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An Illustrated Short History of Progress
- GenresNonfictionHistoryScience
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2007
8 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Ronald Wright
47 books158 followersRonald Wright is a Canadian author who has written books of travel, history and fiction. His nonfiction includes the bestseller Stolen Continents, winner of the Gordon Montador Award and chosen as a book of the year by the Independent and the Sunday Times. His first novel, A Scientific Romance, won the 1997 David Higham Prize for Fiction and was chosen a book of the year by the Globe and Mail, the Sunday Times, and the New York Times.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 3, 2014
"Each time history repeats itself, the price goes up."
A short book that everyone should read. You could finish it in a day or two. I've never been much for anthropology, and this serves as a great introduction. Wright takes you from the beginning of humanity 5 million years ago right up to the present, detailing what he calls "progress traps" -- times where humans and technology developed so quickly that they ended up destroying their own culture or society, start with the overhunting of Cro-Magnon man, followed by examples of 4 civilizations (Easter Island, the Sumer, Rome, and the Maya) that collapsed due to destruction of natural resources and over-farming.
But the best chapter is the final one, where Wright looks at "where are we going" as a civilization, and argues that most of the conditions that preceded the former social collapses mentioned now exist, but on a global scale and that serious change is needed (which according to him "is not anti-capitalist, anti-American, or even deep environmentalist; it is simply the transition from short-term to long-term thinking")in order to head off a global social collapse. Clearly written, well-argued, and even more relevant now than it was when first published.
Also, the illustrated version is well-designed, with quotes and pictures that compliment the text.
A short book that everyone should read. You could finish it in a day or two. I've never been much for anthropology, and this serves as a great introduction. Wright takes you from the beginning of humanity 5 million years ago right up to the present, detailing what he calls "progress traps" -- times where humans and technology developed so quickly that they ended up destroying their own culture or society, start with the overhunting of Cro-Magnon man, followed by examples of 4 civilizations (Easter Island, the Sumer, Rome, and the Maya) that collapsed due to destruction of natural resources and over-farming.
But the best chapter is the final one, where Wright looks at "where are we going" as a civilization, and argues that most of the conditions that preceded the former social collapses mentioned now exist, but on a global scale and that serious change is needed (which according to him "is not anti-capitalist, anti-American, or even deep environmentalist; it is simply the transition from short-term to long-term thinking")in order to head off a global social collapse. Clearly written, well-argued, and even more relevant now than it was when first published.
Also, the illustrated version is well-designed, with quotes and pictures that compliment the text.
July 25, 2017
Definitely the best book I have read this year. It is a great combination of archaeological, sociological and philosophical studies mixed with great writing and smart reasoning. The author explores "progress traps" and shows how different civilizations were able to cope with them or not and failed. Great read worth every minute of your time.
December 31, 2016
Phenomenonal. I heard this as a Massey Lecture and it affected me profoundly.
August 21, 2017
This caught my eye at the library. I remember picking it up at the Camosun bookstore way back in my first semester of post-secondary. It was "recommended, but not required" reading for History 100. I bought it, hoped to get to it, but never did.
It's a brief survey, overview, and criticism of the pattern you spend a lot of time talking about during your history degree: The agricultural revolution, specialization, social hierarchy, and how these snowball into environmental annihilation that leads to societal collapse. Jared Diamond's books ("Guns, Germs and Steel," specifically) first blew my mind in this area, but I wish I'd actually read this book back in 2005; it's loaded with information and sources, laid out in a very accessible way, and written with the an effective mix of compassion sternness. It'll make you want to buy a fat stack of history books, and it'll terrify you.
My absolute dream would be to teach a Comparative Civilizations class. If/when I get to, this book will lay a solid foundation. In the meantime, it's given me a welcome reminder that progress can be a trap, and that every time history repeats itself the price goes up.
"Mother Nature always comes to the rescue of a society stricken with overpopulation, and her ministrations are never gentle."
It's a brief survey, overview, and criticism of the pattern you spend a lot of time talking about during your history degree: The agricultural revolution, specialization, social hierarchy, and how these snowball into environmental annihilation that leads to societal collapse. Jared Diamond's books ("Guns, Germs and Steel," specifically) first blew my mind in this area, but I wish I'd actually read this book back in 2005; it's loaded with information and sources, laid out in a very accessible way, and written with the an effective mix of compassion sternness. It'll make you want to buy a fat stack of history books, and it'll terrify you.
My absolute dream would be to teach a Comparative Civilizations class. If/when I get to, this book will lay a solid foundation. In the meantime, it's given me a welcome reminder that progress can be a trap, and that every time history repeats itself the price goes up.
"Mother Nature always comes to the rescue of a society stricken with overpopulation, and her ministrations are never gentle."
November 21, 2020
This is likely the best thing I'll read in 2020. _A Short a History of Progress_ (I read the illustrated edition) is unfortunately out of print so far as I can tell, but it's easy to find used.
It's history, ecology, and anthropology all rolled into one that looks at the evolution of humanity from our recent evolutionary ancestors, to the rise of civilization in fits and starts, to how it might collapse today.
The author spends several chapters looking at the "progress traps" and failures of human society. Agriculture comes first in all cases, and that can be a civilization bottleneck in itself, particularly if you overwork the soil and strip the land like the Sumerians did. The middle and majority of the book is finding places where civilization failed and why they did. The last part (which some people might find a bit preachy) looks at society as it is in the modern day and the ways that it can all collapse. Catastrophic failures come with progress.
I've never read anything quite like it but it would pair well with Bill Bryson's _A Short History of Nearly Everything_ which is another book that looks at all of human history at scale.
It's history, ecology, and anthropology all rolled into one that looks at the evolution of humanity from our recent evolutionary ancestors, to the rise of civilization in fits and starts, to how it might collapse today.
The author spends several chapters looking at the "progress traps" and failures of human society. Agriculture comes first in all cases, and that can be a civilization bottleneck in itself, particularly if you overwork the soil and strip the land like the Sumerians did. The middle and majority of the book is finding places where civilization failed and why they did. The last part (which some people might find a bit preachy) looks at society as it is in the modern day and the ways that it can all collapse. Catastrophic failures come with progress.
I've never read anything quite like it but it would pair well with Bill Bryson's _A Short History of Nearly Everything_ which is another book that looks at all of human history at scale.
January 24, 2024
One of the single most influential books I have read.
I cannot recommend it enough.
I cannot recommend it enough.
May 6, 2025
it was okay. it didn't fully pull me in as i found myself becoming distracted frequently.
February 16, 2013
In terms of a cautionary tale, this is actually a series of them. Wright is passionate about his subject matter, and if you aren't careful, you could be convinced about the impending demise of civilization before you get half way through. This is an interesting read common to the Massey Lecture series. I also enjoyed the illustrated component of this book, even if I didn't see the direct connection of some Wright chose to include. It's a relatively short read, but his points are salient and his examples are well-chosen. An Illustrated Short History is recommended for anyone who enjoys the Massey Lecture style...
March 5, 2015
Yes yes yes yes yes! Right up my alley. Dystopian nonfiction with pictures.
May 27, 2017
Powerful exploration of early human history and the impact of ecological strain on civilizations.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews