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)

The accents are ridiculous!

An otherwise excellent book marred by the ridiculous accents performed in quotes of non-English speaking notables. I will never understand why Simon Bolivar who presumably wrote in Spanish is translated to English and recited in a comic book German accent.

Insightful, educational, and well read

"Civilization: The West and the Rest" is a must-read for any history buff. The book is packed with insights into culture, history, and human nature. The pacing is remarkably good (especially for a history book) and kept my interest throughout. Amusingly, there is so much emphasis put on textiles, clothing, and blue jeans in particular that I found myself thinking that a subtitle about the significant role of blue jeans in modern history wouldn't be unwarranted. However, the book covers the whole of human history with equally fascinating insights.

After listening to this book, I feel better informed about, and have a new perspective on the human world in which we live. It is both intellectually satisfying and entertaining. I highly recommend it.

With respect to the narration—usually, when an author reads his own book, it raises flags of caution, but Niall Ferguson turns out to be a top-notch narrator—in fact, one of the best I've heard. One strange thing about the audiobook, though—there are other narrators brought in from time-to-time to read quotes from historical figures. Not one of these readers approaches the high quality of Mr. Ferguson's narration, and I found myself wishing that these quotes had been read by him instead. When he retires from his teaching position at Harvard, there's a future for him narrating both fiction and non-fiction books for Audible.

Overview of Western Civilization's Influence

Would you consider the audio edition of Civilization to be better than the print version?

Excellent overview of the rise and global influence of Western Civilization on the globe. From an array of disparate European tribes, the west rose and became global colonial powers. The influence on business, music, clothing, etc. is very broad and evident around the world.

The west continues to have global influence, but, interestingly, some of the factors that contributed to our prominence have begun to ebb in the west while being embraced elsewhere.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Not applicable

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

Not applicable

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Western Civilization - Global Civilization

Any additional comments?

Just a fantastic thoughtful book with excellent narration - a true gem

Great book. Annoying quote voices.

loved the content and the narrator. for some reason, they chose to have every direct quote in the book narrated by someone trying to imitate the accent of the person being quoted. this is extremely annoying and often cringe inducing. would've been far better just to have the narrator read the quotes in his normal voice.

fairly balanced in my opinion

I’m sure both conservative and liberal listeners can find something to hate in this review of Western civilization which in my mind probably makes it a fair review. it’s also thought provoking about the path forward. I believe over the longer term the secret of success of any civilization is in it valuing the individuals within in it and the innovation they can bring to help the civilization evolve over time.

The West's impact on the rest

Why did the West excel while the rest did not? Ferguson makes a strong argument for key factors in the West that supported growth such as the political system that pushed the rights of the individual, legal system that gives strong property laws, religious advantages, since of competition and others. Ferguson also discusses how the gap is narrowing as the rest adopts Western ways and looks at the economic and environmental impact that could have in the near future.

great read on civilizations growth and decline<br />

thought provoking on East and West civilizations, causes of ascent and descent of nations and cultures.

Why Western Civilization Triumphed, So Far

Ferguson's performance is engaging. But the content is the star. He reveals the 'killer apps' that led to the ascendency of the West and the incredible increase of the wealth of its participants. I learned a lot. More importantly I know the key pillars that need to be protected to prevent the collapse of our civilization.

Good story but.....

Good story and great narration. Tells a great tale and helps to set the stage as to why the west was so dominant for many years. The only challenge is that Ferguson would tend to get off Subject at times and onto what didn't seem like a relevant tangent. Overall a good and I will listen to another of his s books soon

What do audio book editors do for a living?

This is essentially a good book with some interesting insights which should get 5 stars made into a farce by someone (the author/narrator?) doing ridiculous attempts at reading referenced sections in the accents of the original author. So for example Voltaire quotes are spoken in a ridiculous French accent. It is so bad that it makes the book into a bad joke. How could an editor let this happen?