Centers of progress 40 cities that changed the world
"Where does progress happen? The story of civilization is the story of the city. It is cities that have created and defined the modern world by acting as the sites of pivotal advances in culture, politics, science, technology, and more. There is no question that certain places, at certain times...
| Main Author: | Follett, Chelsea (Author) |
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| Format: | Books Print Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Washington, DC :
Cato Institute,
[2023]
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| Subjects: |
| Summary: |
"Where does progress happen? The story of civilization is the story of the city. It is cities that have created and defined the modern world by acting as the sites of pivotal advances in culture, politics, science, technology, and more. There is no question that certain places, at certain times in history, have contributed disproportionately toward making the world a better place. This book tells the story of forty of those places. In Centers of Progress: 40 Cities that Changed the World, Chelsea Follett examines a diverse group of cities, ranging from ancient Athens to Song-era Hangzhou. But some common themes stand out: most cities reach their creative peak during periods of peace; most centers of progress also thrive during times of social, intellectual, and economic freedom, as well as openness to intercultural exchange and trade; and centers of progress tend to be highly populated. Because, in every city, it is ultimately the people who live there who drive progress forward--if given the freedom to do so. Identifying common factors--such as relative peace, freedom, and multitudes--among the places that have produced history's greatest achievements is one way to learn what causes progress. Change is a constant, but progress is not. Understanding what makes a place fertile ground for progress may help to sow the seeds of future innovations. Moreover, their story is our story. City air provides the wind in the sails of the modern world. Come journey through these pages to some of history's greatest centers of progress"-- |
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| Physical Description: |
xviii, 398 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm |
| Bibliography: |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: |
9781952223655 1952223652 |
| Author Notes: |
CHELSEA FOLLETT is a policy analyst at the Cato Institute's Center for Global Liberty Prosperity and the managing editor of HumanProgress.org, a project of the Cato Institute that seeks to educate the public on the global improvements in well‐being by providing free empirical data on long‐term developments. Her writing has been published in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Newsweek, Forbes, The Hill, Business Insider, National Review, and the Washington Examiner. She was named to Forbes' 30 under 30 list for 2018 in the category of Law Policy. |