Matt Ridley

Matt Ridley’s latest book `The Rational Optimist: How prosperity evolves’ argues that human beings are not only wealthier, but healthier, happier, cleaner, cleverer, kinder, freer, more peaceful and more equal than they have ever been. This is because the source of human innovation is, and has been for 100,000 years, not individual inspiration through reason but collective intelligence evolving by trial and error resulting from the sharing of ideas through exchange and specialization. The secret of human prosperity is that everybody is working for everybody else. The book sparked vigorous debate and has drawn both praise and criticism from Bill Gates.