The Rational Optimist
How Prosperity Evolves
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4.3 • 113 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
The Rational Optimist is a bold and provocative interpretation of economic history from the New York Times-bestselling author of Genome, Matt Ridley. Making the case for an economics of hope, Ridley argues that the benefits of commerce, technology, innovation, and change-what Ridley calls cultural evolution-will inevitably increase human prosperity.
This bold book covers the entire sweep of human history, ending 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 the way students think about the world for the better.“Dr. Ridley provides a grand unified theory of history from the Stone Age to the better age awaiting us in 2010. It’s an audacious task, but he has the intellectual breadth for it.”—New York Times
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ideas have sex, in Ridley s schema; they follow a process of natural selection of their own, and as long as they continue to do so, there is reason to retire apocalyptic pessimism about the future of our species. Erstwhile zoologist, conservationist, and journalist, Ridley (The Red Queen) posits that as long as civilization engages in exchange and specialization, we will be able to reinvent ourselves and responsibly use earthly resources ad infinitum. Humanity s collective intelligence will save the day, just as it has over the centuries. Ridley puts current perceptions about violence, wealth, and the environment into historical perspective, reaching back thousands of years to advocate global free trade, smaller government, and the use of fossil fuels. He confidently takes on the experts, from modern sociologists who fret over the current level of violence in the world to environmentalists who disdain genetically modified crops. An ambitious and sunny paean to human ingenuity, this is an argument for why ambitious optimism is morally mandatory.
Customer Reviews
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The Rational Optimist
I have a method to suppress cancer and have worked mostly alone for over twenty years. I find Matt to be encouraging, as has everyone who has endeavored alone.
A intense read
This was an interesting read with huge points that can be bit difficult to follow and understand.
I felt as though the ideas that were made were valid and solid but it seems to jump from idea to idea pretty quickly and if not focused it was easy to get lost and confused on what the author was trying to convey .