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The Square and the Tower
by Niall Ferguson • 2017
The real shapers of history were not kings but the networks connecting everyone else.
3.65
4k+
The Square and the Tower Summary
The Square and the Tower 96%
The real shapers of history were not kings but the networks connecting everyone else.
by Niall Ferguson 2017
3.65
4k+ ratings
Origin Story
by David Christian • 2008
How energy and information built the universe, life, and us. What they mean for our future.
4.06
8k+
Origin Story Summary
Origin Story 96%
How energy and information built the universe, life, and us. What they mean for our future.
by David Christian 2008
4.06
8k+ ratings
Nonzero
by Robert Wright
History bends toward cooperation, not because we're good, but because interdependence pays.
3.97
3k+
Nonzero Summary
Nonzero 96%
History bends toward cooperation, not because we're good, but because interdependence pays.
by Robert Wright
3.97
3k+ ratings
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
by Yuval Noah Harari • 2018
How to think in a century where jobs vanish, truths splinter, and biology becomes programmable.
4.15
179k+
21 Lessons for the 21st Century Summary
21 Lessons for the 21st Century 96%
How to think in a century where jobs vanish, truths splinter, and biology becomes programmable.
by Yuval Noah Harari 2018
4.15
179k+ ratings
The Journey of Humanity
by Oded Galor • 2022
Every human was poor for 300,000 years. Then some nations escaped. The reason sits in prehistory.
3.82
2k+
The Journey of Humanity Summary
The Journey of Humanity 95%
Every human was poor for 300,000 years. Then some nations escaped. The reason sits in prehistory.
by Oded Galor 2022
3.82
2k+ ratings
Energy and Civilization
by Vaclav Smil • 2017
A week of American energy use matches a year of Nigerian. The history behind that gap.
4.09
4k+
Energy and Civilization Summary
Energy and Civilization 95%
A week of American energy use matches a year of Nigerian. The history behind that gap.
by Vaclav Smil 2017
4.09
4k+ ratings
Work
by James Suzman • 2020
Work predates paychecks by billions of years. A history of how energy became employment.
3.83
3k+
Work Summary
Work 95%
Work predates paychecks by billions of years. A history of how energy became employment.
by James Suzman 2020
3.83
3k+ ratings
The Empathic Civilization
by Jeremy Rifkin • 2009
Every energy revolution expanded human empathy. Now that same engine threatens to undo us all.
4.03
937
The Empathic Civilization Summary
The Empathic Civilization 95%
Every energy revolution expanded human empathy. Now that same engine threatens to undo us all.
by Jeremy Rifkin 2009
4.03
937 ratings
Homo Deus
by Yuval Noah Harari • 2015
Our oldest enemies are falling. The technology that beat them is now dismantling humanism itself.
4.18
290k+
Homo Deus Summary
Homo Deus 95%
Our oldest enemies are falling. The technology that beat them is now dismantling humanism itself.
by Yuval Noah Harari 2015
4.18
290k+ ratings
How Economics Explains the World
by Andrew Leigh • 2024
The entire human story, retold through scarcity, trade, and the accidents of birth.
3.91
3k+
How Economics Explains the World Summary
How Economics Explains the World 95%
The entire human story, retold through scarcity, trade, and the accidents of birth.
by Andrew Leigh 2024
3.91
3k+ ratings
Conquests and Cultures
by Thomas Sowell • 1998
Geography blocked Africa, conquests lifted Britain, and human capital explains the gap.
4.44
964
Conquests and Cultures Summary
Conquests and Cultures 95%
Geography blocked Africa, conquests lifted Britain, and human capital explains the gap.
by Thomas Sowell 1998
4.44
964 ratings
Origins
by Lewis Dartnell • 2019
Tectonic shifts, ice ages, and ancient oceans didn't set the stage. They wrote human history.
4.17
4k+
Origins Summary
Origins 95%
Tectonic shifts, ice ages, and ancient oceans didn't set the stage. They wrote human history.
by Lewis Dartnell 2019
4.17
4k+ ratings
The Age of Sustainable Development
by Jeffrey D. Sachs • 2015
Growth, inclusion, and sustainability are the same project. Sacrifice one, and the others collapse.
