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Why the West Rules—For Now

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737: 749: 315:, as well as a propensity to level out fundamental differences between the development of the West and the rest, which disregards the singular role of Europe in shaping the modern world'. Morris replied, saying that "despite his review’s length, rather little of it takes on my book’s central thesis", and defending his focus on 164:
explains Western domination of the globe. Morris' Social Development Index considers the amount of energy a civilization can usefully capture, its ability to organize (measured by the size of its largest cities), war-making capability (weapons, troop strength, logistics), and information technology
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After the development of ocean-going ships, the significantly greater size of the Pacific Ocean made trans-Atlantic exploration and trade more feasible and profitable for Europe than trans-Pacific exploration and trade for East Asia. Though the
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Sverre Bagge criticizes the book for underestimating the importance of institutional factors (such as state formation) and in downplaying cultural explanations in favor of materialist explanations.
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Eurasian diseases to which people in the Americas had no immunity were a byproduct of Eurasian development that devastated Native Americans after contact, in addition to superior European weapons.
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With the development of ships in Eurasia, rivers became trade routes. Europe and empires in Greece and Rome benefited from the Mediterranean, compared to Chinese empires (who later built the
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has called it "an important book—one that challenges, stimulates and entertains. Anyone who does not believe there are lessons to be learned from history should start here."
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The Social Development Index shows the West leading until the 6th century, China leading until the 18th century, and the West leading again in the modern era.
779: 646: 614: 324: 118: 263: 497: 362: 593: 564: 769: 630: 774: 655: 622: 174: 727: 81: 186: 207:.) Development of Africa and the Americas started on the same path, but it was delayed by thousands of years. 617:(1987). "The Connectedness Criterion and Central Civilization". In Melko, Matthew; Scott, Leighton (eds.). 585: 340: 204: 133: 40: 524: 62: 26: 304: 229: 233: 211: 711: 471: 286: 153: 703: 626: 307:
which Morris envisions encompassing not only Europe but all civilizations descending from the
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and advances in information technology are leveling differences between civilizational areas.
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Why the West Rules—For Now: The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future
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The evidence and statistical methods used in this book are explained in more detail in
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The book has been criticized by the controversial historical sociologist
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Irrigation benefited drier areas such as Egypt and the Fertile Crescent.
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brought diseases that caused epidemics in settled populations.
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The book won several literary awards, including the 2011
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gave certain areas an early advantage, especially the
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and Europe are in the same system was introduced by
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Ian Morris's website 341:Guns, Germs, and Steel 319:. The notion that the 214:for similar purposes). 205:cradle of civilization 136:, published in 2010. 63:cultural anthropology 775:Books about the West 363:"Social Development" 181:Morris argues that: 100:Hardcover, Paperback 361:Ian Morris (2010). 234:Chinese exploration 21: 625:. pp. 17–21. 287:The New York Times 170:Social Development 154:physical geography 144:The book compares 533:. October 7, 2010 452:. January 3, 2011 230:mariner's compass 203:and China. (See 125: 124: 119:978-0-374-29002-3 89:Publication place 787: 752: 751: 750: 740: 739: 731: 720: 719: 679: 673: 672: 670: 668: 647:Wilkinson, David 643: 637: 636: 615:Wilkinson, David 611: 605: 604: 602: 600: 582: 576: 575: 573: 571: 553:Ricardo Duchesne 549: 543: 542: 540: 538: 521: 515: 514: 512: 510: 493: 487: 486: 484: 482: 476: 468: 462: 461: 459: 457: 440: 434: 433: 431: 429: 415: 409: 408: 406: 404: 390: 384: 383: 381: 380: 374: 368:. Archived from 367: 358: 309:Fertile Crescent 301:Ricardo Duchesne 238:Age of Discovery 201:Fertile Crescent 29: 22: 795: 794: 790: 789: 788: 786: 785: 784: 760: 759: 758: 748: 746: 734: 726: 724: 723: 688:European Review 681: 680: 676: 666: 664: 645: 644: 640: 633: 613: 612: 608: 598: 596: 584: 583: 579: 569: 567: 551: 550: 546: 536: 534: 523: 522: 518: 508: 506: 495: 494: 490: 480: 478: 474: 470: 469: 465: 455: 453: 442: 441: 437: 427: 425: 417: 416: 412: 402: 400: 392: 391: 387: 378: 376: 372: 365: 360: 359: 355: 350: 336: 325:David Wilkinson 275:Foreign Affairs 256: 219:Eurasian Steppe 217:Raids from the 142: 97:Media type 59:Human geography 32: 17: 12: 11: 5: 793: 791: 783: 782: 777: 772: 762: 761: 757: 756: 744: 722: 721: 694:(3): 465–468. 674: 638: 631: 606: 577: 544: 516: 503:Foreign Policy 488: 463: 435: 410: 398:PEN Center USA 385: 352: 351: 349: 346: 345: 344: 335: 332: 281:Foreign Policy 260:PEN Center USA 255: 252: 251: 250: 244: 241: 225: 222: 215: 208: 193: 190: 141: 138: 123: 122: 116: 110: 109: 106: 102: 101: 98: 94: 93: 90: 86: 85: 78: 74: 73: 56: 52: 51: 48: 44: 43: 38: 34: 33: 30: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 792: 781: 778: 776: 773: 771: 768: 767: 765: 755: 745: 743: 738: 733: 729: 717: 713: 709: 705: 701: 697: 693: 689: 685: 678: 675: 662: 658: 657: 652: 649:(Fall 1987). 648: 642: 639: 634: 628: 624: 620: 616: 610: 607: 595: 591: 587: 581: 578: 566: 562: 560: 554: 548: 545: 532: 531: 530:The Economist 526: 520: 517: 505: 504: 499: 492: 489: 473: 467: 464: 451: 450: 445: 439: 436: 424: 420: 414: 411: 399: 395: 389: 386: 375:on 2012-03-30 371: 364: 357: 354: 347: 343: 342: 338: 337: 333: 331: 328: 326: 322: 318: 314: 310: 306: 302: 297: 295: 294: 293:The Economist 289: 288: 283: 282: 277: 276: 271: 270: 265: 261: 253: 248: 247:Globalization 245: 242: 239: 235: 231: 226: 223: 220: 216: 213: 209: 206: 202: 198: 194: 191: 188: 184: 183: 182: 179: 177: 176: 171: 166: 163: 159: 155: 151: 147: 139: 137: 135: 131: 130: 120: 117: 115: 111: 107: 103: 99: 95: 92:United States 91: 87: 83: 79: 75: 72: 68: 64: 60: 57: 53: 49: 45: 42: 39: 35: 31:First edition 28: 23: 691: 687: 677: 665:. 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Index


Ian Morris
Human geography
cultural anthropology
archaeology
history
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN
978-0-374-29002-3
Ian Morris
East
West
physical geography
genetics
great men
The Measure of Civilization
agriculture was first invented
domesticated
Fertile Crescent
cradle of civilization
Grand Canal
Eurasian Steppe
mariner's compass
Chinese exploration
Age of Discovery
Globalization
PEN Center USA
GetAbstract International Book Award
Newsweek
Foreign Affairs

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