The rational optimist : how prosperity evolves / Matt Ridley.

  • Ridley, Matt.
Date:
2010
  • Books

About this work

Description

The "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Genome" and "The Red Queen" offers a provocative case for an economics of hope, arguing that the benefits of commerce, technology, innovation, and change--cultural evolution--will inevitably increase human prosperity.

Publication/Creation

New York : Harper, 2010.

Physical description

438 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Contributors

Edition

1st U.S. ed.

Notes

Originally published in Great Britain by Fouth Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Contents

Prologue : when ideas have sex -- A better today : the unprecedented present -- The collective brain : exchange and specialisation after 200,000 years ago -- The manufacture of virtue : barter, trust, and rules after 50,000 years ago -- The feeding of the nine billion : farming after 10,000 years ago -- The triumph of cities : trade after 5,000 years ago -- Escaping Malthus's trap : population after 1200 -- The release of slaves : energy after 1700 -- The invention of invention : increasing returns after 1800 -- Turning points : pessimism after 1900 -- The two great pessimisms of today : Africa and climate after 2010 -- The catallaxy : rational optimism about 2100.

Bibliographic information

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Languages

Subjects

Where to find it

  • LocationStatus
    History of Medicine
    ZFU /RID
    		Open shelves

Permanent link

Identifiers

ISBN

  • 9780061452055
  • 006145205X