4.21
856
The Age of Sustainable Development Summary
The Age of Sustainable Development 95%
Growth, inclusion, and sustainability are the same project. Sacrifice one, and the others collapse.
by Jeffrey D. Sachs 2015
4.21
856 ratings
Guns, Germs, and Steel
by Jared Diamond • 2005
Eurasia had wheat and an east-west axis. The Americas didn't. Geography decided who conquered whom.
4.04
467k+
Guns, Germs, and Steel Summary
Guns, Germs, and Steel 95%
Eurasia had wheat and an east-west axis. The Americas didn't. Geography decided who conquered whom.
by Jared Diamond 2005
4.04
467k+ ratings
Goliath's Curse
by Luke Kemp • 2025
Hierarchy was a 12,000-year mistake. Its final collapse could take our species with it.
4.06
1k+
Goliath's Curse Summary
Goliath's Curse 95%
Hierarchy was a 12,000-year mistake. Its final collapse could take our species with it.
by Luke Kemp 2025
4.06
1k+ ratings
Numbers Don't Lie
by Vaclav Smil • 2020
Your smartphone costs the planet as much as a car. 71 data points that rewrite modern life.
3.82
11k+
Numbers Don't Lie Summary
Numbers Don't Lie 95%
Your smartphone costs the planet as much as a car. 71 data points that rewrite modern life.
by Vaclav Smil 2020
3.82
11k+ ratings
COVID-19
by Klaus Schwab • 2020
The pandemic didn't just upend the world; it created a fleeting chance to rebuild it from scratch.
2.69
2k+
COVID-19 Summary
COVID-19 94%
The pandemic didn't just upend the world; it created a fleeting chance to rebuild it from scratch.
by Klaus Schwab 2020
2.69
2k+ ratings
Nexus
by Yuval Noah Harari • 2024
The history of information is the history of power. The next chapter has no human author.
4.16
52k+
Nexus Summary
Nexus 94%
The history of information is the history of power. The next chapter has no human author.
by Yuval Noah Harari 2024
4.16
52k+ ratings
Civilization
by Niall Ferguson • 2011
Five hundred years of Western rule rested on six innovations. The rest have now caught up.
3.86
10k+
Civilization Summary
Civilization 94%
Five hundred years of Western rule rested on six innovations. The rest have now caught up.
by Niall Ferguson 2011
3.86
10k+ ratings
Ultrasociety
by Peter Turchin • 2015
War did not just destroy. Over ten millennia, it built the greatest cooperators on Earth.
4.11
464
Ultrasociety Summary
Ultrasociety 94%
War did not just destroy. Over ten millennia, it built the greatest cooperators on Earth.
by Peter Turchin 2015
4.11
464 ratings
The New World Economy
by Randy Charles Epping • 2020
One disruption anywhere now hits everywhere. A map of the new global economy for beginners.
3.64
152
The New World Economy Summary
The New World Economy 94%
One disruption anywhere now hits everywhere. A map of the new global economy for beginners.
by Randy Charles Epping 2020
3.64
152 ratings
Thank You for Being Late
by Thomas L. Friedman • 2016
Technology, markets, and the climate are all speeding up simultaneously; adaptation is not optional.
3.88
12k+
Thank You for Being Late Summary
Thank You for Being Late 94%
Technology, markets, and the climate are all speeding up simultaneously; adaptation is not optional.
by Thomas L. Friedman 2016
3.88
12k+ ratings
Age of Revolutions
by Fareed Zakaria • 2024
Four centuries of revolutions reveal one pattern: gradual change sticks; radical breaks collapse.
4.17
5k+
Age of Revolutions Summary
Age of Revolutions 94%
Four centuries of revolutions reveal one pattern: gradual change sticks; radical breaks collapse.
by Fareed Zakaria 2024
4.17
5k+ ratings
The Great Divergence
by Kenneth Pomeranz • 2000
Europe's industrial breakthrough wasn't its own genius. It took colonial land and underground coal.
3.68
1k+
The Great Divergence Summary
The Great Divergence 94%
Europe's industrial breakthrough wasn't its own genius. It took colonial land and underground coal.
by Kenneth Pomeranz 2000
3.68
1k+ ratings
2030
by Mauro F. Guillén • 2020
By 2030, three demographic waves collide: aging societies, female fortunes, and an ascendant Asia.
3.69
3k+
2030 Summary
2030 94%
By 2030, three demographic waves collide: aging societies, female fortunes, and an ascendant Asia.
by Mauro F. Guillén 2020
3.69
3k+ ratings
Enlightenment Now
by Steven Pinker • 2018
The world is getting better, by the numbers. The credit belongs to ideals we are abandoning.
