Civilization: The West and the RestFrom the bestselling author of The Ascent of Money and The Square and the Tower “A dazzling history of Western ideas.” —The Economist “Mr. Ferguson tells his story with characteristic verve and an eye for the felicitous phrase.” —Wall Street Journal “[W]ritten with vitality and verve . . . a tour de force.” —Boston Globe 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 applications”—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. |
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Africa American army Asia Asian became Beijing biggest Bolívar Britain British capital cent century China Chinese Christian Church Clark Clash of Civilizations clothes colonial competition consumer society cotton countries culture death decline early East economic Emperor England English European exports force France Frederick French French Empire French West Africa German global Herero History human Ibid imperial Inca Indian Industrial Revolution innovation institutions Islam Istanbul Japan Japanese jeans killer application King Kingdom labour land later Latin less living London ment military million Ming Ming Dynasty missionaries modern Muslim North Ottoman Empire political population Portuguese production Protestant Protestantism Prussia racial Reformation religion religious Republic rise royal rule ſ ſ ſ Scientific Revolution Senegal ships slavery slaves social soldiers South America Soviet Union Spaniards Spanish Sultan thing tion trade United wages Weber West Western civilization Zheng