The Journey of Humanity: The Origins of Wealth and Inequality

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A grand unifying theory of human flourishing and inequality from one of the world's pre-eminent thinkers A bold retelling of the entire human story from one of the world's pre-eminent thinkers What causes living standards to rise Why are some countries so much richer than others How might all humans thrive and survive In The Journey of Humanity, Oded Galor offers a revelatory explanation of how humanity escaped a life of subsistence poverty and began to enjoy previously unthinkable wealth and longevity. It shows why this process took place so much earlier and faster in some regions while it is only just taking place in others, and explains why so many of our efforts to improve lives have failed and how they might succeed. As humanity faces its greatest ever test, this book of urgent truths speaks across the political divide to arrive at universal lessons that are both hopeful and profound, revealing the keys not only to our species' thriving but to our survival.

Reviews

A wildly ambitious attempt to do for economics what Newton, Darwin or Einstein did for their fields: develop a theory that explains almost everything ... an inspiring, readable, jargon-free and almost impossibly erudite masterwork, the boldest possible attempt to write the economic history of humanity * New Statesman *
There will be inevitable comparisons with Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens ... If you need an evidence-based antidote to doomscrolling, here it is * Guardian *
Journey of Humanity... is only 300 pages long, which considering it covers thousands of years of global history... is surprisingly concise. Its breadth and ambition are reminiscent of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel...and Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens * Financial Times *
A large-scale survey of human history... The heart of the matter is why some countries grow and some don't... Perhaps growth-mad Liz Truss should have read it. You certainly should. * The Times, Best philosophy and ideas books of 2022 *
Unparalleled in its scope and ambition ... All readers will learn something, and many will find the book fascinating * Washington Post *
Deeply rewarding and fascinating * Spectator *
A completely brilliant and utterly original account of humanity's transit from crude beginnings to a deeply divided planet. A vastly readable insight into why our world is as it is. A book for our epoch -- Jon Snow, former presenter of Channel 4 News
A masterful sweep through the human odyssey, from the origin of our species to the making of the modern world, that answers the ultimate mystery: what accounts for the staggering inequality in the wealth of nations today Exquisite, eloquent and effortlessly erudite - if you liked Sapiens, you'll love this -- Lewis Dartnell, author of Origins
Astounding in scope and insight, The Journey of Humanity provides a captivating and revelatory account of the deepest currents that have shaped human history, and the keys to the betterment of our species -- Nouriel Roubini, author of Crisis Economics
I am in awe of Oded Galor's attempts to explain inequality today as a consequence of such profound forces. A remarkable contribution to our understanding of this mammoth dilemma -- Jim O'Neill, author of The Growth Map
A wonderfully clear-sighted perspective on progress, past and future, which is essential to tackling today's big challenges - potentially catastrophic climate change and inequality -- Diane Coyle, former Vice Chair of the BBC Trust, author of Cogs and Monsters
Big Science at its best ... Galor's erudition and creativity are remarkable -- Prof. Steven N. Durlauf, University of Chicago, on Unified Growth Theory
An engaging and optimistic answer to anyone who thinks that poverty and inequality will always be with us -- Ian Morris, author of Why the West Rules For Now
Galor's project is breathtakingly ambitious -- Robert Solow, Nobel Laureate in Economics
A magisterial account of the evolution of human civilization from its prehistoric origins into the present day. It's a page-turner, a suspense-filled thriller full of surprises, mind-bending puzzles and profound insights -- Glenn C. Loury, author of The Anatomy of Racial Inequality
In lucid, accessible prose, Galor ingeniously traces obscure influences over centuries ... This engrossing history reveals that subtle causes can have astounding effects * Publishers Weekly *
A tour de force. This deeply argued book brilliantly weaves the threads of global economic history to deconstruct the rich tapestry that is the modern world -- Dani Rodrik, author of Straight Talk on Trade
One of the hottest books of the year ahead * Irish Independent *
Reading Oded Galor's upbeat book I...[was] taken aback by his imagination and verve... great sections of Galor's book are to be applauded... his optimism about humanity shines through * Observer *
The Journey of Humanity is a good summary of growth theories and is an elegantly written and accessible book * Irish Times *

Author Bio

Oded Galor is the founding thinker behind Unified Growth Theory, which seeks to uncover the fundamental causes of development, prosperity and inequality over the entire span of human history. He has shared the insights of his lifetime's work in this field at some of the world's most prestigious lectures around the globe. The Journey of Humanity distils those insights for the first time into a single book and is being published in twenty-eight languages worldwide.