Is France still proving itself to be an exception to European economic development? Jean-Pierre Dormois surveys France's spectacular economic transformation over the past century. His general introduction to the major transformation of French society tackles the key themes associated with France, such as "Malthusianism", "exceptionalism" and "Colbertism", as well as those found in standard country economic assessments such as the role of human capital formation, economic institutions, and openness to the rest of the world.