The book presents a compelling distinction between zones of peace and zones of turmoil, offering profound political insights that could shape our understanding of the new world order. Its scope and vision are unmatched in recent literature, providing a nontechnical analysis that makes complex ideas accessible. Esteemed political analyst Bruce Bueno de Mesquita praises its explanatory power, highlighting its relevance in contemporary discussions about global dynamics.
"Singer convincingly demonstrates that econ-omic growth is the central reality of the modern era... His arguments are sometimes subtle, but he walks the reader through them with schematized subheadings, summaries, and relentless patience." --Peter Brimelow, The Wall Street Journal Responding to the Club of Rome's Limit to Growth and its successors, Singer argues that the dominant characteristic of the modern era is almost completely unrecognized: the world's passage, in the few centuries surrounding our own, from poverty to wealth. This rapid transformation in the condition of human life--from poor to wealthy, from nature-dominated to human--dominated is described here, as are the reasons why it has been largely ignored.