Peak Human

What We Can Learn from History’s Greatest Civilizations

De: Johan Norberg

Narrado por: Andrew Cullum

All golden ages are marked by periods of spectacular cultural flourishing, scientific exploration, technological achievement and economic growth; yet no two are the same. Their beliefs, societies and place in the wider world all vary. Despite this, all previous golden ages have ended, whether it be because of external pressures or internal fracturing; too much hubris or too little wariness.

Looking at seven of humanity's greatest civilisations—ancient Athens, the Roman Republic, Abbasid Baghdad, Song China, Renaissance Italy, the Dutch Republic and the Anglosphere—historian and commentator Johan Norberg seeks to distil their strengths and shortcomings in answering the question: how do we ensure that our current golden age doesn't end?

As insightful as it is riveting, Peak Human is at once a paean to our incredible progress and a warning that we cannot afford to be complacent.

©2025 Johan Norberg (P)2025 W.F. Howes Ltd

Breathtaking, Outstanding and Hard to Put Down

A well-researched body of work delivered with outstanding narration, Johan Norberg's audiobook is a breathtaking tour of history that is hard to pause. The author will help you rewind the past lifetime of man, transporting you to thousands of years of history to fill the curious mind and leave it thoroughly satisfied. The bottom line is that empires and civilisations come and go, but humanity moves forward in a gale of progress that builds on the past. What worries me is that the behaviour that led to the past collapse of prior civilisations is currently unfolding in real time. I hope policymakers read this excellent piece of history and pull back from the brink.

Excellent and timely.

Very interesting historical review. Easy to listen to and engaging. Just the right length, keeping to the main points.

The consist threads that knit the central theme.

A transformative thesis that, if carefully considered and reflected, can move us from our current precipice to a possible extension of our’golden age’.

Learned more in this book than years of piecemeal study - and the lessons are critical for today

The author has a great style and somehow manages to pack and incredible amount of information into a tight package without leaving the reader overwhelmed or feeling like it was dumbed down or too abridged!