Why did British boats shoot their way up the Yangzi in 1842, rather than Chinese ones up the Thames? Why do Easterners use English more than Europeans speak in Mandarin or Japanese? To put it bluntly, why does the West rule? There are two schools of thought: the 'Long-Term Lock In' theory, suggesting some sort of inevitability, and the 'Short-Term Accident' theory. But both approaches have misunderstood the shape of history.Ian Morris presents a startling new theory. He explains with flair and authority why the paths of development differed in the East and West and - analysing a vicious twist in trajectories just ahead of us - predicts when the West's lead will come to an end.'Here you have three books wrapped into one: an exciting novel that happens to be true; an entertaining but thorough historical account of everything important that happened to any important people in the last 10 millennia; and an educated guess about what will happen in the future. Read, learn, and enjoy!' Jared Diamond'A great work of synthesis and argument, drawing together an awesome range of materials and authorities to bring us a fresh, sharp reading of East-West relationships.' Andrew Marr
Why The West Rules--For Now
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Review
`A great work of synthesis and argument, drawing together an awesome range of materials and authorities' --Andrew Marr
`The nearest thing to a unified field theory of history we are ever likely to get ... I loved it.' --Niall Ferguson
'Deeply thought-provoking and engagingly lively, broad in sweep and precise in detail.'
--Jonathan Fenby, author of The Penguin History of Modern China, former Editor of The Observer and former Editor of the South China Morning Post
`Ian Morris has returned history to the position it once held ... His vision is dazzling, and his prose irresistible.'
--Anthony Pagden, distinguished professor of political science and history at the University of California, Los Angeles, author of `Worlds and War: The 2,500 Year Struggle Between East and West'
`At last - a brilliant historian with a light touch. We should all rejoice.' --John Julius Norwich
`Astonishing ... hundreds of pages of the latest information dealing with every aspect of change' --David S. Landes, author of The Wealth and Poverty of Nations
`Formidable, richly engrossing ... A superior contribution to the grand-theory-of-human-history genre' --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
`Remarkable ... Anyone who does not believe there are lessons to be learned from history should start here.' --The Economist
`Morris is the world's most talented historian... he has brilliantly pulled off what few modern academics would dare to attempt' --Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs
`Read, learn, and enjoy!' -- Jared Diamond
`So important...one doffs one's hat to Morris's breadth, ambition and erudition'
-- Paul Kennedy, Sunday Times
`Morris handles huge ideas and transglobal theories with a breathtaking ease and humour.'
--Artemis Cooper, Evening Standard
`A path-breaking work that lays out what modern history should look like.' --Financial Times
`The nearest thing to a unified field theory of history we are ever likely to get ... I loved it.' --Niall Ferguson
'Deeply thought-provoking and engagingly lively, broad in sweep and precise in detail.'
--Jonathan Fenby, author of The Penguin History of Modern China, former Editor of The Observer and former Editor of the South China Morning Post
`Ian Morris has returned history to the position it once held ... His vision is dazzling, and his prose irresistible.'
--Anthony Pagden, distinguished professor of political science and history at the University of California, Los Angeles, author of `Worlds and War: The 2,500 Year Struggle Between East and West'
`At last - a brilliant historian with a light touch. We should all rejoice.' --John Julius Norwich
`Astonishing ... hundreds of pages of the latest information dealing with every aspect of change' --David S. Landes, author of The Wealth and Poverty of Nations
`Formidable, richly engrossing ... A superior contribution to the grand-theory-of-human-history genre' --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
`Remarkable ... Anyone who does not believe there are lessons to be learned from history should start here.' --The Economist
`Morris is the world's most talented historian... he has brilliantly pulled off what few modern academics would dare to attempt' --Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs
`Read, learn, and enjoy!' -- Jared Diamond
`So important...one doffs one's hat to Morris's breadth, ambition and erudition'
-- Paul Kennedy, Sunday Times
`Morris handles huge ideas and transglobal theories with a breathtaking ease and humour.'
--Artemis Cooper, Evening Standard
`A path-breaking work that lays out what modern history should look like.' --Financial Times
Book Description
Why does the West rule? Eminent Stanford polymath Ian Morris answers this provocative question, drawing uniquely on 20,000 years of history and archaeology, and the methods of social science.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
77 of 81 people found the following review helpful
By FAF
Format:Hardcover
Like most of us living in the West I have have pondered this question from time to time. Why did the west come out in front, and will it last? Should we all start learning Chinese? And was it inevitable - were Westerners more open-minded, or harder working, or were we just super-lucky to have had the industrial revolution? Or was it simply the work of exceptional people such as Julius Caesar, James Watt or Columbus?