4.19
33k+
Enlightenment Now Summary
Enlightenment Now 94%
The world is getting better, by the numbers. The credit belongs to ideals we are abandoning.
by Steven Pinker 2018
4.19
33k+ ratings
The Rational Optimist
by Matt Ridley • 2010
Trade, not genius, drives human progress. Two centuries of data, and why the pessimists always lose.
3.97
14k+
The Rational Optimist Summary
The Rational Optimist 94%
Trade, not genius, drives human progress. Two centuries of data, and why the pessimists always lose.
by Matt Ridley 2010
3.97
14k+ ratings
Growth
by Vaclav Smil • 2019
The math of growth is the same everywhere: a curve that bends toward limits, not infinity.
3.87
1k+
Growth Summary
Growth 94%
The math of growth is the same everywhere: a curve that bends toward limits, not infinity.
by Vaclav Smil 2019
3.87
1k+ ratings
The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee
by Jared Diamond • 1991
How a species 98% chimp invented language, farming, and the means of its own ruin.
4.09
29k+
The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee Summary
The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee 94%
How a species 98% chimp invented language, farming, and the means of its own ruin.
by Jared Diamond 1991
4.09
29k+ ratings
A Short History of the World
by Christopher Lascelles • 2011
Thirteen billion years in one short book: why empires fall, ideas spread, and everything connects.
3.86
2k+
A Short History of the World Summary
A Short History of the World 94%
Thirteen billion years in one short book: why empires fall, ideas spread, and everything connects.
by Christopher Lascelles 2011
3.86
2k+ ratings
The Dawn of Everything
by David Graeber • 2021
The story of human progress was built to bury indigenous challenges to European society.
4.19
27k+
The Dawn of Everything Summary
The Dawn of Everything 94%
The story of human progress was built to bury indigenous challenges to European society.
by David Graeber 2021
4.19
27k+ ratings
The Collapse of Complex Societies
by Joseph A. Tainter • 1988
Society's greatest threat isn't invasion; it's the rising cost of keeping itself organized.
4.15
2k+
The Collapse of Complex Societies Summary
The Collapse of Complex Societies 94%
Society's greatest threat isn't invasion; it's the rising cost of keeping itself organized.
by Joseph A. Tainter 1988
4.15
2k+ ratings
Progress
by Johan Norberg • 2016
Extreme poverty fell faster in 50 years than 500. And that is not even the headline.
4.03
2k+
Progress Summary
Progress 94%
Extreme poverty fell faster in 50 years than 500. And that is not even the headline.
by Johan Norberg 2016
4.03
2k+ ratings
Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy
by Tim Harford • 2017
Fifty inventions, from barbed wire to infant formula, and the economic ripples nobody saw coming.
4.06
4k+
Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy Summary
Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy 94%
Fifty inventions, from barbed wire to infant formula, and the economic ripples nobody saw coming.
by Tim Harford 2017
4.06
4k+ ratings
Great Escape
by Angus Deaton • 2013
Life expectancy doubled, incomes soared, and inequality became the price of progress.
3.81
2k+
Great Escape Summary
Great Escape 94%
Life expectancy doubled, incomes soared, and inequality became the price of progress.
by Angus Deaton 2013
3.81
2k+ ratings
Big History
by David Christian • 2008
13.8 billion years: from pure energy to a planet shaping species. The thread is not chance.
4.42
561
Big History Summary
Big History 94%
13.8 billion years: from pure energy to a planet shaping species. The thread is not chance.
by David Christian 2008
4.42
561 ratings
The Capitalist Manifesto
by Johan Norberg • 2023
What brought extreme poverty from 29% to 8% in twenty years? The answer is not what you've been told
4.23
811
The Capitalist Manifesto Summary
The Capitalist Manifesto 94%
What brought extreme poverty from 29% to 8% in twenty years? The answer is not what you've been told
by Johan Norberg 2023
4.23
811 ratings
Systems Thinking for Sustainable Development
by Edward Saja Sanneh • 2018
Energy, water, health, and waste are one system. Solve them separately and each solution unravels.
