The Rational Optimist

How Prosperity Evolves

Business & Finance, Economics, Economic History, Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science
Cover of the book The Rational Optimist by Matt Ridley, HarperCollins e-books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Matt Ridley ISBN: 9780062025371
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books Publication: June 15, 2010
Imprint: HarperCollins e-books Language: English
Author: Matt Ridley
ISBN: 9780062025371
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books
Publication: June 15, 2010
Imprint: HarperCollins e-books
Language: English

Life is getting better—and at an accelerating rate. Food availability, income, and life span are up; disease, child mortality, and violence are down — all across the globe. Though the world is far from perfect, necessities and luxuries alike are getting cheaper; population growth is slowing; Africa is following Asia out of poverty; the Internet, the mobile phone, and container shipping are enriching people’s lives as never before. The pessimists who dominate public discourse insist that we will soon reach a turning point and things will start to get worse. But they have been saying this for two hundred years.

Yet Matt Ridley does more than describe how things are getting better. He explains why. Prosperity comes from everybody working for everybody else. The habit of exchange and specialization—which started more than 100,000 years ago—has created a collective brain that sets human living standards on a rising trend. The mutual dependence, trust, and sharing that result are causes for hope, not despair.

This bold book covers the entire sweep of human history, from the Stone Age to the Internet, from the stagnation of the Ming empire to the invention of the steam engine, from the population explosion to the likely consequences of climate change. It ends with a confident assertion that thanks to the ceaseless capacity of the human race for innovative change, and despite inevitable disasters along the way, the twenty-first century will see both human prosperity and natural biodiversity enhanced. Acute, refreshing, and revelatory, The Rational Optimist will change your way of thinking about the world for the better.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Life is getting better—and at an accelerating rate. Food availability, income, and life span are up; disease, child mortality, and violence are down — all across the globe. Though the world is far from perfect, necessities and luxuries alike are getting cheaper; population growth is slowing; Africa is following Asia out of poverty; the Internet, the mobile phone, and container shipping are enriching people’s lives as never before. The pessimists who dominate public discourse insist that we will soon reach a turning point and things will start to get worse. But they have been saying this for two hundred years.

Yet Matt Ridley does more than describe how things are getting better. He explains why. Prosperity comes from everybody working for everybody else. The habit of exchange and specialization—which started more than 100,000 years ago—has created a collective brain that sets human living standards on a rising trend. The mutual dependence, trust, and sharing that result are causes for hope, not despair.

This bold book covers the entire sweep of human history, from the Stone Age to the Internet, from the stagnation of the Ming empire to the invention of the steam engine, from the population explosion to the likely consequences of climate change. It ends with a confident assertion that thanks to the ceaseless capacity of the human race for innovative change, and despite inevitable disasters along the way, the twenty-first century will see both human prosperity and natural biodiversity enhanced. Acute, refreshing, and revelatory, The Rational Optimist will change your way of thinking about the world for the better.

More books from HarperCollins e-books

Cover of the book Love with a Scandalous Lord by Matt Ridley
Cover of the book Displaced Persons by Matt Ridley
Cover of the book The Thoreau You Don't Know by Matt Ridley
Cover of the book Coffee and Cake by Matt Ridley
Cover of the book No Way Back by Matt Ridley
Cover of the book Hotel de Dream by Matt Ridley
Cover of the book Six-Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak by Matt Ridley
Cover of the book 10 Conversations You Need to Have with Your Children by Matt Ridley
Cover of the book HappyBaby by Matt Ridley
Cover of the book Discover's 20 Things You Didn't Know About Everything by Matt Ridley
Cover of the book Mothers' Miracles by Matt Ridley
Cover of the book Every Boy's Got One by Matt Ridley
Cover of the book The Men's Guide to the Women's Bathroom by Matt Ridley
Cover of the book The 3-Hour Diet (TM) On the Go by Matt Ridley
Cover of the book Mule Killers by Matt Ridley
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy