Now Available: The Land Trap by Mike Bird
The Land Trap by Mike Bird details how the world’s oldest asset secretly shapes our modern economy.
In The Land Trap, Mike Bird—Wall Street editor at The Economist—reveals how this ancient asset still exerts outsize influence over the modern world. From the speculative land grabs of colonial America to China’s real estate crisis today, Bird shows how fortunes are built—and destroyed—on the bedrock of land.
About the Book
Tracing three centuries of history, Bird explores how land quietly became the linchpin of the global banking system, driving everything from soaring housing prices to rising geopolitical tensisons. As governments wrestle with inequality and land grows ever scarcer, The Land Trap offers a powerful new framework for understanding the hidden force behind today’s most urgent challenges.
This is the book for anyone who wants to see beyond markets and money to the real game being played on a foundation as old as civilization itself. Timely, provocative, and essential, The Land Trap will change how you see the ground beneath your feet. Published November 4, 2025 by Penguin Random House.
About Mike Bird
Mike Bird brings a sharp, global perspective to today’s most pressing financial and economic issues. As The Economist’s Wall Street editor and co-host of its Money Talks podcast, he offers audiences rare insight into the forces shaping global markets and economic power. With his book The Land Trap, Bird also explores how land and ownership continue to drive politics, inequality, and growth—making him an ideal speaker for audiences seeking depth, clarity, and relevance in a changing world. To host him for a speaking engagement, contact WWSG.