"A delightful and fascinating book filled with insight and wit, which
will make you think twice and cheer up." -- Steven Pinker
In a bold and provocative interpretation of economic history, Matt
Ridley, the New York Times-bestselling author of Genome and The Red
Queen, makes the case for an economics of hope, arguing that the
benefits of commerce, technology, innovation, and change--what Ridley
calls cultural evolution--will inevitably increase human prosperity.
Fans of the works of Jared Diamond (Guns, Germs, and Steel), Niall
Ferguson (The Ascent of Money), and Thomas Friedman (The World Is
Flat) will find much to ponder and enjoy in The Rational Optimist.
For two hundred years the pessimists have dominated public discourse,
insisting that things will soon be getting much worse. But in fact, 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. Africa is following Asia out of poverty; the
Internet, the mobile phone, and container shipping are enriching
people's lives as never before.
An astute, refreshing, and revelatory work that covers the entire sweep
of human history--from the Stone Age to the Internet--The Rational
Optimist will change your way of thinking about the world for the
better.
