Western civilization’s rise to global dominance is the single most important historical phenomenon of the past five centuries.How did the West overtake its Eastern rivals? And has the zenith of Western power now passed? Acclaimed historian Niall Ferguson argues that beginning in the fifteenth century; the West developed six powerful new concepts; or “killer applicationsâ€â€”competition; science; the rule of law; modern medicine; consumerism; and the work ethic—that the Rest lacked; allowing it to surge past all other competitors.Yet now; Ferguson shows how the Rest have downloaded the killer apps the West once monopolized; while the West has literally lost faith in itself. Chronicling the rise and fall of empires alongside clashes (and fusions) of civilizations; Civilization: The West and the Rest recasts world history with force and wit. Boldly argued and teeming with memorable characters; this is Ferguson at his very best.Niall Ferguson's new book The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power; from the Freemasons to Facebook will be published in January 2018.
#194957 in Books Penguin Books 2012-05-29 2012-05-29Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.39 x 1.09 x 5.45l; .90 #File Name: 0143121359496 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Great book for explanations of where we are in physics and philosophy of scienceBy Rafael BernalDr. Deutsch is an extremely intelligent person; well versed not on science and philosophy; but in almost all facets of Western culture. He uses this knowledge wisely to bring forward his explanations (a term one finds central to this book) of how the Universe works. He's also an optimist and sees the emergence of intelligence as the take off point towards infinity. In this case "infinity" means the very long road that the Universe itself is beginning to take in order to know itself. And that's an amazing fact in itself; that the Universe; in its eternal process of emergence of things more interesting and complex at each turn; emerges conscience/intelligence; a property which can begin to understand the Universe itself.The book is sometimes heavy because of its high density of ideas/page (a measure of how much attention you have to pay if you want to follow it). I think sometimes Dr. Deutsch goes a bit on a limb on certain topics that he cannot be an expert on; for nobody is an expert on everything. I am still unclear on whether memes have a drive to expand and if so; whether it means they posses some kind of will; which he makes quite clear they don't; but not too clear how they grow and expand. I guess some day will understand that when we have a theory of emergence; which to me is the next big big thing in physics.I have never myself been a great fan of the multiverse theories and although Dr. Deutsch makes a good case for them; or at least one of them; his own version; I find that part the most questionable. To me; not yet a definite explanation of quantum weirdness.I do recommend it to those who want to be aware of where we are in the frontiers of physics and philosophy of science.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Not as good as "The Fabric of Reality"By Roberto M. PensottiIf you hoped for a book of the same breadth as David Deutsch's "The Fabric of Reality" you'll be disappointed.However; Deutsch is such a tremendous physicist and thinker that you can enjoy anything he writes.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Change The WorldBy hellcatsOne of the most important books of the new millennia. Prof Deutsch describes how a way of thought is the key ingredient behind the rapid expanse in knowledge and technology beginning with the Enlightenment and continuing through to this day. The book is filled with bold claims that rankle on first encounter; but then you are led down a gentle path of deductive reasoning in which each step is easy and agreeable; only to find yourself standing at the exact place of that initial bold claim! And that is the very essence of the book: that an enquiring and critical mind can find solutions to seemingly intractable problems. The power of this mode of thought is so great that it benefits the whole of humanity while only requiring a tiny fraction of the population to actually understand it. How much better off would we all be if more people were aware of and applied these successful thought patterns in their daily lives? If you only buy one book this year; then this should be it; the world desperately needs more people who can think for themselves.
