Civilization

The West and the Rest

By: Niall Ferguson

Narrated by: Niall Ferguson

Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

The rise to global predominance of Western civilization is the single most important historical phenomenon of the past five hundred years. All over the world, an astonishing proportion of people now work for Western-style companies, study at Western-style universities, vote for Western-style governments, take Western medicines, wear Western clothes, and even work Western hours. Yet six hundred years ago the petty kingdoms of Western Europe seemed unlikely to achieve much more than perpetual internecine warfare. It was Ming China or Ottoman Turkey that had the look of world civilizations. How did the West overtake its Eastern rivals? And has the zenith of Western power now passed?

In Civilization: The West and the Rest, bestselling author Niall Ferguson argues that, beginning in the fifteenth century, the West developed six powerful new concepts that the Rest lacked: competition, science, the rule of law, consumerism, modern medicine, and the work ethic.

©2011 Niall Ferguson (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Thought-provoking and possibly controversial." ( Library Journal)

Niall Ferguson is a WONDERFUL reader!

Would you listen to Civilization again? Why?

I've enjoyed other books by Niall Ferguson. He is lucid and weaves an interesting story out of dry facts and figures. I will listen to his work any time. BUT, if he reads his work himself it is EXTRAORDINARILY BETTER! He brings the passion of his words, the nuance of his humor, and the gift of his insights to light. Please: more of this!

Who was your favorite character and why?

NA

Which scene was your favorite?

NA

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES!

Any additional comments?

More books read by this author please!

unapologetic review of the dominance of west

Would you listen to Civilization again? Why?

lots of intriguing detail of rarely referenced non western sources which bear further investigation

What other book might you compare Civilization to and why?

Gold God and Guns - WRM

Which character – as performed by Niall Ferguson – was your favorite?

Simon Bolivar - hard to believe the stereotype I was taught in school was such anti democratic figure in reality - lots of good quotes

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was touched by the in depth look at slavery in North and South America with the different forms this evil took in different cultures

Any additional comments?

looking forward to the second half

Reactionary Toward Anti-Imperialism

This was the first title of Ferguson's that I've finished. I thought I would like his ideas more because I learned of him through Dambisa Moyo's 'Dead Aid'.

Ultimately I found that Ferguson goes against anti-imperialist thought so strongly that he barely mentions that elements of the six "killer apps" that lead the West to succeed over "the Rest" were partly due to the immense wealth gained by western powers from their empires. I know I give myself away as a more left-leaning person with this review, but I expected this to be more even-handed than it was. His swipes against Marx and general Communism were more heavy-handed than his dealings with Hitler and the fascist leaders of history. This may be due to the way that Hitler has been described to death already, everywhere else, but it just seemed bizarre to have such heavy disdain in odd places.

Other than showing his biases too strongly at times, Ferguson does write well, and he deals with the topic of the rise of the West, just as the subtitle says he will. I'll probably listen to another, but I'll beware of his pro-imperial tendency.

Fascinating Insight into Western Civ

Any additional comments?

This book is a fascinating examination of western civilization: its origins, strengths, and weaknesses. As Ferguson sees it, western cultures developed "6 killer applications" that allowed them to succeed as empires. While one might not agree with each and every assertion that Ferguson makes, this book will no doubt stimulate discussion and consideration of these factors. What's more this book does a very nice job taking the history out of the history book and making it relevant to modern events as well as an eye toward the future. This book is well written and interesting. I recommend it for anyone interested in history as well as the intersection of historical processes with current events.

Brilliant!

Where does Civilization rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Number 1.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Civilization?

All of them. ( Well, almost: 95% )

Any additional comments?

If you think, you know pretty much about the story of Civilization, think again, because you are up to a great surprise. Niall Ferguson gives you unexpected, (lead the money), but still very exiting point of view. I am listening to the history lectures for the past 15 years, and this one is in my top 2%. My definition of the best history book is, when you just cannot put it away and always wont to have more of it.

Brilliant

I'm typing this on a small phone so forgive the sloppy review. .. Whenever I listen to, or read a book of history, i ask myself "what is the authors agenda"? Niall strikes me as being a very even... or balanced author. He obviously leans towards free market principles, but doesn't shy away from explaining the downside. He gives facts about the past, but doesn't shy away from the theoretical when discussing future scenerios. In a world where political rhetoric is extreme on the right and left, it's nice to just listen to balanced history. It's also refreshing to hear his opinions backed up by fact.. He writes with a very easily assimilated pros. There's no unnecessary stroking of his or others egos. A great quote of his (not found in this book) is i paraphrase "if you want to know what and why things happened , look at what didn't happen"... really paraphrasing here "the past is a different world, so go back and get inside those people's heads"... I butchered his quote, but that is the kind of brilliance he brings to this book. I would also highly recommend his book "the assent of money ". Warning if you are a believer in socialism or communism this book will illicit negative emotions. I can think of several people who should read this book.. A sad sack backup quarterback (who likes to wear Fidel Castro shirts) comes to mind.... if the only history you consume, is in your "post colonial studies " class, this could be a nice balancing addition to your knowledge.

Solid overview style history

I like this book because it is an overview style. It doesn't get mired in details, it moves along well. The narrator does a great job staying interesting. I also love how far into current history it gets.

A broad and interesting work

Ferguson does an exemplary job of explaining how the West rose to the superior position, but also its abuses and how it might unravel from within.

Best ever!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. History is the best predictor of the future and this book lays it out perfectly.

What other book might you compare Civilization to and why?

None can compare to this one.

What does Niall Ferguson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Best narrator ever! He really makes it come to life!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes. It really makes you stop and think about what's about to happen to Western civilization. History will repeat itself!

Any additional comments?

This is, by far, the best book and narrator I've experienced in my 65 years on the planet. It needs to have the widest possible exposure!

Go Niall!

Would you listen to Civilization again? Why?

Full disclosure, I consider myself drastically western in thought and lifestyle. I do not consider western civilization to be superior, or without problems... However, I do think its the most progressive, it has values I admire (in no particular order art, education, pluralism, civil rights, property rights, independent judiciary, etc.) even if not always in practice at least in principle. Again, not perfect, but for the most part progressive... we make leaps forward from the steps we take back...(most times)...

I am not a fan of FOX news or any other propaganda machine. And, for the most part I lean left politically... Although to be honest I would rather vote for a radical center ticket if there was an option...

The book is great because it is not only full of information that to many readers could be new, but mostly because it is tied in with other information and data to make interesting conclusions. Some historians and other specialists will have issues with conclusions and maybe even some of the data, and especially the patois of disciplines the author utilized in his analysis, but that doesn't make this book any less thought provoking or fun to read!

Based on this book I would imagine the author and I would probably disagree politically on some things, but being drastically western, I cant begrudge him having an opinion contrary to my own. However, its still good fun to read if this is a subject you enjoy, and the its well written which is remarkable considering the scope of the book.

And, like I said I doubt our politics is similar for the most, part, and I didn't agree about some of the conclusions he drew from the data, but it was a good read, with interesting facts, thought provoking ideas, and I enjoyed it.