The rational optimist: how prosperity evolves
(Book)
Author:
Published:
New York : HarperCollins, 2010.
Format:
Book
Physical Desc:
438 pages ; 24 cm.
Status:
Description
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.
Copies
Location
Call Number
Status
Guilford Adult Non-Fiction
339.2 R
On Shelf
Haddam/Brainerd Adult Nonfiction
339.2 RID
Storage
Hamden/Miller Adult Nonfiction 3rd Floor
339.2/RID
On Shelf
New London Adult Non Fiction
339.2
On Shelf
Subjects
LC Subjects
More Details
Language:
English
ISBN:
006145205X, 9780061452055
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
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Citations
APA Citation (style guide)
Ridley, M. (2010). The rational optimist: how prosperity evolves. New York, HarperCollins.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Ridley, Matt. 2010. The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves. New York, HarperCollins.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Ridley, Matt, The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves. New York, HarperCollins, 2010.
MLA Citation (style guide)Ridley, Matt. The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves. New York, HarperCollins, 2010.
Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Staff View
Grouped Work ID:
b549a0e7-5664-5d7b-6cbb-95dc9e84f282
Record Information
Last Sierra Extract Time | Mar 25, 2024 07:44:42 AM |
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Last File Modification Time | Mar 25, 2024 07:49:35 AM |
Last Grouped Work Modification Time | Mar 25, 2024 07:44:49 AM |
MARC Record
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---|---|---|---|
001 | BK0008581969 | ||
003 | DLC | ||
005 | 20100205091524.0 | ||
008 | 100203s2010 nyu e b 001 0 eng | ||
010 | |a 2010004907 | ||
020 | |a 006145205X|c 26.99 | ||
020 | |a 9780061452055|c 26.99 | ||
040 | |a DLC|c DLC|d MDT | ||
050 | 0 | 0 | |a HB251|b .R54 2010 |
082 | 0 | 0 | |a 339.2|2 22 |
092 | |a 339.2000 | ||
100 | 1 | |a Ridley, Matt. | |
245 | 1 | 4 | |a The rational optimist :|b how prosperity evolves /|c Matt Ridley. |
260 | |a New York :|b HarperCollins,|c 2010. | ||
300 | |a 438 p. ;|c 24 cm. | ||
504 | |a Includes bibliographical references and index. | ||
650 | 0 | |a Wealth. | |
650 | 0 | |a Practical reason. | |
650 | 0 | |a Optimism. | |
907 | |a .b19927022 | ||
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