This is a brilliant book. An exciting account of how trade has led to unparalleled prosperity and how things are getting better and better. I am an optimist by nature and am sick and tired of hearing all the doom and gloom we get all the time. Ridley's best insight is that trade leads to, as he calls it, "ideas having sex". What he means is that the free flow of ideas and knowledge is the most important benefit of free trade. The book is chock full of footnoted statistics to back up the argument. Best book on this subject since Julian Simon's The Ultimate Resource. This book is quite long and Ridley goes into too much detail at times, literally pounding his points home. Fortunately, they are good points; worth learning about and considering carefully. The news reports outliers, however things day-to-day move along pretty smoothly. The same is true for the 'bigger trends' the media tend to focus on. The fact that prosperity continues to advance due to the simple but powerful and accelerating force of economic exchange is not a sexy or popular topic. It is easier to gain attention, and readers, by spreading worry and fear. We are running out of oil! No, we actually aren't going to - probably not ever. The planet is warming!! Maybe, but even if it does we will be richer and likely be able to adapt just fine. Malthus was wrong and his followers continue to be wrong. But their message is always attractive. The mistake they make is to extrapolate current trends. We learn to not do this in freshman statistics, because human society, freely left to develop patterns of exchange, has developed new systems and new technologies to adapt and change the trend. Ridley makes a clear and compelling case for optimism based on technological trends. Let me add my own geopolitical caveat. The 'West' is in a race against demographic decline. We don't have 'too many people' (another Malthusian red-herring), we have not enough people being born. It is unprecedented for a society in demographic decline to advance prosperity. The West needs to figure out novel methods of adapting technology to continue to advance their wealth in the face of declining population. This is not a sure thing.
What do You think about Un Ottimista Razionale (2010)?
future is so bright, I need to wear shades. Made me think about a lot of different things
—Nely
Some worthwhile insights, especially at the outset; after that: polemic and superficial.
—nonsberry
I usually dig Matt's work but this one is jam-packed with redundant bromides
—Maree25
2.5 stars. I'm not sure all his explanations hold enough water.
—mJay
