Civilization
The West and the Rest
Ferguson identifies six "killer apps" that let the West race ahead of the rest of the world, and asks whether that edge is fading.
Why did a handful of Western European states, backwaters in 1500, come to dominate the globe? Historian Niall Ferguson argues the answer lies in six “killer apps” the West developed and the rest initially lacked: competition, science, property rights, modern medicine, consumerism, and the work ethic. Ranging across five centuries and continents, he traces how these ideas spread, and asks whether the West is now losing its monopoly on them. Fareed Zakaria names it among his six favorite books.
Recommended by 2 People
Dambisa Moyo
But there has not been anything that I have read that has been more all-encompassing: looking at religion, looking at East versus West not just as US versus China, but also bringing in other elements like Islam, cultural aspects, historical context, work ethic, Calvinism. So that’s what really drew me to this book. If I were to be critical of an economist’s perspective, it’s that we tend to have a very narrow lens.
Interview · May 2011
Fareed Zakaria
I love big, sweeping history, and this account of the West's rise to global dominance is one of the best recent examples. As always with Ferguson, you can disagree with him and still admire his work for being smart, provocative, and well written.
As an Amazon Associate, bookstoread.org earns from qualifying purchases. Links to Amazon on this page may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Spotted an error on this page? Tell us and we will fix it.