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Anonymous
Posted March 10, 2012
Well worth the read.
An uplifting and evidence based account of how far we have come and why we should not be whining about the prospects for our future.
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Anonymous
Posted January 26, 2012
Crazyyy
Crasy person
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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GeologyJim
Posted December 26, 2011
Great antidote to the daily barrage of doom/gloom
Ridley's principal point is that trade and exchange of things (tools and food) opened the door for modern man to evolve from subsistence hunter/gatherer to inventor/innovator. Trading improves the lives of both parties by encouraging each to specialize and innovate. In serial time-slices, Ridley demonstrates how culture and knowledge evolved over the last million years or so to todays marketplace of ideas that continues to improve quality of life worldwide.
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Not everywhere and not on all occasions, but in aggregate everything gets better through trade, as long as markets are free to reward/punish.
This is a very entertaining read and Ridley deftly pulls information together to show relationships and evolutionary trends that may seem novel or unexpected. Lots of reference notes and links in the back will allow you to check facts and sources.
What a great way to start the New Year. Buy a copy for a friend or your book club. Lots of discussion will ensue. -
Jared_B
Posted February 26, 2011
Great book, terrible ebook formatting.
This book was a great and thought-provoking read. Unfortunately, this ebook version is rife with errors and bizzare formatting issues thar are distracting and make the book difficult to read. Please fix this!
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Optimistic argument that life on Earth is better than you think
Send your inner pessimist packing - along with organic crops and ethanol. That's the contrarian message of Matt Ridley's insightful, entertaining look at humankind's steady progress over the millennia. Ridley dips into biology and economics to support his case that life is good and getting better. His wide-ranging look at humanity's past and future makes it clear that those who long for the good old days just don't realize how rugged hunting and gathering or medieval medical care must have been. Ridley meanders at times, yet, as the title suggests, his book offers a fundamentally optimistic analysis of humankind's ability to solve the planet's problems, even now. getAbstract recommends it to readers seeking a thought-provoking analysis of contemporary issues that doesn't hew to conventional wisdom.
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rational_ape
Posted September 28, 2010
Cannot read ebook on PC
Bought the ebook but cannot read it on my PC. Unlike a couple of classics I can read, this book has some kind of protection that does not allow me to read it. I bought it. I want to read it.
0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted September 25, 2010
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Anonymous
Posted August 6, 2011
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Anonymous
Posted April 18, 2011
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Anonymous
Posted December 28, 2010
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Anonymous
Posted December 25, 2010
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Anonymous
Posted June 2, 2011
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Anonymous
Posted March 22, 2011
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Anonymous
Posted November 28, 2010
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Anonymous
Posted February 12, 2011
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Anonymous
Posted January 1, 2011
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Anonymous
Posted November 29, 2011
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Anonymous
Posted August 5, 2010
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Anonymous
Posted March 28, 2011
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Anonymous
Posted August 25, 2010
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