The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves

I don’t recall where, but somewhere I heard good things about Matt Ridley’s books. This one didn’t disappoint. He calls himself a Rational Optimist – meaning he’s optimistic about the future of humans and the prospect for our prosperity. There are plenty of things to quibble with, but a lot of validity to his arguments. His approach isn’t scientific in the sense of peer-reviewed research, but it is seemingly fact-based (without references, it’s hard to confirm though). There is, of course, the clear-as-day pattern of humankind seeing material improvements in lifespan and quality of life, despite the frequently fashionable pessimistic predictions of doom. The book could have been shorter without losing its substance, but thankfully I was able to listen to it at 1.25x. (View on Amazon)