Morris looks at this from a different angle. He uses an index of social development to analyse how societies have risen and fallen (including energy capture, organisation/urbanisation, war-making and information technology). But most importantly he tells a brilliant story of global history. It's a big book, but it has to be, to cover its full scope.
Part history, part archaeology, part geography, part biology and part sociology it is the work of a real polymath. It's incredibly readable too, beginning with a terrific fantasy of how things might have been. I didn't agree with all of it but it's still the best history book I've read this year. You may guess that I felt stongly about this book.
Morris looks at this from a different angle. He uses an index of social development to analyse how societies have risen and fallen (including energy capture, organisation/urbanisation, war-making and information technology). But most importantly he tells a brilliant story of global history. It's a big book, but it has to be, to cover its full scope.
Part history, part archaeology, part geography, part biology and part sociology it is the work of a real polymath. It's incredibly readable too, beginning with a terrific fantasy of how things might have been. I didn't agree with all of it but it's still the best history book I've read this year. You may guess that I felt stongly about this book.
34 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Was just given this by a friend last week and have already finished it. I have to say this is the best non-fiction book I've read this year. I found it completely riveting, right from the introduction which is written as though the Chinese had triumphed over England in Victorian times rather than the reverse. That's just the start of Morris' investigation into why it didn't happen like that, and in fact why it is so hard to imagine this ever having been on the cards.
His theory involves going back 15,000 years and tracing the progress of East and West since then. He then uses this analysis to look ahead to the future - which is pretty scary.Obviously it's a very ambitious theory and I'm sure it could be quite controversial, but Niall Ferguson says he's the world's most talented historian and I can't disagree. If you want to understand the story behind the global socio-economic landscape we live in today, read this book!
His theory involves going back 15,000 years and tracing the progress of East and West since then. He then uses this analysis to look ahead to the future - which is pretty scary.Obviously it's a very ambitious theory and I'm sure it could be quite controversial, but Niall Ferguson says he's the world's most talented historian and I can't disagree. If you want to understand the story behind the global socio-economic landscape we live in today, read this book!
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A polymath who manages a vast sweeping view and still makes it readable.
7 Dec 2010
By Alan
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Morris manages his book like a composer orchestrating complex themes. Like music, the blend of ideas makes logical and aesthetic sense. Yet the book is not full of its own worthiness; it is often humorous, often vernacular, always well-read and always accessible. The short chapter sections (with witty headings) lead you to read this episodically, so it could be an ideal bed-side book. Above all, it is a cogent analysis of history from a true polymath who sees the horizon as much as the ground under his feet; even if you do not buy the analysis, it is a stimulus to thinking about global development in ways you had not previously contemplated.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding
This book should be required reading for all world leaders as we approach the most critical period in human history.
Published 25 days ago by Marc Kenton
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gives an brilliantly grand overview world history which helps the...
Although many of the arguments are similar to Jared Diamond's books; Guns, Germs and Steel, and Collapse, he gives an brilliantly grand overview world history which helps the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by George Norris
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Grand Sweep of History
History is not my strong subject. I didn't really connect with it at school. Looking back, I think the way it was taught was too disconnected: We would be taught about 'The... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. M.C.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Over long and meandering off the point
My Dad recommended this book - even though he'd only got to page 129. Actually the first 100 pages are quite good.
Several objections to the book thereafter;
1. Read more
Several objections to the book thereafter;
1. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Daniel Taylor
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enlightening and informative
Clever and well written this book takes on the huge task of explaining the evolution of the world's societies/peoples/empires across ages in terms of social development. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. S. M. Hill
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Service
book arrived quicly and in excellent condition
very informative with new slants and ideas
would recommend people to read to help understand how things are now
very informative with new slants and ideas
would recommend people to read to help understand how things are now
Published 5 months ago by Starlifter
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thought Provoking, Informative, Provocative and Timely
This is a book of enormous breadth and vision which identifies sufficient recurrent patterns in the forces of social development to provide us not only with a structure in which to... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Garybaldbee
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting theory, good general history
This book tries to be a lot of things, and doesn't quite get there on a lot of them. What it does do though, is give an entertaining read. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Rat Breath
5.0 out of 5 stars
great book
Just reading this book now and very much enjoying it. Good overall review of how the east and west became what they are and what continues to separate us. Very interesting
Published 10 months ago by nhgirl
1.0 out of 5 stars
The West But Not As We Know It
The author sets out, as seems to be almost de rigeur in some academic quarters, to overturn or deconstruct popular assumptions about Western civilisation at a time when others... Read more
Published 16 months ago by BGD
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