Rational Optimist
How Prosperity Evolves
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Rational Optimist
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Narrated by:
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L J Ganser
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By:
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Matt Ridley
About this listen
Matt Ridley, acclaimed author of the classics Genome and Nature via Nurture, turns from investigating human nature to investigating human progress. In The Rational Optimist Ridley offers a counterblast to the prevailing pessimism of our age, and proves, however much we like to think to the contrary, that things are getting better.
Over 10,000 years ago there were fewer than 10 million people on the planet. Today there are more than 6 billion, 99 per cent of whom are better fed, better sheltered, better entertained and better protected against disease than their Stone Age ancestors.
The availability of almost everything a person could want or need has been going erratically upwards for 10,000 years and has rapidly accelerated over the last 200 years: calories; vitamins; clean water; machines; privacy; the means to travel faster than we can run, and the ability to communicate over longer distances than we can shout. Yet, bizarrely, however much things improve from the way they were before, people still cling to the belief that the future will be nothing but disastrous.
In this original, optimistic book, Matt Ridley puts forward his surprisingly simple answer to how humans progress, arguing that we progress when we trade and we only really trade productively when we trust each other.
The Rational Optimist will do for economics what Genome did for genomics and will show that the answer to our problems, imagined or real, is to keep on doing what we've been doing for 10,000 years – to keep on changing.
©2010 HarperCollins Publishers (P)2010 HarperCollins PublishersWhat listeners say about Rational Optimist
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 24-08-2021
A must read
This should be a prescribed book for students before completing high school.
It would go a long way to fill the gap of history knowledge that the education systems worldwide have created 🤷♂️
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Attie v.
- 10-12-2021
Good book, great depth of research
Great book on why the world is likely not ending soon. Being about 12yrs old by now, some of the future facing stuff may not seem relevant any more. Well worth the listen though.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- michael Mocatta
- 07-01-2016
Eye opening
Great read, everyone needs to read this book. Especially those in politics and in positions of influence.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Craig
- 25-02-2016
Every day in every way things are getting better!
What a fanatically intelligent view of the world, past, present and future. A recommended read!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 08-02-2024
Excellent
I needed this book a decade ago but better late than never. Excellent book, trigger warning for wacktivists / misanthropes
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Shane
- 29-05-2016
Rationalism With a Tinge of Ideology
This book does a fantastic job at cutting through the emotion driven ideology that "things are always getting worse". It provides very compelling evidence for a world that is, on the whole, getting better. My only critique would be that in its quest to promote an idea (The world is getting better) it at times commits the same errors that pretty much defines its opponents. Namely arguing a position with insufficient impartiality and ignoring contradictory evidence. I would recommend "Better Angels of Our Nature" for a more data driven, thorough and nuanced book but overall this does a good job at being objective. Also L J Ganser is a fantastic narrator.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 20-07-2022
Optimistic!
Even as a self-confessed optimist, this book provides eye-opening accounts of human progress, the good (mostly) and bad. The narrative shows that we have come so far, and continue to uplift, empower, and benefit humanity as a collective. History shows us how we are not perfect, however, we have come a long way from our ancestors.
I recommend this book for an easy to follow timeline of human development, and to uplift your mood on the future.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- CPC
- 02-08-2021
Brilliant!
Everyone should read this…should be in every school. Explains why the world’s future is so bright.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Craig
- 11-08-2019
Great listen
Loved it.
Everything from overpopulation, to energy problems rationalised in such a simple yet succinct way
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 25-08-2022
A must read
One of the most important books I’ve read. Gave me a whole new perspective on the world and humanity
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