Fewer, Richer, Greener : Prospects for Humanity in an Age of Abundance

How the world has become much better and why optimism is abundantly justified Why do so many people fear the future? Is their concern justified, or can we look forward to greater wealth and continued improvement in the way we live? Our world seems to be experiencing stagnant economic growth, climatic deterioration, dwindling natural resources, and an unsustainable level of population growth. The world is doomed, they argue, and there are just too many problems to overcome . But is this really the case? In Fewer, Richer, Greener , author Laurence B. Siegel reveals that the world has improved --and will continue to improve--in almost every dimension imaginable. This practical yet lighthearted book makes a convincing case for having gratitude for today’s world and optimism about the bountiful world of tomorrow. Life has actually improved tremendously. We live in the safest, most prosperous time in all human history. Whatever the metric--food, health, longevity, education, conflict--it is demonstrably true that right now is the best time to be alive. The recent, dramatic slowing in global population growth continues to spread prosperity from the developed to the developing world. Technology is helping billions of people rise above levels of mere subsistence. This technology of prosperity is cumulative and rapidly improving: we use it to solve problems in ways that would have be unimaginable only a few decades ago. An optimistic antidote for pessimism and fear, this book: Helps to restore and reinforce our faith in the future Documents and explains how global changes impact our present and influence our future Discusses the costs and unforeseen consequences of some of the changes occurring in the modern world Offers engaging narrative, accurate data and research, and an in-depth look at the best books on the topic by leading thinkers Traces the history of economic progress and explores its consequences for human life around the world Fewer, Richer, Greener: Prospects for Humanity in an Age of Abundance is a must-read for anyone who wishes to regain hope for the present and wants to build a better future. How the world has become much better and why optimism is abundantly justified Why do so many people fear the future? Is their concern justified, or can we look forward to greater wealth and continued improvement in the way we live? Our world seems to be experiencing stagnant economic growth, climatic deterioration, dwindling natural resources, and an unsustainable level of population growth. The world is doomed, they argue, and there are just too many problems to overcome . But is this really the case? In Fewer, Richer, Greener , author Laurence B. Siegel reveals that the world has improved —and will continue to improve—in almost every dimension imaginable. This practical yet lighthearted book makes a convincing case for having gratitude for today's world and optimism about the bountiful world of tomorrow. Life has actually improved tremendously. We live in the safest, most prosperous time in all human history. Whatever the metric—food, health, longevity, education, conflict—it is demonstrably true that right now is the best time to be alive. The recent, dramatic slowing in global population growth continues to spread prosperity from the developed to the developing world. Technology is helping billions of people rise above levels of mere subsistence. This technology of prosperity is cumulative and rapidly improving: we use it to solve problems in ways that would have be unimaginable only a few decades ago. An optimistic antidote for pessimism and fear, this book: Helps to restore and reinforce our faith in the future Documents and explains how global changes impact our present and influence our future Discusses the costs and unforeseen consequences of some of the changes occurring in the modern world Offers engaging narrative, accurate data and research, and an in-depth look at the best books on the topic by leading thinkers Traces the history of economic progress and explores its consequences for human life around the world Fewer, Richer, Greener: Prospects for Humanity in an Age of Abundance is a must-read for anyone who wishes to regain hope for the present and wants to build a better future. ""The quality of [his] thinking and [his] writing is ... second to none in the world of finance."--Jack Bogle, founder, Vanguard "That great explainer of everything to everybody."--Richard Flannery, CEO, The Investment Fund for Foundations Our world is burdened with disappearing economic growth, a deteriorating environment, limited natural resources, and not just too many people, but too many old people. Really? While such pessimism may mark you as a wise soul at the neighborhood cocktail party, it isn't supported by the facts. Yes, there are reasons to worry, as there have always been. But there are far more reasons to be optimistic, as author Laurence Siegel explains in his fascinating look at the future, Fewer, Richer, Greener. The recent dramatic slowing in global population growth will allow prosperity to spread from the developed to the developing world. Prosperity is mostly based on technology in the broadest sense of that word--meaning "the techniques we use for getting the most out of what we have." That technology is cumulative. We have what we had yesterday, plus whatever new technology is developed today. Except in times of massive economic dislocation, the present is better than the past--and the future will be better still. Using narrative, data, biography and interviews with leading thinkers, Fewer, Greener, Richer, traces the history of economic progress and explosres its consequences for human life around the world. We are, as Siegel explains, at the turning point where the economic development of the past 200 years in the first world has begun to spread to the rest of the globe. Using sources ranging from the Old Testament to the latest writings on economics, biology, and philosophy, Siegel tells the story of how we arrived at this point, and lays out a vision for the progress we are about to witness. This future will not be without problems, but we will have the knowledge and technology to solve those problems in ways that would have be unimaginable only a few decades ago"-- Provided by publisher ""The quality of [his] thinking and [his] writing is...second to none in the world of finance."--Jack Bogle, founder, Vanguard "That great explainer of everything to everybody." --Richard Flannery, CEO, The Investment Fund for Foundations Our world is burdened with disappearing economic growth, a deteriorating environment, limited natural resources, and not just too many people, but too many old people. Really? While such pessimism may mark you as a wise soul at the neighborhood cocktail party, it isn't supported by the facts. Yes, there are reasons to worry, as there have always been. But there are far more reasons to be optimistic, as author Laurence Siegel explains in his fascinating look at the future, Fewer, Richer, Greener. The recent dramatic slowing in global population growth will allow prosperity to spread from the developed to the developing world. Prosperity is mostly based on technology in the broadest sense of that word--meaning "the techniques we use for getting the most out of what we have." That technology is cumulative. We have what we had yesterday, plus whatever new technology is developed today. Except in times of massive economic dislocation, the present is better than the past--and the future will be better still. Using narrative, data, biography and interviews with leading thinkers, Fewer, Greener, Richer, traces the history of economic progress and explosres its consequences for human life around the world. We are, as Siegel explains, at the turning point where the economic development of the past 200 years in the first world has begun to spread to the rest of the globe. Using sources ranging from the Old Testament to the latest writings on economics, biology, and philosophy, Siegel tells the story of how we arrived at this point, and lays out a vision for the progress we are about to witness. This future will not be without problems, but we will have the knowledge and technology to solve those problems in ways that would have be unimaginable only a few decades ago." --Provided by publisher