A review by annaka_haynes
The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves by Matt Ridley

2.0

I bought this book because I'm feeling largely pessimistic these days, and after hearing the author interviewed on NPR I thought he might provide some useful insight. It was quickly evident that Ridley worships at the altar of conservative capitalism, as he seems to posit that all problems- from environmental to social- are solved by free trade. The fact that he's skeptical of climate change and is both pro-fracking and pro-Brexit makes me wary of some of his conclusions. Despite that, and despite over-emphasizing the 'free trade' refrain, Ridley made some interesting points, and I feel like I learned enough to make the time worthwhile. I don't know that I feel much more optimistic about our current political climate, however.