4.00
2
Systems Thinking for Sustainable Development Summary
Systems Thinking for Sustainable Development 94%
Energy, water, health, and waste are one system. Solve them separately and each solution unravels.
by Edward Saja Sanneh 2018
4.00
2 ratings
The Wealth and Poverty of Nations
by David S. Landes • 1998
Coal and colonies don't explain Western wealth. The real reason: a culture that rewarded dissent.
3.96
4k+
The Wealth and Poverty of Nations Summary
The Wealth and Poverty of Nations 94%
Coal and colonies don't explain Western wealth. The real reason: a culture that rewarded dissent.
by David S. Landes 1998
3.96
4k+ ratings
A Culture of Growth
by Joel Mokyr • 2016
What fueled modern growth? Not property rights. A cultural shift that made nature a solvable puzzle.
3.94
427
A Culture of Growth Summary
A Culture of Growth 94%
What fueled modern growth? Not property rights. A cultural shift that made nature a solvable puzzle.
by Joel Mokyr 2016
3.94
427 ratings
Bad Ideas?
by Robert Winston • 2009
Writing, farming, and nuclear power share an uncomfortable secret: each was supposed to save us.
3.56
142
Bad Ideas? Summary
Bad Ideas? 94%
Writing, farming, and nuclear power share an uncomfortable secret: each was supposed to save us.
by Robert Winston 2009
3.56
142 ratings
The Birth of Plenty
by William J. Bernstein • 2004
Four conditions built the modern world; without them, even silver empires collapse.
4.19
858
The Birth of Plenty Summary
The Birth of Plenty 94%
Four conditions built the modern world; without them, even silver empires collapse.
by William J. Bernstein 2004
4.19
858 ratings
1493
by Charles C. Mann • 2011
Potatoes east, mosquitoes west: the biological upheaval set off by 1492 that still runs the world.
4.12
21k+
1493 Summary
1493 93%
Potatoes east, mosquitoes west: the biological upheaval set off by 1492 that still runs the world.
by Charles C. Mann 2011
4.12
21k+ ratings
Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World
by Fareed Zakaria • 2020
COVID-19 hit fast-forward. Ten lessons for a digital, unequal, and bipolar world.
3.96
6k+
Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World Summary
Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World 93%
COVID-19 hit fast-forward. Ten lessons for a digital, unequal, and bipolar world.
by Fareed Zakaria 2020
3.96
6k+ ratings
War and Peace and War
by Peter Turchin • 2005
Empires aren't conquered. They dissolve from within, on a schedule that mathematics can model.
4.17
928
War and Peace and War Summary
War and Peace and War 93%
Empires aren't conquered. They dissolve from within, on a schedule that mathematics can model.
by Peter Turchin 2005
4.17
928 ratings
The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire
by Henry Gee • 2025
The human population will soon peak and shrink. The only way out of extinction leads through space.
3.65
470
The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire Summary
The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire 93%
The human population will soon peak and shrink. The only way out of extinction leads through space.
by Henry Gee 2025
3.65
470 ratings
2052
by Jørgen Randers • 2012
A Limits to Growth update: population shrinks, growth slows, yet 2°C warming still hits by 2052.
3.95
355
2052 Summary
2052 93%
A Limits to Growth update: population shrinks, growth slows, yet 2°C warming still hits by 2052.
by Jørgen Randers 2012
3.95
355 ratings
The Industries of the Future
by Alec J. Ross • 2016
Robotics, genomics, code, and cyberwar: the next economy's winners and losers, mapped.
3.96
8k+
The Industries of the Future Summary
The Industries of the Future 93%
Robotics, genomics, code, and cyberwar: the next economy's winners and losers, mapped.
by Alec J. Ross 2016
3.96
8k+ ratings
How the World Really Works
by Vaclav Smil • 2022
Both doomers and utopians skip the same thing: modern civilization's staggering material scale.
3.94
14k+
How the World Really Works Summary
How the World Really Works 93%
Both doomers and utopians skip the same thing: modern civilization's staggering material scale.
by Vaclav Smil 2022
3.94
14k+ ratings
Capitalism, Alone
by Branko Milanović • 2019
Capitalism has no rivals left, only two forms. Each carries a contradiction that could unravel it.
4.11
1k+
Capitalism, Alone Summary
Capitalism, Alone 93%
Capitalism has no rivals left, only two forms. Each carries a contradiction that could unravel it.
by Branko Milanović 2019
4.11
1k+ ratings
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