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The Rational Optimist : How Prosperity Evolves

The Rational Optimist : How Prosperity Evolves

The Rational Optimist : How Prosperity Evolves
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The Rational Optimist : How Prosperity Evolves Paperback - 2011

by Ridley, Matt

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HarperCollins Publishers. Used - Very Good. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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Details

  • Title The Rational Optimist : How Prosperity Evolves
  • Author Ridley, Matt
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Reprint
  • Condition Used - Very good
  • Pages 480
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date 2011-06-07
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Bibliography, Illustrated, Index, Table of Contents
  • Bookseller's Inventory # 4171306-6
  • ISBN 9780061452062 / 0061452068
  • Weight 0.8 lbs (0.36 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.9 x 5.2 x 1.2 in (20.07 x 13.21 x 3.05 cm)
  • Category Business / Economics / Finance
  • Library of Congress subjects Wealth, Optimism
  • Dewey Decimal Code 339.2
  • Quantity available 4

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From the publisher

"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 of nonfiction 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.

  • The Collective Brain: Discover how the uniquely human habit of exchange and specialisation created a collective intelligence, sparking innovation and driving prosperity for the last 100,000 years.
  • An Economics of Hope: Read the counterintuitive and evidence-based argument that challenges centuries of pessimism, proving that food availability, income, and lifespan are up while disease, child mortality, and violence are down.
  • The Evolution of Prosperity: Journey through the entire sweep of human history, from the Stone Age to the Internet, to understand how commerce, technology, and the division of labour have consistently raised our standard of living.
  • Escaping Malthus's Trap: Uncover why humanity's progress is an accelerating and sustainable process, and why--despite crises and catastrophes--our future is brighter than we think.

From the rear cover

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.

In his bold and bracing exploration into how human culture evolves positively through exchange and specialization, bestselling author Matt Ridley does more than describe how things are getting better. He explains why. 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.

Media reviews

Citations

  • New York Times Book Review, 08/21/2011, Page 32

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