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A review by andrueb
The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves by Matt Ridley
2.0
I read this because I had been feeling rationally pessimistic for quite some time. A book that should have been a pamphlet, TRO nonetheless gave me some truly helpful ideas that have made a difference in my life even months later. The skilled skimmer will have this sucker finished in a couple of sittings, and won't even worry that the author brushes over most of the existential causes of human misery.
The book makes you thankful to have cheap electric light, decent WiFi, and access to diverse foods. Viewed through this lens, today really is a remarkable to be alive. We live with intangible wealth that, despite wages which haven't increased in a generation, allow us a standard of living we often fail to appreciate. I wouldn't say that this book turned me into an optimist, but I feel more genuinely neutral before, and also less likely to whine about the economic talking points people my age are wont to whine about. Gotta say, feels good. Optimism is bliss.
The book makes you thankful to have cheap electric light, decent WiFi, and access to diverse foods. Viewed through this lens, today really is a remarkable to be alive. We live with intangible wealth that, despite wages which haven't increased in a generation, allow us a standard of living we often fail to appreciate. I wouldn't say that this book turned me into an optimist, but I feel more genuinely neutral before, and also less likely to whine about the economic talking points people my age are wont to whine about. Gotta say, feels good. Optimism is bliss.