"The New York Times bestselling author of The Rational Optimist and Genome returns with a fascinating, brilliant argument for evolution that definitively dispels a dangerous, widespread myth: that we can command and control our world.The Evolution of Everything is about bottom-up order and its enemy, the top-down twitch--the endless fascination human beings have for design rather than evolution, for direction rather than emergence. Drawing on anecdotes from science, economics, history, politics and philosophy, Matt Ridley's wide-ranging, highly opinionated opus demolishes conventional assumptions that major scientific and social imperatives are dictated by those on high, whether in government, business, academia, or morality. On the contrary, our most important achievements develop from the bottom up. Patterns emerge, trends evolve. Just as skeins of geese form Vs in the sky without meaning to, and termites build mud cathedrals without architects, so brains take shape without brain-makers, learning can happen without teaching and morality …
"The New York Times bestselling author of The Rational Optimist and Genome returns with a fascinating, brilliant argument for evolution that definitively dispels a dangerous, widespread myth: that we can command and control our world.The Evolution of Everything is about bottom-up order and its enemy, the top-down twitch--the endless fascination human beings have for design rather than evolution, for direction rather than emergence. Drawing on anecdotes from science, economics, history, politics and philosophy, Matt Ridley's wide-ranging, highly opinionated opus demolishes conventional assumptions that major scientific and social imperatives are dictated by those on high, whether in government, business, academia, or morality. On the contrary, our most important achievements develop from the bottom up. Patterns emerge, trends evolve. Just as skeins of geese form Vs in the sky without meaning to, and termites build mud cathedrals without architects, so brains take shape without brain-makers, learning can happen without teaching and morality changes without a plan.Although we neglect, defy and ignore them, bottom-up trends shape the world. The growth of technology, the sanitation-driven health revolution, the quadrupling of farm yields so that more land can be released for nature--these were largely emergent phenomena, as were the Internet, the mobile phone revolution, and the rise of Asia. Ridley demolishes the arguments for design and effectively makes the case for evolution in the universe, morality, genes, the economy, culture, technology, the mind, personality, population, education, history, government, God, money, and the future.As compelling as it is controversial, authoritative as it is ambitious, Ridley's stunning perspective will revolutionize the way we think about our world and how it works"--
"A book that makes the case for evolution over design and skewers a widespread but dangerous myth: that we have ultimate control over our world"--
Review of 'The evolution of everything' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Everything around us has evolved from a bottom-up manner. But we tell stories that it came in a top-down, one-man-redefined-the-field way. We fail to appreciate randomness, environment and various other factors that led to a change. Matt Ridley call this as an argument of creationists, whereas the world has really evolved. The entire book is a convincing argument on various facets of our life and how it has evolved.
I now really appreciate the concepts of emergence and complexity much better thru this fantastic, well researched and lucidly written book.
It’s an excellent book that deserves five stars. But it is deliciously repetitive. To get the best out of it, I recommend you to read one chapter with enough breaks. You will love it.
Review of 'The evolution of everything' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Too adaptionist for my taste, very Dawkinian in that away. Also I'm pretty certain that Ridley overstates some studies where it fits hit narrative while downplaying facts which don't work too well for his libertarian style.
Additionally there's the problem of liking evolution just a tiny bit too much. It feels that Ridley thinks that evolution always is good and we should embrace the notion that "everything" evolves.
