On March 8; 1421; the largest fleet the world had ever seen set sail from China to "proceed all the way to the ends of the earth to collect tribute from the barbarians beyond the seas." When the fleet returned home in October 1423; the emperor had fallen; leaving China in political and economic chaos. The great ships were left to rot at their moorings and the records of their journeys were destroyed. Lost in the long; self-imposed isolation that followed was the knowledge that Chinese ships had reached America seventy years before Columbus and had circumnavigated the globe a century before Magellan. And they colonized America before the Europeans; transplanting the principal economic crops that have since fed and clothed the world.
#16713 in Books Matt Ridley 2011-06-07 2011-06-07Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x 1.08 x 5.31l; .78 #File Name: 0061452068480 pagesThe Rational Optimist How Prosperity Evolves
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Just a really great bookBy A CustomerA very iconoclastic friend recommended this and I read it with great interest. Glad I did. I've had some of these thoughts myself but not in any organized or well supported way. So it was a pleasure basically to see many of my intellectual optimisms reflected here. But much more than that. A relief. I just hope; as I have often said to myself; that his optimism is right. And I do wonder about some of his blithe pronouncements. I love them; but just wonder; for example; whether his chemistry is correct (hope it is). After all he himself is not a chemist of any degree I think. And many very intelligent (and surely not all with bad faith) others are not nearly so optimistic.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I was finally glad to hear well-articulated arguments that I have thought for ...By MAmbiv03Well researched and written. Gets a little repetitive; understandably so; since he's making arguments against a lot of conventional wisdom. I was finally glad to hear well-articulated arguments that I have thought for years.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Dare to be an optimistBy BartMatt takes you to a walk through a series of scenarios where the humanity has been challenged for the nature and nurture conditions in the environment.Each chapter he explains why and how humanity have passed those challenges that for the people that have lived in each aeon the challenges seemed hard or even impossible.What is the importance of the ideas and exchange in society ?Let Matt explain that to you. He’s really good at it.
