The Rational Optimist
"I'm a micro-pessimist and macro-optimist due primarily to this book. We, as humans, have a remarkable capacity to invent solutions to seemingly intractable problems right when we need to have them."
The human condition has been improving, steadily, for thousands of years. Intuitively we know this, but at times it can be hard to remember. Matt Ridley does a masterful job of framing human progress and our ability to predictably overcome the obstacles that are put before us. Whether it’s the threat of starvation (“We’ll never be able to make enough food for 1 billion people!”) or lack of energy to sustain human life, Ridley systemically debunks the Chicken Little approach to life.
I love this book. It’s one that I go back and re-read every now and then to remind myself that, in spite of what is being said in the public domain, we’re making progress. It doesn’t mean we won’t stub our toe, but in the course of long time, we’re going to be more than OK. We’re going to be more prosperous. I describe myself as a micro-pessimist and macro optimist primarily due to this book.