Civilization
The Six Killer Apps of Western Power
Published on 3. May 2012
Book
Paperback/Softback
432 pages
978-0-14-104458-3 (ISBN)
Description
In 1412, Europe was a miserable backwater ravaged by plague, bad sanitation and incessant war, while the Orient was home to dazzling civilizations. Yet, somehow, the West came to dominate the Rest for most of the next half millennium.
In this vital, brilliant book, Niall Ferguson reveals the six 'killer applications' that the Rest lacked: competition, science, property rights, medicine, consumerism and the work ethic. And he asks: do we still have these winning tools? Or is this the end of Western ascendancy?
'Brilliantly written, full of wit and virtuosity, stuffed with memorable lines and gorgeous bits of information. A great read' The Times
'A dazzling history of Western ideas ... epic' Economist
'Vivid and fascinating' Daily Telegraph
'Superb ... brings history alive ... dazzling' Independent
'This is sharp. It feels urgent. Ferguson ... twists his knife with great literary brio' Andrew Marr, Financial Times
In this vital, brilliant book, Niall Ferguson reveals the six 'killer applications' that the Rest lacked: competition, science, property rights, medicine, consumerism and the work ethic. And he asks: do we still have these winning tools? Or is this the end of Western ascendancy?
'Brilliantly written, full of wit and virtuosity, stuffed with memorable lines and gorgeous bits of information. A great read' The Times
'A dazzling history of Western ideas ... epic' Economist
'Vivid and fascinating' Daily Telegraph
'Superb ... brings history alive ... dazzling' Independent
'This is sharp. It feels urgent. Ferguson ... twists his knife with great literary brio' Andrew Marr, Financial Times
Reviews / Votes
Ferguson is the most brilliant British historian of his generation ... he writes with splendid panache * The Times * One of the world's leading historians -- Hamish McRae * Independent * Civilization is another masterpiece ... a pulsing energy suffuses his account [and] fascinating facts burst like fireworks on every page -- Dominic Lawson * Sunday Times * This is sharp. It feels urgent. Ferguson, with a properly financially literate mind, twists his knife with great literary brio -- Andrew Marr * Financial Times * A dazzling history of Western ideas * Economist *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Illustrations
2 x 8pp colour
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-14-104458-3 (9780141044583)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions
Book
06/2018
Penguin Books Ltd
€16.50
Available immediately
Additional editions
E-Book
03/2011
1st Edition
Penguin Books Ltd
€14.99
Available for download
Person
Niall Ferguson is one of Britain's most renowned historians. He is the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, a senior fellow of the Center for European Studies at Harvard University, and a Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University, Beijing. His books include The House of Rothschild, Empire, The War of the World, The Ascent of Money, The Great Degeneration and Kissinger, 1923-1968: The Idealist. His many prizes include the Benjamin Franklin Prize for Public Service (2010), the Hayek Prize for Lifetime Achievement (2012) and the Ludwig Erhard Prize for Economic Journalism (2013).