Summary of Matt Ridley's The Rational Optimist

By IRB Media

Get the Summary of Matt Ridley's The Rational Optimist in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: In a bold and provocative interpretation of economic history, Matt Ridley, the New York Times-bestselling author of Genome and The Red Queen, makes the case for an economics of hope, arguing that the benefits of commerce, technology, innovation, and change—what Ridley calls cultural evolution—will inevitably increase human prosperity. Fans of the works of Jared Diamond (Guns, Germs, and Steel), Niall Ferguson (The Ascent of Money), and Thomas Friedman (The World Is Flat) will find much to ponder and enjoy in The Rational Optimist.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Dec 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781669343219

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

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Insights on Matt Ridley's The Rational Optimist

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 11

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

In the past 200 years, the human race has grown exponentially. In the future, there could be over 10 billion humans on the planet. However, there are still people today who think life was better in the past.

#2

However, statistics show that life expectancy has actually declined in the past century.

#3

The world has gotten considerably richer over the past fifty years, despite having added two additional billion people to its population.

#4

Looking back now, fifty years later, it is obvious that the middle class of 1955 enjoyed luxuries that many of us, in developing countries today, could only dream of. Yet in terms of the environment, things were actually getting better and cleaner.

#5

Life expectancy is rising at a rate of about a day a year, and will likely continue to do so. However, life expectancy is not keeping up with the increasing quality of life in old age.

#6

The world is becoming a much better place, with equality rising everywhere. The growth of China and India has helped reduce the gap between the rich and poor around the world.

#7

The four basic human needs are food, clothing, fuel, and shelter. All of these have gotten cheaper over time, which allows for the generation of more disposable income to spend on luxuries.

#8

Economic growth does not just happen, it requires the participation of many individuals. It implies that you are able to do more with what you already have. It implies that you have more time to do other things with your time, such as work for someone else or donate to charity.

#9

The key to wealth is to acquire goods or services that can be replicated or expanded upon with the same amount of work. Time is the most valuable commodity in the world, and as such, it becomes even more so when working hours are decreased.

#10

Governments often make it harder for people to get cheaper houses, instead focusing on improving the quality of houses that are already being built.

#11

The Easterlin Paradox states that although the rich are generally happier than the poor, there is no correlation between a country’s GDP and its citizens’ happiness.

#12

Getting richer won’t necessarily make you happier, as some people will