimistic take on economic growth.

A deep dive into Saudi Arabia’s youth culture. For young men, cars mean freedom from parental control. For young women? It’s the smartphone.

Why does an ageing population cut growth? Older workers are more productive than younger ones. When they retire economies lose knowledge.

Understanding the First Industrial Revolution. Did Britain accelerate world economic growth by 150 years? And the link between population growth and innovation.

The World Bank’s book shop is closing down. Among the books it stocked, “10 Reasons to Abolish the IMF and the World Bank”.

Is the US ready for Madam President? Cites the Global Gender Gap Report, where it ranks 72nd of 145 countries for political empowerment. (New York Times)

Jack Ma uses blockchain to investigate murky Chinese charities. References the Forum’s forecast that blockchain will be one of six tech ‘mega-trends’ in the next decade. (Bloomberg)

South Africa’s schools are falling short. Cites Forum education survey. (Wall Street Journal)

60% of women in Japan quit work after their first child. Could Prime Minister Abe’s ‘womenomics’ policy make a difference? References Global Gender Gap Report. (CNBC)

Is red tape chasing investors out of Australia? Cites Global Competitiveness Index. (The Australian)

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