The Evolution of Everything

How New Ideas Emerge

De: Matt Ridley

Narrado por: Steven Crossley

The New York Times best-selling author of The Rational Optimist and Genome returns with a fascinating, brilliant argument for evolution that definitively dispels a dangerous, widespread myth: that we can command and control our world.

The Evolution of Everything is about bottom-up order and its enemy, the top-down twitch - the endless fascination human beings have with design rather than evolution, with direction rather than emergence. Drawing on anecdotes from science, economics, history, politics, and philosophy, Matt Ridley's wide-ranging, highly opinionated opus demolishes conventional assumptions that major scientific and social imperatives are dictated by those on high, whether in government, business, academia, or morality. On the contrary, our most important achievements develop from the bottom up. Patterns emerge, trends evolve. Just as skeins of geese form Vs in the sky without meaning to and termites build mud cathedrals without architects, so brains take shape without brain makers, learning can happen without teaching, and morality changes without a plan.

Although we neglect, defy, and ignore them, bottom-up trends shape the world. The growth of technology, the sanitation-driven health revolution, the quadrupling of farm yields so that more land can be released for nature - these were largely emergent phenomena, as were the Internet, the mobile phone revolution, and the rise of Asia. Ridley demolishes the arguments for design and effectively makes the case for evolution in the universe, morality, genes, the economy, culture, technology, the mind, personality, population, education, history, government, God, money, and the future.

As compelling as it is controversial, authoritative as it is ambitious, Ridley's stunning perspective will revolutionize the way we think about our world and how it works.

©2015 Matt Ridley (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers

Sometimes uses a broad brush

Liked the new interpretation of cause and effect. It stirred new ideas and drove me to imagine an alternate narrative. One has to be careful however to adopt a new world view based on a fast and loose explanation of much of recorded human history (i.e. religious history). Overall, this author’s identification of evolving human concepts and natural systems is fascinating.

Everyone should read this

The concepts explored in this book are challenges to our persistently flawed "conventional wisdom." I found it refreshing and empowering.

Eye opening experience

Even though I don't agree with everything, it's still very influential reading. I'm not sure whether I wasn't doing better with more blurred vision of the world and life :-)

Worth every minute.

Thoroughly researched, beautifully written, and excellently read. Though one might think the topic a dry one, the content and pace of presentation will keep your attention throughout. The theme is well stated and supported by citations, so Ridley's conclusions are reasonable. Great book.

Changed how I see the world

There is no such thing as a static system. If something has an ability to change, it will. Biological systems, organizational systems, language, and relationships all evolve. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it and it is everywhere.

Another great book from Matt Ridley

Again, Ridley is able to produce a frank, rational view of the world and the things that affect it and shape it.

Recommend it!

Excellent content, decent presentation

Great content. Steven Crossley (narrator) is no Patrick Allitt (who did Great Courses Industrial Revolution).

Strong start, disappointing finish

Some good information, but heavily influenced by his opinion. Matt Ridley is a staunch libertarian and it shows. In the midst of his opinion he loses sight of his argument--fundamentally committing some of the very errors he lambasts in the beginning of the book. He critiques the tendencies of people to attribute things to top down approaches, but proceeds to attribute all errors to top down approaches. As he would say in the beginning of the book, "skyhook." Mr. Ridley proceeds to lose sight of his original reasoning amongst his own political bias during the latter half of the book.

Everyone should read this

This book elegantly explains the bottom up principles, which is something I allways noticed around me and this book has really explained it, and I belive that if more people were aware of this the wolrd would be a much freeier and kinder place.

Just awesome is all...

From start to finish a fascinating, well written, well narrated thought provoking tour de force. loved it.