This article provides a detailed review of Edward Wo
lff’s Productivity Convergence: Theory
and Evidence. Wolff examines the long run productiv
ity growth and convergence experience
of a variety of countries from across the world. Wo
lff’s main contribution is the definition of
two general classes of forces of convergence. He del
ineates “strong” forces of productivity
convergence, such as the catch-up effect, capital fo
rmation, and education, from “weak”
forces contributing to convergence like internation
al trade, economic geography, and
regulation. While some of the individual forces of c
onvergence may switch categories as
new research emerges, the categorization remains hi
ghly relevant. The focus on
convergence suggests that non-frontier countries may
not yet be in dire straits as a result
of the purported recent productivity slowdown, as p
roductivity growth may well still come
from forces of convergence for years to come.