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A Short History of Progress
A Short History of Progress | Ronald Wright
9 posts | 8 read | 8 to read
Each time history repeats itself, so it's said, the price goes up. The twentieth century was a time of runaway growth in human population, consumption, and technology, placing a colossal load on all natural systems, especially earth, air, and water — the very elements of life. The most urgent questions of the twenty-first century are: where will this growth lead? can it be consolidated or sustained? and what kind of world is our present bequeathing to our future?In his #1 bestseller A Short History of Progress Ronald Wright argues that our modern predicament is as old as civilization, a 10,000-year experiment we have participated in but seldom controlled. Only by understanding the patterns of triumph and disaster that humanity has repeated around the world since the Stone Age can we recognize the experiment's inherent dangers, and, with luck and wisdom, shape its outcome.
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Argon
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Panpan

My #DoubleBookSpin book for December 😎

While I think this book has a great message (take notice and act to save our environment before we totally destroy it, and ourselves), I was very irritated with some of the writing & sourcing. Some big claims were not supported with references, many quotes were either not referenced or copied from secondary sources instead of primary, and some fiction quotes were applied out of context 😒

3/10

TheAromaofBooks Great review!! So important for authors to actually present readers with documented information instead of just some sweeping claims under the guise of “well it's pretty obvious“. 4y
11 likes1 comment
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rabbitprincess
Pickpick

Great introduction by the author for the 15th anniversary edition. Less great is that the message — that humanity is walking into a progress trap, and other dead civilizations show what lies in store if we don‘t shape up — is even MORE relevant than it was back in 2004.

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rabbitprincess
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Bookmark/book synchronicity: a CBC bookmark in a book of the CBC Massey Lectures.

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Creadnorthey
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Pickpick

Completely readable. This warns that our current global consumption will lead to global collapse unless there is some swift global action! This is more invigorating than scary (of course I live in the lap of the 1st world...)

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ZenStateOfMind
Pickpick

The best book that one could read to understand story of the world. We think technology and scientific miracles are pinnacle of our civilization but author proves us wrong. He expertly shows how our forefathers have done much better than us and why did they loose in the end. One of my most favorite books. Easy to digest and pretty simple.

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ClairesReads
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Pickpick

Wright's text tackles the key question- where are we going? His argument is that civilisation makes the same mistakes repeatedly. Wright identifies "progress traps"- actions and developments which provide short term benefits but are ultimately evolutionarily unsustainable. Wright presented this argument clearly- drawing on a number of sound examples. In some sense, this was quite a bleak book to read. we must change our system or perish by it.

ZenStateOfMind great book 7y
ClairesReads @ZenStateOfMind yes I really enjoyed it! 7y
36 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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ClairesReads
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Well that's true

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ClairesReads
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And now for something completely different

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ClairesReads
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When you order all the books thinking "these will help with planning my scholarship program" then they arrive and you realise you have no time to read them #historyteacherlife

ClairesReads @MrBook thank you! 8y
Redheadrambles The serious reads continue ! Do you teach history ? How cool if so and explains the Russian revolution - you might like this if so but it's pretty fluffy 8y
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ClairesReads @Redheadrambles I know! I'll need to break it up before I get into this stack- yup am a History teacher- this year at least- I mooch around between History and English year to year...I've been following your progress on Gentleman in Moscow on Goodreads and thinking it sounds like a bit of me...I'll have to get hold of it 😃 8y
Redheadrambles @clairesreads hmmm yeah I have been writing my review in my head and it's not totally flattering 😉 8y
ClairesReads @Redheadrambles sometimes you need that kind of read in your life 8y
29 likes2 stack adds6 comments