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A Book of the Year for The Economist and the Observer It's all over
our televisions, newspapers and the internet. Every day we're
bludgeoned by news of how bad everything is - Brexit, financial
collapse, unemployment, poverty, environmental disasters, disease,
hunger, war. Indeed, our world now seems to be on the brink of
collapse, and yet: We've made more progress over the last 100 years
than in the first 100,000 285,000 more people have gained access to
safe water every day for the last 25 years In the last 50 years
world poverty has fallen more than it did in the preceding 500
Contrary to what most of us believe, our progress over the past few
decades has been unprecedented. By almost any index you care to
identify, things are markedly better now than they have ever been
for almost everyone alive. Examining official data from the United
Nations, the World Bank and the World Health Organization, Johan
Norberg traces just how far we have come in tackling the issues
facing our species. While it's true that not every problem has been
solved, we do now have a good idea of the solutions and we know
what it will take to see this progress continue. Counter-intuitive,
dramatic and uplifting, Progress is a call for renewed hope in
defiance of the doom-mongering of politicians and the media.
Marx and Engels were right when they observed in the Communist
Manifesto that free markets had in a short time created greater
prosperity and more technological innovation than all previous
generations combined. A century and a half later, all the evidence
shows that capitalism has lifted millions and millions from hunger
and poverty. Today's story about global capitalism, shared by
right-wing and left-wing populists, but also by large sections of
the political and economic establishment, does not deny that
prosperity has been created, but it says it ended up in far too few
hands. This in turn has made it popular to talk about the global
economy as a geopolitical zero-sum game, where we have to fight to
control new innovations, introduce trade barriers and renationalise
value chains. While, more broadly, capitalism is accused of
fuelling glaring inequality, populist revolts, climate change and
China's global conquest. In this incisive and passionate
investigation, Johan Norberg instead states the case for capitalism
and the vital role played by the free market in today's uncertain
world. Ultimately, he argues that that a move away from global
capitalism would not only squeeze the growth out of the economy but
also deepen an already large social exclusion for the vulnerable -
for the world's poor, it would be a killing blow.
A Book of the Year for The Economist and the Observer Our world
seems to be collapsing. The daily news cycle reports the
deterioration: divisive politics across the Western world, racism,
poverty, war, inequality, hunger. While politicians, journalists
and activists from all sides talk about the damage done, Johan
Norberg offers an illuminating and heartening analysis of just how
far we have come in tackling the greatest problems facing humanity.
In the face of fear-mongering, darkness and division, the facts are
unequivocal: the golden age is now.
AN ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR Humanity's embrace of openness is the
key to our success. The freedom to explore and exchange - whether
it's goods, ideas or people - has led to stunning achievements in
science, technology and culture. As a result, we live at a time of
unprecedented wealth and opportunity. So why are we so intent on
ruining it? From Stone Age hunter-gatherers to contemporary
Chinese-American relations, Open explores how across time and
cultures, we have struggled with a constant tension between our
yearning for co-operation and our profound need for belonging.
Providing a bold new framework for understanding human history,
bestselling author and thinker Johan Norberg examines why we're
often uncomfortable with openness - but also why it is essential
for progress. Part sweeping history and part polemic, this urgent
book makes a compelling case for why an open world with an open
economy is worth fighting for more than ever.
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