Overview

"""Ridley writes with panache, wit, and humor and displays remarkable ingenuity in finding ways to present complicated materials for the lay reader."" -- Los Angeles Times 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."

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9781665102636

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Reviews

With vivid storytelling illuminating the huge role of markets and trade in material progress...[A] fascinating history of trade and innovation. -- New York Times Book Review Ridley's dazzling, insightful and entertaining book on the unstoppable march of innovation is a refresher course in human history...Great ideas spring up unexpectedly from every direction, with each new one naturally coordinating with others. -- New York Post Original, clever and ...controversial. -- Guardian (London) A fast-moving, intelligent description of why human life has so consistently improved over the course of history, and a wonderful overview of how human civilizations move forward. -- New York Times The Rational Optimist teems with challenging and original ideas...No other book has argued with such brilliance and historical breadth against the automatic pessimism that prevails in intellectual life. -- Ian McEwan, New York Times bestselling author

Author Information

Matt Ridley is the award-winning, bestselling author of several books, including The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves; Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters; and The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature. His books have sold more than one million copies in thirty languages worldwide. He writes regularly for The Times (London) and The Wall Street Journal, and is a member of the House of Lords. He lives in England. L. J. Ganser is an award-winning narrator with over 450 titles recorded to date. Prized for versatility, his projects range from preschool picture books to crime noir thrillers, from astronomical adventures (both science and sci-fi) to Arctic Circle high school basketball stories. His favorite titles include Jurassic Park, The Telling Room, Capital in the 21st Century, Talking to Crazy, and Missing Beauty. He lives in New York City with his family.

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