Civilization: The West and the Rest

Civilization is the definitive history of Western civilization's rise to global dominance--and the killer applications that made this improbable ascent possible: competition, science, the rule of law, consumerism, modern medicine, and the work ethic. nFrom the bestselling author of The Ascent of Money and The Square and the Tower nA dazzling history of Western ideas. --The Economist n nMr. Ferguson tells his story with characteristic verve and an eye for the felicitous phrase. --Wall Street Journal n n[W]ritten with vitality and verve . . . a tour de force. --Boston Globe n nWestern civilization's rise to global dominance is the single most important historical phenomenon of the past five centuries. n nHow 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. n nYet 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.n