Stephen Broadberry describes new estimates of per capita GDP which say that the economic divergence between Western Europe and other civilized parts of the world predates the industrial revolution. (H/T Marginal Revolution). This is more consistent with my own theories (linked below) than the idea that the Great Divergence magically appears from nowhere around the year 1800. Nevertheless I feel compelled to point out shortcomings in these kinds of estimates, on any side of such debates.
